The Last Word with Matt Cooper

Charlie Weston, personal finance editor at the Irish Independent, shares his expertise in consumer finance, tackling pressing listener questions. He emphasizes the importance of challenging insurers on health premiums amid rising costs, offering practical tips for negotiation. Weston also discusses the upcoming November property revaluation, revealing potential local tax hikes that could significantly impact homeowners. His insights are invaluable for anyone looking to navigate the often complicated waters of personal finance.

Dee Reddy and Dave Hanratty had the latest music news including the engagement of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.They had an extensive preview of the biggest ever Electric Picnic, taking place in Stradbally, Co Laois.

In this week's The Last Word on the US, Will O'Callaghan talks to Marion McKeone and Cal Thomas about President Donald Trump's new order to remove the Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, his plans for future National Guard deployments and a potential future meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un.Hit Play on this page to listen now.

206 former EU and national ambassadors and former senior EU officials, have signed a letter urging the EU to take action against Israel over the violence in Gaza following the official confirmation of Famine in the strip.Also today, thousands of activists have joined hostage families for what they’re calling “a day of disruption” calling for an immediate return of the hostages held by Hamas. Will O'Callaghan is joined by Europe Correspondent for EuroNews Shona Murray and Feature Story Reporter in Tel Aviv Blake Shifton to discuss all the latest,Hit Play on this page to listen now.

The Business Post's Ian Guider joins Will O'Callaghan to discuss the latest Business News.On this episode they discuss the government's newly announced supports for business that will be affected by Donald Trump's Tariffs and the new agreement between the Advertising Standards Authority and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission which allows them to share the details of influencers who are not complying with advertising rules.Hit Play on this page to listen now.

Former Dublin GAA manager Jim Gavin, who led Dublin to a historic five in a row, is the latest speculated candidate in the presidential election.With only Catherine Connolly formally confirmed as a candidate and the election rapidly approaching, Will O'Callaghan spoke to Editor of the Business Post Danny McConnell and Political Correspondent Tabitha Monahan about all the latest candidate news.Hit Play on this page now to catch the full conversation.

In this episode, Sarah Slattery, the founder of TheTravelExpert.ie and travel advisor, shares her insider tips for winter travel. She discusses the advantages of booking early and highlights gorgeous destinations like Costa Dorada, Corfu, and Dubrovnik. Listeners will discover affordable accommodations and delightful winter gems in cities like Krakow and Valencia. Additionally, Sarah reveals exciting long-haul deals for places like Thailand and Zanzibar, encouraging travelers to seize incredible offers for their next getaway!

Pioneer of electronic music Gary Numan spoke to Matt about his extensive career in music and his new tour for the 45th anniversary of his album Telekon.To catch the interview, press the 'play' button on this page.

Donald Trump claims that he is a grass expert as the owner of several golf courses, Mark Zuckerberg has been buying up houses in Palo Alto for triple their market price and Denmark has abolished VAT on books to stop a 'reading crisis'.Matt is joined by US correspondent with The Business Post Marione McKeone and host of No Encores Podcast Dave Hanratty to discuss this week's trending stories.Catch the full chat by pressing the 'Play' button on this page!

The class of 2025 has been awarded fewer top grades as grade deflation is introduced for the first time since the 2020 inflation.The proportion of H1s is down by 2.6% and  O1s down by 2.1% compared to last year. Questions are now being asked about what this will mean for CAO offers next week.Matt was joined by Irish Times Education Columnist and Guidance Counsellor Brian Mooney and President of Teacher Union Ireland Anthony Quinn to discuss the results