Episodes

  • How far would you go to avoid your personal tax raid?

    How far would you go to avoid your personal tax raid?
    Jun 6 2025
    Tax is an increasingly taxing subject for many people who feel hard done by as Britain’s complicated system catches them out.

    From quirks of the system, such as the 60 per cent tax trap and child benefit removal, to the childcare cliff edge, frozen thresholds, and pensions soon to be dragged into inheritance tax, there’s a whole host of things to drive us mad.

    And, it’s getting worse. The Tories and now Labour have both chosen to ratchet up the things that trip people up to raise money, rather than sort out a tax system that most economists say is a total mess.

    So how far would you go to avoid your personal tax raid? And is tax changing people’s behaviour? Lee highlights how.

    On this podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert dive into how the British tax tail is wagging the dog.

    Plus, as the Switch 2 arrives and the video game industry goes from strength to strength, should you invest in video game firms?

    How much do you need for a comfortable retirement – and what does that get you?

    And finally, you put up an 8 foot fence for privacy, your neighbour has gone from non-plussed to threatening to call the council over a planning breach, what do you do?

    The team have some answers.

    And for all the listeners that Simon directed to the gem that is the comments section of the story, here’s the link.

    > Are we allowed an 8ft fence? Our neighbour says we've broken planning rules
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Has Nationwide found a winning formula with its cash bonuses?

    Has Nationwide found a winning formula with its cash bonuses?
    May 30 2025
    Banks have many tricks up their sleeves to try to attract customers and reward loyalty but Britain's biggest building society Nationwide appears to have hit upon a winning formula.
    Its Fairer Share payments are back for a third year, with a £100 bonus for qualifying members.
    Fairer Share has been credited with helping boost Nationwide's already strong position in the current account market.
    The payments were announced as Nationwide posted bumper pre-tax profits of £2.3billion in the year to April, up from £1.77billion last year, after recording its highest ever year for growth in mortgage lending and current account balances.
    But not all members are getting a Fairer Share payment and some aren't happy about that. Should they complain? After all, the criteria has been the same for three years now.
    On this episode of the This is Money Podcast, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss Fairer Share and Nationwide's success.
    Plus, what are rival banks offering customers to tempt them in - and how should you evaluate the perks?
    How rich would you be if you'd bought Nvidia shares throughout the last two decades - or if you had a Delorean time machine to jump into and go back and buy some.
    Are we reaching the tail end of the low fixed rate mortage borrowers?
    And finally, should you let your talkative partner show people round your home for sale... or would it be bettet to let the estate agent do the job?
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • The great wealth transfer - and to do with a windfall

    The great wealth transfer - and to do with a windfall
    May 23 2025
    55 mins
  • What red flags do you need to spot before you buy a home - and how do you find them?

    What red flags do you need to spot before you buy a home - and how do you find them?
    May 16 2025
    How long did you take looking round your home before you put an offer in for it? The average prospective buyer spends just 43 minutes.

    Surprise, surprise, research suggests that it pays to take your time.
    This is week, Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce talk about what should be on your checklist before you take the plunge and buy a property.
    Should you go by vibes alone, or do you really need to kick the tyres?
    And when you do buy, what happens if the seller leaves junk like a mouldy fridge, grimy washing machine and a stained sofa? We reveal all.
    Buy-to-let has taken a battering in recent years – but there are still pockets of Britain where investors are finding a decent yield.

    Cash Isas are back in the spotlight with a review likely to come in July – how likely is it that they will be tinkered with?

    And with news defunct furniture brand MFI will return after 20 years, what stores would you like to see make a comeback?


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    51 mins
  • How low will interest rates go - and what does it mean for you?

    How low will interest rates go - and what does it mean for you?
    May 9 2025
    55 mins
  • Why is the bond market so powerful?

    Why is the bond market so powerful?
    May 2 2025
    When it comes to investing, it's stock markets that regularly hog the headlines but it's government bond markets that really matter.

    Share prices taking a prolonged tumble is one thing but if bonds take a hammering, the financial world starts to really the notice.

    A textbook example occurred a few weeks ago when in the aftermath of Donald Trump's introduction of US tariffs, stock markets took a dive and the President refused to budge. But when bond market ructions started to get investors and even central bankers worried, Trump appeared to take heed and introduced his 90 day pause.

    On this podcast episode, Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert discuss government bonds, the basics of how they work, why they matter and what impact they have on ordinary investors and our finances.

    Plus, the state pension top-up mess that refuses to go away, how to find the best Sipp to invest for retirement, and is a care annuity the answer to our care costs problems or just a treatment for the symptoms?

    And finally, there's been a mass stampede to cash Isas, what's going on - and is the tax-free saving allowance still likely to get chopped.

    Tell us what you think about the This is Money Podcast

    We are running a listener survey, to get your thoughts on what you like about the podcast and what we can improve.

    We would really appreciate if you could take a few minutes to fill it in - you can do so here.
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    59 mins
  • Banks want to lend you a bigger mortgage - but is that a good idea?

    Banks want to lend you a bigger mortgage - but is that a good idea?
    Apr 25 2025
    Major banks are tweaking their rules to allow borrowers to get bigger mortgages, while a new upstart lender is offering seven times salary home loans.

    Is this a welcome easing of the too tight rules to suit people’s needs or the start of a recipe for financial disaster?

    On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert dive into the world of mortgages and look at whether lenders are coming up with a solution or creating more problems.

    Is this a repeat of the heady days before the financial crisis, have stress tests helped borrowers avoid the stress of rising rates, and would you even want a seven times income mortgage?

    Plus, is the Bank of England about to aggressively cut interest rates in the wake of Donald Trump’s tariff chaos.

    Also on this episode, why our retirement expert Sir Steve Webb is loving his new solar panels and how to work out what kind of investor you are and how much risk you should take.

    And finally, a definitive list of the 50 best British cars of all time has been released, do you agree with it?
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    49 mins
  • Is it finally time for the UK stock market to shine?

    Is it finally time for the UK stock market to shine?
    Apr 17 2025
    Amid Donald Trump's tariff madness, there may be a silver lining for British investors.

    With American exceptionalism swiftly being replaced with American erraticism, the UK is attracting the eye of international investors.

    They see the FTSE - and its European counterparts - as a relative bastion of sanity and somewhere that a rules-based trading system can ride out the storm away from a US government seemingly intent on tearing up the rulebook and throwing the pieces in the air to see where they land.

    But this isn't the first occasion that investors have heard the siren call of a revived UK stockmarket, only to have their hopes dashed on the rocks, so will it be different this time?

    On this week's podcast, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss whether UK shares will be a tariff winner - and where else investors can turn to make a profit.

    Plus, how much should you have in savings at different ages and are NS&I's new bonds or cash Isa table-topping rates from savings apps a way to get there.

    And finally, a question from a reader who asks what they can do about a neighbour who borrowed their lawnmover and broke it... and what our consumer rights lawyer's answer reveals about Georgie.

    Tell us what you think about the This is Money Podcast

    We are running a listener survey, to get your thoughts on what you like about the podcast and what we can improve.

    We would really appreciate if you could take a few minutes to fill it in - you can do so here.
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    56 mins