This is Money Podcast
10
Why is the FTSE 100 soaring – and can its run continue?
<p>The flying Footsie is on course for the best start to the year since 1998 and driving it are 20 stocks that have risen by 50% or more in the past year.</p><p>Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss what's going on for the flagship UK index and whether the run can continue.</p><p>They also zoom in on Rolls Royce... its shares have soared by more than a thousand per cent in five years. Is it too late to join the party? </p><p>When it comes to Junior Isas, many parents worry that once their children g...
What you need to know about pensions with Steve Webb
Pensions are a topic that dominate the financial landscape and for the past decade This is Money readers have had Sir Steve Webb on hand to answer their questions.<br>A former pensions minister, Steve has been our weekly columnist for ten years and helped guide people through the maze of retirement finances.<br>On this episode of the This is Money Podcast, Steve joins Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert to talk about what's happened over those ten years and discuss what you need to know about pensions.<br>Whether they've been about saving for retirement, turning a pension into...
Bonus: How we turned start-up Heidi into one of the biggest ski holiday firms
<p>In this bonus This is Money podcast episode, Simon Lambert interviews Marcus and Alexander Blunt, the brothers behind travel firm Heidi, to find out how they turned a start-up into the UK's second biggest ski package holiday firm in eight years - and survived the pandemic's threat to the business along the way. </p><p>Eight years ago, brothers Marcus and Alexander Blunt were passionate skiers frustrated by the difficulty of trying to organise the mountain holidays that they and their friends really wanted.</p><p>Deciding on a ski resort, sorting flights, accommodation, transfers and getting friends from d...
Is it time you switched your investment platform?
A shake up is happening in the world of DIY investing. <br>Some of the biggest investment platforms are overhauling their fees ahead of Rachel Reeves' big push to get Britain investing - and under pressure from upstarts offering much cheaper services.<br>The biggest name of all, Hargreaves Lansdown, has cut its prices for most investors, yet this seems to have triggered a chunk to jump ship. So, why are some HL investors moving if things are getting cheaper - and is it time we all looked at our investment platform fees?<br>Georgie Frost, Rachel Rickard Straus and S...
How do you solve a problem like student loans?
<p>Student loans look like another mess that has reached a tipping point in Britain's shonky financial system.<br>There are three different types of student loan plan that graduates could currently be on and one of them offers a particularly bad deal.<br>Those who took out Plan 2 student loans, between 2012 and 2022, suffered fees being hiked to £9,000, face interest rates of RPI plus 3 per cent, and have seen the repayment threshold above which they lose 9 per cent of their income bounce around at the whim of governments.<br>Meanwhile, lots of graduates are staring down the barrel of decades o...
Is a ground rent cap a good idea for leaseholders and why is it controversial?
<p>The Government has announced plans for a cap on ground rent - is it a welcome policy that will finally fix a broken system or does it risk creating new problems along the way?</p><p>Helen Crane, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss the plans first revealed on TikTok by the Prime Minister, what's potentially changing and when.</p><p>Watch out - HMRC is about... Stamp duty investigations are on the rise - is it all Angela Rayner's fault? And how do buyers find themselves in the crosshairs? </p><p>'Metal madness' is still in full swing w...
Is the weaker US dollar bad for investors and why is Vanguard reducing UK bias?
Donald Trump has been hijacking the headlines this week, with his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos a major talking point globally. <br>With plenty of geopolitical drama afoot, what does a weakening US dollar mean for UK investors with money tied up in US and global funds?<br>Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss.<br>One of the world’s biggest investment firms, Vanguard has spurned the Chancellor's efforts to drive up investment in the UK, as it plans to cut its LifeStrategy exposure to the UK - why and what should you do?<br>Nat...
Should you swap your star fund manager for a cheap tracker?
<p>Life isn't what it once was for star fund managers. The investment industry once thrived on big names but these widely recognisable figures are few and far between nowadays.</p><p>Two that remain are Terry Smith and Nick Train but their Fundsmith and Finsbury Growth & Income investors have had their patience tested by five years of underperformance compared to just sticking money in a cheap market tracker fund.</p><p>Both managers defended their approach this week, while offering their investors an apology of sorts.</p><p>So, is it time to swap your star fund manager for...
Tips to sort your finances and what's going on with pubs?
<p>What are the financial foundations you need so that you can then start living a richer life?</p><p>On this episode of the This is Money Podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss what they think are the essential building blocks for taking control of your finances.</p><p>From budgeting to protecting your family, what are the things you absolutely must do? </p><p>They share what they've done right... and what they have done wrong and still slip up on.</p><p>Meanwhile, the new year has seen the row over pubs and business r...
What next for house prices in 2026?
<p>It's safe to say it was a mixed bag for the property market last year, with a mixture of Budget speculation and stamp duty costs weighing on house prices, but mortgage lending rules loosening helping first-time buyers.</p><p>So, what will happen in 2026 - Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss, and ask - will it be another stagnant year for house prices.</p><p>Elsewhere, there's a warning top cash Isa rates are set to fall. </p><p>Can you really retire at 50? We look at the top tips to do this and what to plan for - a...
