

Money Clinic with Claer Barrett
Financial Times
The FT’s money-making expert Claer Barrett responds to real-life money questions from a range of millennial guests gearing up to battle the cost of living crisis. Every episode is packed with nuggets, tips and takeaways shared by top FT writers and financial experts. There are no short cuts to wealth, but Money Clinic promises to tell you things you didn’t know about your finances and investing in ways that anyone can understand. Want to talk to Claer on the show? Email money@ft.com or drop her a line on Instagram @Claerb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 19, 2022 • 26min
Should I spend, save or invest my bonus?
Record inflation! Soaring energy prices! Tax rises! Those are the gloomy economic and financial headlines, but three-quarters of the readers who answered an FT poll said they expected their bonus to be bigger, or substantially bigger, than last year’s. If you’re lucky enough to be one of those people, this episode is for you, because the squeeze on living standards and turbulent world markets mean it’s even more important to use your bonus wisely.Claer is joined in the FT studio by three experts, FT columnist and former investment banker James Max, Nimesh Shah, chief executive of tax specialists Blick Rothenberg, and Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Landsdown. The three of them give their views on the comments from the FT readers who bravely bared their financial souls to tell us whether they intended to spend, save or invest their bonus.If you would like to be a future guest on Money Clinic podcast, please email the team via money@ft.com or follow Claer on social media @Claerb. Read the results of Claer’s bonus season survey here: https://www.ft.com/content/4deb9688-5c35-4d4b-a364-a43e0d000995James Max on how to get a bigger bonus: https://www.ft.com/content/aacbd190-535c-47dc-8046-b9ea31415acaWant advice getting a pay rise? Listen to this episode of Money Clinic: https://www.ft.com/content/eeb84e5e-acf2-4b92-a99a-bd3514e1837dPresented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 12, 2022 • 25min
What the Rolling Stones roadies can teach you about money
Why does the crew of the world’s biggest rock band have its own financial literacy programme? Well, life in the music industry is rife with financial instability - workers are often on short-term contracts, missing out on employee benefits such as pension savings and health insurance. A tour can stop at the drop of a hat - when a rockstar breaks their leg, or a pandemic hits - and workers are left without any income.That's why, when the retirement planning nonprofit, Alliance for Lifetime Income, became the Stones tour's latest sponsor, production manager Dale Skjerseth came up with an idea for helping the younger roadies manage their money better. This episode is packed with financial tips for budgeting and long-term saving, especially for gig and short-term contract workers. Featuring Stones roadies Nick and Dale, and Alliance for Lifetime Income chief executive Jean Statler.If you would like to be a future guest on Money Clinic podcast, please email the team via money@ft.com or follow Claer on social media @Claerb. Check out Claer’s column ‘The mere thought of retirement stresses me out’ https://www.ft.com/content/d44f0e55-5726-47f3-af31-bfc49aae0e16And her free to read retirement planning guide for readers of all ages - How Covid-19 rebooted retirement: https://www.ft.com/content/2984f010-3496-4859-875d-deb23edcd2baCIf you’re in the US, you can access loads of information about saving for retirement on the website of the Alliance for Lifetime Income - https://www.protectedincome.org/You can also delve into the Money Clinic back catalogue. Our previous episodes include getting started in investing: https://www.ft.com/content/e035ebf1-a9ff-4057-a1bb-591f2be296e4Sorting out your pension: https://www.ft.com/content/99d962b7-dd15-4a7c-a3c8-40ba883ea1beAnd financial tips for the self employed: https://www.ft.com/content/9889e9c6-1168-4a5d-b5a6-8ab84ea36c92 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 5, 2022 • 31min
What’s my financial gameplan in turbulent times?
Ashley dreams of owning his own home, but is well aware that the cash he is saving for a deposit is at the mercy of rising inflation. Would he be better off investing his money in his pension, in stocks and shares, or should he stay focused on getting on the property ladder?Expert guests Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and Jason Butler, financial guru and FT columnist, have lots to say about the challenges facing younger investors, and offer tips for devising a long-term financial strategy.If you would like to be a future guest on Money Clinic podcast, please email the team via money@ft.com or follow Claer on social media @Claerb. To read Claer’s FT column about how 20-somethings are being forced to choose between targeting property or pensions, click on this link: https://www.ft.com/content/2815d35d-2297-4712-a4c5-0178de343eb1 To hear Claer chatting to Paul Johnson in-depth about the pensions challenges facing young people on the IFS podcast, click here: https://ifs.org.uk/podcast/should-people-be-saving-more-for-retirement To listen to our previous episode ‘How to get a pay rise’, click here: https://www.ft.com/content/eeb84e5e-acf2-4b92-a99a-bd3514e1837d You may also be interested to hear our previous episode about using the Lifetime Isa or Help to Buy Isa to save up for a property: https://www.ft.com/content/bf08da37-7901-4446-811b-ceef108824b4 Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 29, 2022 • 30min
Time for an investment makeover
With so many investing options out there, getting the right balance for your portfolio can be difficult. So this week presenter Claer Barrett has invited two listeners in for a portfolio makeover. Thirty-seven-year-old James holds UK-focused equities in his stocks and shares Isa. He was doing well, but market movements and rising inflation have made him think he might need to diversify. Thirty-four-year-old Gillian has taken a different approach, investing as much as she can into her company pension. However, she hasn’t paid much attention to what her pension is actually invested in.Investment experts Rosie Carr, editor of the Investors Chronicle, and Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, give their views on how James and Gillian can get the best out of their investments. Tips include how investors can manage the threat of rising inflation, different ways of approaching asset allocation and building a diversified portfolio.If you want to hear more about how to get started on your investment journey, try this episode of Money Clinic: https://www.ft.com/content/e035ebf1-a9ff-4057-a1bb-591f2be296e4Want to talk to Claer on the show? Email money@ft.com or drop her a line on Instagram @ClaerbFinally, Money Clinic is a general discussion about investment topics, and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. Your capital is at risk when you invest.Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 22, 2022 • 26min
Is gold the safest place to invest?
Investors traditionally turn to gold as a ‘haven investment’ during volatile times so it will come as no surprise that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as rising global inflation, have caused a jump in its price. But there are many ways to invest in gold and in this episode, presenter Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, visits the vault of a gold shop in Mayfair and speaks to FT columnist Merryn Somerset Webb about what role gold can play in an investment portfolio.Read Merryn’s column at https://www.ft.com/merryn-somerset-webbPresented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 15, 2022 • 29min
Budget to beat the rising cost of living
Next month has been dubbed ‘Awful April’ as the cost of pretty much everything is going up — but is your budget ready to withstand the strain? 22-year-old podcast listener Lil is worried about how she’ll cope with higher energy bills, rising rent and bigger food bills at the supermarket — not to mention National Insurance increases and changes to her student loan repayments. She’s already pretty thrifty — so can presenter Claer Barrett come up with more ways that Lil could stretch her money further?Charlotte Jessop, founder of the website Looking After Your Pennies, explains easy ways everyone can get to grips with budgeting and saving money, as well as ideas for boosting your income. Plus, Claer visits the home of Miguel Barclay, better known on Instagram as the £1 chef, to see what budgeting tips he’s been cooking up in his latest book.You can follow all of the podcast experts on Instagram: @Claerb, @lookingafteryourpennies, @miguelbarclay To make the fried rice recipe Miguel cooked up for Claer, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT2bzS-vnF4Here’s the link to claim tax relief worth up to £125 if you’ve worked from home in the UK: https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-homeTo listen to our previous episode How to get a payrise, click here: https://www.ft.com/content/eeb84e5e-acf2-4b92-a99a-bd3514e1837dCharlotte’s recommended websites that offer small payments for completing consumer surveys include YouGov, Prolific and UserTesting.Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 8, 2022 • 57sec
A new season of Money Clinic
From the highs and lows of crypto, to weathering the cost of living crisis, to your financial compatibility with your partner - Money Clinic is here to help you feel more in control of your finances.New episodes every Tuesday from March 15.Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 11, 2022 • 30min
Repeat - How to ask for a pay rise - and get one!
REPEAT: This week, Money Clinic is having a pay rise takeover - we’ll be pulling apart that big, scary box labelled ‘Asking for a pay rise’ - and unpacking the dos, the don’ts, the tips and tricks for getting the salary you think you are worth.Visiting our pay-rise clinic today are three podcast listeners with three different financial predicaments: Natalie keeps getting knocked back when she asks for a raise; Max knows that he could get paid more elsewhere, and Charlotte is trying to negotiate a bonus that really matches the effort she puts into her job. With expert advice from Isabel Berwick, the Financial Times’ work and careers editor and presenter of the Working It podcast, and Jonathan Black, director of the University of Oxford’s careers service and the brains behind the FT’s popular ‘Dear Jonathan’ advice column, this is a podcast you can’t afford to miss. Listen and subscribe to the Working It podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/0mRZG4fxCheck out the Dear Jonathan column: https://www.ft.com/dear-jonathanPlus the FT’s recent article: Want to get a pay rise? Here’s how! https://www.ft.com/content/967db31f-f49b-4039-a295-23db588d2a1cWant to be a future guest? Email us at money@ft.com or reach out to Claer on Instagram and Twitter: @ClaerB. Presented by Claer Barrett. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Produced by Persis Love. Assistant producer is Talia Augustidis. Sound design by Breen Turner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 4, 2022 • 20min
Bonus episode - The ultimate tax return guide
With nearly 11m people in the UK set to file their tax returns by January 31, are you dreading the annual nightmare - or have you already got it licked? In this bonus episode of Money Clinic, we answer all of the questions about tax returns that you wanted to ask. With more people starting side-hustles and small businesses during the pandemic, how much extra income do you need to earn before you have to submit a return?Presenter Claer Barrett discusses how apps can make the whole process easier, and whether it pays to get an accountant. Plus, she explores how freelancers can legitimately reduce their bills by claiming tax-deductible expenses, or negotiate extra time to pay. Jacquetta Brown, tax specialist at HM Revenue & Customs, and chartered accountant Deborah Edwards, who runs the money mentoring programme Raised Up Finance, are on hand to demystify the jargon and pinpoint sources of help.If you would like to be a guest on the next season of the show, email the podcast team money@ft.com or follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb.You can follow Deborah on Instagram @raisedup.finance Further reading: To find out more about using salary sacrifice to legitimately reduce your tax bills, check out this free-to-read FT piece from Claer: https://www.ft.com/content/ff8021b9-7847-4ef5-9f20-abb2ea2d6d93And if you’re looking for more tips about running a freelance business, this free-to-read piece has plenty of them: Financial Tips for the self-employed https://www.ft.com/content/3462f359-8a1d-4a1e-9098- a14bded3f00dTo claim the working from home allowance, follow this link to the Gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-homeTo check out the HMRC YouTube channel, click here https://www.youtube.com/user/HMRCgovuk/playlists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 21, 2021 • 23min
Crypto in the classroom, and why we need better financial education
When Lucy Kellaway left the Financial Times and retrained as an economics teacher, she could not have predicted how the cryptocurrency craze would sweep through British classrooms. But is there anything on the school curriculum to teach teens about the risks of unregulated investments, or even basic financial literacy? Lucy thinks not.The FT’s Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign — FLIC for short — is hoping to change all that.In this special Christmas edition of the Money Clinic podcast, presenter Claer Barrett hears why Lucy and other top FT writers are supporting a greater focus on teaching finance in schools, as they recall their own formative experiences with money.Taking listeners on a tour of the FT’s City of London office, she hears from Patrick Jenkins, the FT’s deputy editor and trustee of the charity, who shares financial mistakes he made as a teenager in the 1980s, and US managing editor Peter Spiegel who explains why he thinks there’s a specific culture around money in the US.If you would like to read more about FLIC’s charitable aims, or to make a donation to support the charity’s work, please visit www.ftflic.com You can follow FLIC on Twitter and Instagram @FT_Flic There are dozens of free-to-read articles about financial literacy here https://www.ft.com/ft-seasonal-appeal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.