Money Clinic with Claer Barrett

It’s easy to create a budget to manage your spending - but can you stick to it? 32-year old project manager Rosie contacted Money Clinic as she kept making the same mistakes. Despite starting the month with good intentions, online shopping sprees frequently pushed her into the red. Battling with ‘buyer’s remorse’ as she returned her impulse purchases, Rosie asked Claer what psychological factors could be causing her to break the budget? Tim Harford, FT columnist and author, turns to behavioural economics to show how we can train our brains to resist the urge to splurge. Financial coach and blogger Ellie Austin-Williams, known online as This Girl Talks Money, encourages Rosie to explore her ‘money mindset’ and probe her emotional connections with money. If you would like to be a guest on Money Clinic and chat to Claer about a money issue that’s bugging you, get in touch — our email is money@ft.com. Follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @ClaerB.Further reading:Tim Harford writes the ‘Undercover Economist’ column in the Financial Times. His bestselling book How to Make the World Add Up is out now in paperback. Follow him on Twitter @TimHarfordRead Ellie Austin-Williams’s blog on exploring your ‘money mindset’ on her website This Girl Talks Money and follow her on Instagram @ThisGirlTalksMoneyIf like Rosie, you need some help working through maternity pay and pensions issues, check out our previous episodes Will having a baby break my finances? and Should I combine my pension pots?And if you’re after budgeting tips, check out Claer’s recent column: Lock down your budget before the economy opens up Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Accountant Peter knows that to grow a business, you have to take on debt. But can he apply that same logic to his personal finances? He tells Claer how he is tempted to take out a bigger mortgage against his London flat and invest that money in a buy-to-let property - or even in the stock market. Has he come up with a brilliant shortcut to making some extra money, or is his plan to leverage up a recipe for disaster? Personal finance expert and FT columnist Jason Butler stresses that debt is no shortcut to wealth, while the FT’s European economics commentator Martin Sandbu looks at recent consumer debt trends.If you are a regular Money Clinic listener and want to be in with a chance of winning £250, then let us know what you think of the show at www.ft.com/moneyclinicsurvey If you would like to be a guest on Money Clinic and chat to Claer about a money issue that’s bugging you, get in touch — our email is money@ft.comClaer and Jason will be doing an Instagram Live on Tuesday 18th May at 7.30pm UK time discussing the issues raised on this episode. If you would like to take part and ask questions, follow Claer @ClaerB or Jason @JBtheWealthman on InstagramFurther readingHere’s our Money Clinic episode on how to get out of problem debt, and here’s the one about whether it's a good idea to pay off credit cards Follow Martin on Twitter and check out his book, The Economics of BelongingJason’s FT columns are available here. You can follow him on twitter and instagram and be sure to checkout his podcastJason recommends reading John Kenneth Galbraith’s The Great Crash 1929 and watching Capital in the Twenty-First CenturyFor the latest on market trends, follow the FT’s markets page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retail is not dead. Brexit could help UK companies. Take a small punt on bitcoin, keep your money invested in fossil fuel companies, and reassess your holdings in expensive tech stocks. These are pretty punchy opinions about the investment world — and they come from one of the FT’s top opinion writers, columnist Merryn Somerset Webb. In this special episode of the Money Clinic podcast, Merryn chats to presenter Claer Barrett about her personal investment strategy — and the forces she believes will shape the stock market in the years to come.Listeners should be aware that the discussion of investment trends on this podcast is for information only, aimed at people who feel confident making their own investment decisions. It doesn’t constitute an investment recommendation, or individual financial advice — if you want that, you’ll need to see an independent financial adviser.Find out more:- Both Merryn and Claer write a weekly column in the FT Weekend and you can follow them on Instagram and Twitter @MerrynSW @Claerb - Hear Merryn’s tips for 19-year-old investor Ross in a previous Money Clinic, Beyond GameStop: The day trader turned investor- For a different take on ESG investing, check out this episode Can ESG investing really change the world? And if you’re new to investing, listen to How can I get started as an investor?- If you would like to chat to Claer about a real-life money problem on a future episode of the podcast, then drop us an email: money@ft.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If I take a job outside the UK, what are the options for my investments, property and pension? After months spent in lockdown, 31-year-old finance professional Viktoria is longing for a change of scene, and is planning to relocate overseas.She talks to Claer about her desire to escape the corporate lifestyle in London and her concerns about what would happen to her property, pensions and investments if she were to uproot. David Denton, chartered financial planner at Quilter International, reveals the financial dilemmas commonly faced by Brits taking jobs overseas, and what someone in Viktoria’s position needs to consider. Theresa Wallace of property firm Savills talks through the pros and cons of renting out your home versus selling it when you move to another country. Useful links:For tips and guidance on investing in ISAs, listen to How can I get started as an investor? If you’re considering becoming a landlord and want to know more, check out Should I rent out my property?The FT’s Family Money columnist Lucy Warwick-Ching has some useful articles on the tax implications of working abroad during lockdown, and the need for sound financial advice when moving abroad. You can follow her on twitter here.Follow Claer @ClaerB on Instagram and Twitter. If you’d like to talk about a real-life money problem on a future episode of the podcast, then drop us an email money@ft.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anne Boden spent over three decades in the traditional banking sector, watching the world around her being transformed by technology. In 2014, she decided that the time had come for banking to undergo the same shift, and quit her job to found Starling Bank. Since then, Anne has built Starling from an idea into a digital bank with 2m customers. Claer talks to her about making the leap into fintech, the determination needed to turn an idea into a business and how she persuaded investors to back her. Budding business owners should sit tight as Anne shares some of the key lessons she learnt along the way - and why she thinks we should prepare for cash to completely disappear. Read Claer’s review of Anne Boden’s autobiography, ‘Banking On It: How I Disrupted an Industry’. If you want to know more about how Anne Boden set up Starling Bank, you can buy a copy here.Follow Claer @ClaerB on Instagram and Twitter. If you’d like to talk about a real-life money problem on a future episode of the podcast, then drop us an email money@ft.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making the ‘greener choice’ comes naturally to listener Ros. As more people become increasingly aware of how their daily decisions affect the environment, Ros is wondering if she can make a difference to the planet - and her pocket - through her bank account, pensions and plans for investing. Claer talks to the FT’s Alice Ross, author of 'Investing to Save the Planet' and Bevis Watts, chief executive of Triodos Bank UK. Review clip: Global Ethical Finance Initiative.If you would like to be a guest on Money Clinic and chat to Claer about a money issue that’s bugging you, get in touch — our email is money@ft.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter @ClaerBFurther reading:-Follow Alice Ross on Twitter and check out her book here-To read further about greening your money, check out Ethical Consumer Magazine, Good with Money or Make My Money Matter-You can read an FT interview with Bevis here or check out the FT’s climate hub for the latest on climate change-For a deep dive into ESG investing, listen to this episode of Money Clinic -Here’s some further reading on Danone’s sustainability credentials and on Natwest’s climate pledge Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jenny and her partner are planning to have a baby but, beyond forking out for nappies and a pushchair, she has no idea how much becoming a parent will cost. How big a budget will the couple need to cover parental leave, childcare costs, and other unexpected expenses? Claer talks to Tobi Asare, founder of parental finance blog My Bump Pay, and Maike Currie, FT columnist and investment director at Fidelity International.If you would like to be a guest on Money Clinic and chat to Claer about a money issue that’s bugging you, get in touch — our email is money@ft.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter @ClaerBFurther reading:-Tobi’s blog My Bump Pay can be found here and has a wealth of resources for soon-to-be parents and she is on instagram @mybumppay You can download her baby equipment spreadsheet here, or use her planner to calculate how to spread out the ‘income shock’ of parental leave-Follow Maike Currie on Twitter @MaikeCurrie and check out her FT columns here-Check if you are eligible for the UK government’s Tax-Free Childcare account-Hiring a nanny: what I wish I’d known. Click here to read -More than one million parents in the UK are estimated to have lost state pension credits by mistakenly not registering for Child Benefit. This free article explains what to do Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last October Claer spoke to listener Lucy who was on the cusp of buying a shared ownership flat with her partner — but was getting cold feet. The shared ownership model enables buyers to take out a mortgage on part of the property, and pay rent on the rest. Lucy was hoping that this would be her first step towards being able to afford to own 100 per cent of her home, but worried about how much it would cost. Six months later, is she comfortably settled in the flat or did the couple stay renting? Claer hears from experts, independent property expert Henry Pryor and mortgage broker Andrew Montlake from Coreco.  If you would like to talk to Claer for a future podcast episode, email the Money Clinic team money@ft.com with a brief description of your story. Follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb and read her weekly Serious Money column.Further reading: -Henry Pryor tweets @HenryPryor and has a website packed with tips for property buyers-Andrew Montlake tweets @Montysblog and blogs about the mortgage market (which is genuinely more interesting that it sounds!) Read it here-This Millennial Money column from Kate Beioley, the FT’s legal correspondent, reveals how being single made it practically impossible for her to pursue the shared ownership route Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special ‘What happened next’ Money Clinic episode, Claer catches up with US financial services worker Josh. When they spoke last October, he was hiding thousands of dollars in credit card debt from his wife. Under lockdown, the couple had managed to save up enough money to pay them off - but she wanted to use this cash for a deposit on their first home. The podcast experts had plenty of advice about dealing with credit card debt, and what could happen if Josh took on even more debt with a mortgage. Six months later, has he paid off his debt and cut up his cards, did he buy a property, and are he and his wife still talking openly about money? The experts were Sara Williams aka The Debt Camel, and the FT’s US finance editor Robert Armstrong. The original podcast was released on October 20 2020.If you would like to talk to Claer for a future podcast episode, email the Money Clinic team money@ft.com, with a brief description of your story. Follow Claer @Claerb and read her Serious Money column. Further reading:-Free UK sources of debt advice include StepChange and Citizens Advice -In the US the government’s Dealing with Debt has plenty of pointers-Read, for free, Claer’s article on the UK’s biggest debt helpline and advisers’ tips, and her column Six ways to manage money - and not fall out with your partner-For a different take on debt, listen to this previous episode: Starting your debt free journey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Claer catches up with 30-year-old jewellery designer Roseanna Croft. When they spoke last October, her small business was reeling from the impact of coronavirus and cancelled weddings. Money Clinic experts advised Roseanna on accessing financial support, and finding a new direction for her business under lockdown. Five months on, has she managed to hammer out her financial issues? The experts were Suli Breaks, the entrepreneur, poet and presenter of the 7even Figures Business podcast, and Andy Chamberlain, head of policy at the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed. The original podcast was released on Nov 10th 2020.If you would like to talk to Claer for a future podcast episode, email the Money Clinic team money@ft.com, with a brief description of your story. Follow Claer @Claerb and read her Serious Money column. Further reading:-Claer has written extensively about issues facing small business owners during the pandemic, and has more advice in this recent Money Clinic-Follow Suli @SuliBreaks  and Andy @AndyChamberlain-The IPSE website has lots on the help available for the self-employed and limited company directors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.