Money Clinic with Claer Barrett

Claer Barrett chats to Josh, a high-earner living in New Jersey who has large credit card bills to settle. The 30-something finance worker has spent $20,000 paying for holidays and unexpected bills on his interest-free cards, but his wife is unaware of how much he now owes. Under lockdown, the couple have impressively managed to save more than $27,000. His wife wants to use their savings towards a deposit on a house, but should Josh come clean and pay off some of his card debt? Experts Robert Armstrong and Sara Williams (aka the Debt Camel) offer their tips.If you would like to talk to Claer for a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help. Follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb. Further reading:--Sara Williams writes the independent Debt Camel blog, offering no-nonsense advice for people who want to get out of debt. Covering debt problems and debt solutions, she has won praise for answering common questions about debt without jargon, and has been a debt adviser in the UK for more than 15 years. --Robert Armstrong, the FT’s US Finance editor, recently bought a house in Brooklyn, and is already regretting his purchase, as he explains in this column: Was buying a Brooklyn townhouse just before lockdown the worst trade of my life?--He has also explored the topic of mounting consumer debt in this FT video: Will Covid-19 light the fuse on a debt bomb?--If, like Josh, you find it difficult to talk openly to your partner about your finances, check out Claer’s column, Six ways to manage money - and not fall out with your partner (which is free to read).--Last year, Claer spent a day inside one of the UK’s biggest debt helplines and spoke to advisers about how people of all income levels can and do suffer from debt problems — and heard practical tips on what to do about it.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could there be a worse year than 2020 to graduate from university? Lockdown disrupted final exams, not to mention final goodbyes - and graduates face one of the toughest recruitment markets in recent times. Claer Barrett chats to 21-year-old graduate Olly. He’s landed a traineeship with a big City of London firm, but his start date has been delayed until January 2021. Other friends have had job offers withdrawn, ending their hopes of renting a London flat together. Olly also worries how Covid-19 could affect his job security and career progression. Can his love of spreadsheets help him budget for the unexpected? With experts Iona Bain and Jonathan Black.The pandemic has made everyone feel very differently about their finances — and we’ve changed our podcast to reflect this. Every week, Money Clinic features real life stories from FT readers around the world (on a first name only basis) to help everyone get to grips with common financial dilemmas. If you would like to talk to Claer for a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help. Further ReadingIf you’re about to start your first job, read this column by Claer (she wrote it when her stepdaughter landed her first job). There are tips on setting a budget, and using workplace perks including the company pension and Save As You Earn schemes to maximise your savings: https://www.ft.com/content/4604c988-a7ad-11e9-984c-fac8325aaa04If you enjoyed hearing Jonathan Black’s careers advice, check out his regular column in the Financial Times where he answers readers’ dilemmas: https://www.ft.com/dear-jonathanThis column, How do I get my first graduate job in a tough economic climate? contains some useful insights from Jonathan and FT readers: https://www.ft.com/content/42ff5dc4-8976-11ea-a109-483c62d17528Iona Bain is a freelance writer who shot to fame with her hugely successful Young Money Blog, covering everything from budgeting hacks to the best money apps and non-nonsense advice on pensions and investing: https://www.youngmoneyblog.co.uk/Iona’s next book Own It! How our generation can invest our way to a better future comes out next year, and is available for pre-order now: https://www.amazon.com/Own-generation-invest-better-future-ebook/dp/B08JVFLFFRIona regularly writes in FT Money; one of her most recent pieces covers how she uses the Lifetime Isa for under-40s to invest for the future: https://www.ft.com/content/5d6eb1a8-f403-44c0-8ad6-1648460f7900You can follow Claer Barrett on Twitter and Instagram @ClaerbYou can follow FT Money on Twitter @FTMoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode of the Money Clinic, presenter Claer Barrett chats to Naureen, a 37-year old Londoner who has been saving money under lockdown — and now wants to start investing it in the stock market. Naureen had a wake up call when she received her annual pension statement through the post, and saw that her projected income in retirement would not even cover the basics. She is so keen to learn more about investing she has even started a vision board to inspire good financial habits - but with so much information out there, she doesn’t know where to begin. Experts Jason Butler, the FT columnist and Charlotte Brayton, financial planner at James Hambro & Partners join Claer to give their two pennies worth.The pandemic has made everyone feel very differently about their finances — and we’ve changed our podcast to reflect this. Every week, we feature real life stories from listeners around the world (on a first names only basis) to help everyone get to grips with common financial dilemmas. If you would like to talk to Claer on a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help. If you want to read more about the topics covered in this week's episode, check out the following FT articles - some of which are free to read:Even if you are not a fan of 90s rapper Vanilla Ice, Claer’s free primer on the tax advantages of investing through a stocks and shares Isa is a must-read for UK listeners: https://www.ft.com/content/684dbb86-40b4-11e9-b896-fe36ec32aeceIf you want to read more about budgeting, here is another free column of Claer’s: https://on.ft.com/2WTh1PPA more serious read for investors to get their teeth into is this piece by John Kay - How to build your own investment portfolio with £10,000: https://www.ft.com/content/24b98a82-b55e-11e6-961e-a1acd97f622dWe also heartily recommend John Kay’s book "The Long and the Short of It - A guide to finance and investment for normally intelligent people who aren’t in the industry".Finally, Claer’s column for Mental Health Week - Worried about money? You are not alone - is free for anyone to read and share via this link: https://on.ft.com/2ZeMMWk.Say hello on social media: You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @ClaerbYou can follow Jason Butler on Twitter and Instagram @JBtheWealthMan You can follow FT Money on Twitter @FTMoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re thinking of taking early retirement - don’t. That’s the blunt assessment from financial advisers on both sides of the Atlantic, who fear that volatility on the stock markets - not to mention pressures within the jobs market - will be a toxic combination for those in their 50s and 60s who are planning to retire. FT Money Show presenter Claer Barrett and guests discuss the practical steps investors can take to secure a better future.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crisis? What crisis? On Monday, investors in the main US stock market index, would have been up on the year as the S&P 500, incredibly, regained the group lost to the coronavirus. FT Money show presenter Claer Barrett talks to special guest Merryn Somerset Webb about how globally, markets are getting their mojo back thanks to huge amounts of government stimulus, and big US tech companies like Amazon and Netflix have prospered under lockdown conditions - showing that yet again, investing for growth has trumped investing for value. But how long can it go on for - and should investors fear a second slump?    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s nothing like a global pandemic to remind people of their own mortality and coronavirus has sent individuals rushing to get their financial affairs in order. In this week's FT Money show presenter Lucy Warwick-Ching talks to guests - Julia Cox, partner at Charles Russell Speechlys and Ian Dyall, head of estate planning at Tilney - about how best to pass money down the generations. From trusts to family investment companies, or regular gifts out of income - how can you give your children or grandchildren money without being hit by high taxes? We discuss the issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FT Money presenter Claer Barrett talks to FT columnists Michael Skapinker and Lindsay Cook about the issues travellers are experiencing, which airlines appear to be the best and worst and how UK listeners can go directly to their credit or debit card provider to request a refund for cancelled flights and holidays. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will UK taxes go up in the near future? A leaked Treasury document shows the government is pondering some taxing questions. In this week's FT Money Show podcast Claer Barrett and guests discuss what could happen - and when. Plus, financial planning is a topic we know many of you are turning to under lockdown - Michael Martin from Seven Investment Management gives some tips on what to prioritise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the chancellor commits to spending billions more on support packages for workers and companies, FT Money presenter Claer Barrett and experts explain what you could claim. Next up on the show, maths teacher and TV personality Bobby Seagull talks about this year’s National Numeracy Day - an opportunity for people of all ages to boost their numeracy and money management skills. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Claer Barrett and Lucy Warwick-Ching discuss covert and overt ways to interest children in learning about money, and columnist James Max reveals that his biggest problem during the lockdown has been keeping his house clean without his regular cleaner.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.