Share Sounds

Adam Cox is joined by Dave McFadden, Managing Director of the Economic Development Division of the Port of Seattle, to look at why Washington State and the city of Seattle are ideal locations for holidaymakers this year. Dave offers some tips for first-time visitors and some of the 'must see' attractions in Seattle, in addition to elaborating on things found in Seattle which won't be seen anywhere else in the U.S. www.stateofwatourism.com www.portseattle.org

Adam Cox is joined by Malcolm Flanders, a Director at Golden Charter, one of the sector's largest providers, to discuss new funeral industry regulation on market standards from the Financial Conduct Authority (FSA). They look at how the rules could be damaging for some funeral plan providers, and how consumers with pre-existing plans will be affected, He also explains how Golden Charter will be able to assist consumers when the changes come into effect. www.goldencharter.co.uk

Victoria Scholar of Interactive Investor looks at the latest inflation numbers, warning that further rises are now inevitable. She looks at the results of Tesco, Asos and Easyjet and how they are affected by so many costs soaring. She discusses how investors can navigate the inflationary environment, pointing out that with cash giving such a negligible return, it's not a time to be uninvested. Investors should think about sectors such as banks, oil & gas and commodities and about companies that are price-givers rather than price-takers.

'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' enters the UK b.o. chart at #1, the 3rd highest opening of the year. James Cameron-Wilson found it long, slow and lacking magic, though he enjoyed Dreamworks' 'The Bad Guys' at #3. 'The Outfit' with Mark Rylance at #7 has been well reviewed but is not extensively released. James strongly recommends F.W. Murnau's massively influential 1922 vampire classic 'Nosferatu' out on an extras-laden Blu-Ray but also coming to cinemas and available online from Eureka.

Share Radio's technology editor Steve Caplin talks to Simon Rose about the San Francisco police's surprise at stopping a car without headlights – or a driver! There's also a way to trap smoke-stack CO2, a Rubens painting with accompanying smells, a solution to cat allergy, cloning dead pets, the most popular social media app that aims to get real, wearable air conditioning and crowd-funded illuminated bike pedals that Steve reckons are worth every cyclist looking at.

Political commentator Mike Indian reflects on the consequences of the two most senior members of the government breaking laws that they helped to implement and wonders how it might affect the forthcoming local elections. If they go badly, will the PM have to go and who could replace him? With no more than 750 days until a General Election, he assesses the two main parties' electoral prospects. And he looks at the situation in Ukraine, considering the responsibility of the West for doing nothing when Putin annexed Crimea. He feels that, hard though it may be, the West must do more than it is already doing to help Ukraine.

How can Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church justify his support for Putin's murderous assault as in keeping with Christian teaching? Former Church of England Archbishop Rowan Williams, whose long affinity with the Orthodox Church brings a deep awareness of its history, is right to call for Russian Orthodox expulsion from the World Council of Churches. In this week before Easter we need to re-visit basic Christian teaching on respect for others, however different they may be to ourselves. As our quote from author D.B. Harrop says: 'Have a big enough heart to love unconditionally, and a broad enough mind to embrace the differences that make each of us unique'.

Let's face it, some businesses just have that "Ick Factor" because they do the jobs most people don't want to do. Jim Mueller discusses whether people going back to offices could be a growth catalyst for Waste Management, the under-rated subscription part of Rollins' business, and how businesses like Sherwin-Williams can be compounding machines for shareholders. Also, Alicia Hammond discusses the psychological underpinnings of why we give someone "the benefit of the doubt" and how it relates to investing.

April is Financial Literacy Month and we've got some recommendations to make you a smarter investor! Anand Chokkavelu mentions a couple of popular titles investors may want to skip, before he recommends the following books: # Liar's Poker - Michael Lewis # The Big Short - Michael Lewis # (Shameless Plug Alert!) The Motley Fool Investment Guide - David and Tom Gardner # The Little Book That Beats The Market - Joel Greenblatt # One Up On Wall Street - Peter Lynch # Beating The Streat - Peter Lynch Also, Alison Southwick and Robert Brokamp talk with best-selling author Ron Lieber about how to help your kids be smarter about money (without looking like a jerk).

This week has seen a number of changes to our personal finances in the wake of energy bill and council tax rises, along with a number of key utilities such as broadband and mobile contracts. It also marks the start of a new tax year and with it a National Insurance rise, a meagre state pension hike and the start of new 'no fault' divorce system. Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Helen Crane run through what these changes potentially mean for you and why they're important. Renting is set to become cheaper than mortgage repayments for the first time in 14 years according to a study. This could signal 'trouble ahead,' as the data shows that when this happens, often a recession follows shortly afterwards. We discuss why. The pandemic boom could also leave high-earning homeowners trapped and unable to move, if they've overstretched themselves to buy. They may be unable to remortgage as lenders consider their squeezed incomes during the cost of living crisis. And finally, with the energy price cap soaring, are there gadgets that could help you save money? Lee comes with a warning with his own 'smart' thermostat.