This is Money Podcast

You don’t need to spend long reading the news to find a warning that Britain isn’t saving enough for retirement. But with a little bit of effort it is possible to get saving so that you can enjoy a richer retirement. On this week’s podcast Simon Lambert, Tanya Jefferies and Georgie Frost discuss how to start a pension, how to improve on the one you’ve got and how to work out if you are investing enough for retirement. They also take a look at how, if you are approaching retirement, you can check up on your state pension – and what to do if you think it's wrong. Enjoy.

A top bank has formed a 'money mule hunting squad' and is planning to share its secrets with rivals. How does this scam work and what is being done to fight it? Should banks, universities and schools take more action to prevent young people getting sucked into helping hardened criminals hide their cash?  And as Nationwide starts turning away grandparents trying to deposit cash for their grandkids, what is behind this new curb on everyday cash transactions? The interest-only mortgage timebomb is a hot topic again after we featured the story of Len and Val, who never missed a mortgage payment but still face losing their home. This is Money Editor Simon Lambert and journalist Tanya Jefferies joined Georgie Frost to debate these issues. Plus, Simon has an impassioned rant about potholes... Hear it all on this week’s podcast.

Should you cash in on your home to help yourself or your kids? As a generation retires with more money in their houses than the bank, this question will only become more pressing. And it’s been a topic of much debate on This is Money this week, as we revealed how a new wave of retirement interest-only mortgages could be about to emerge. Homeowners could use one to have a more comfortable retirement, clear some debt, or hand the kids or grandkids an early inheritance – perhaps to buy a home for their own young family. Is that a good idea or a recipe for disaster – and how did we even end up here? In a conversation that tracks all the way back to the mortgage boom of the Thatcher years, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost dive into the homes as a cash machine question on this week’s podcast. Plus, they also take a look at what happens when an inheritance doesn’t materialise as thought – can you contest a will if it’s all left to the dogs’ home. The TSB meltdown is also up for discussion, including why it happened, what next and what people’s rights are. And finally, we’re fans of money saving at This is Money and value for money – so a luxury car for the price of a Ford Fiesta sounds pretty good. Big luxury cars depreciate hard, but that is good news for the canny second-hand buyer who can pick up vehicles that might have cost £50,000 for £10,000 a few years down the line. But we’re not talking shed money here, so it needs to be reliable. This week we looked at the best bargain barges as scored by What Car? reliability tests. Which one would you have? Enjoy.

What has Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, got to do with long-forgotten television soap Eldorado? Find out in the latest This is Money podcast, in which editor Simon Lambert and consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce discuss the inflation figures out this week and whether they have increased the likelihood of a base rate rise. Discover why Simon believes raising interest rates wouldn't be a bad idea but raising rates because the country finally got a pay rise would be. Meanwhile, house prices in London saw their first annual fall in price since 2009 and sellers across the UK are having to accept far less than their asking price. Are values in the capital about to fall even faster? Continuing the property theme, we take a look at new platform Raffle House which gives people the chance to win a home with a fiver – but is it too good to be true? They may be billed as good for the environment but not for our wallets - we look at the hidden costs of electric cars. And lastly, one for the gardening enthusiasts – how much of a drain on energy is the patio heater? Enjoy .

British Gas have revealed this week that more than four million households face a 5.5 per cent bill increase from the end of May thanks to changes to its standard variable tariff. Hot on its heels, EDF Energy announced it will be hiking the cost of energy bills by 1.4 per cent for 1.3million customers. In this week’s podcast, Rachel Rickard Straus and Lee Boyce say it is time for people to fight back and switch. Energy: The latest podcast looks at the latest energy price rises - and the furore around smart meters On the energy theme, we talk about our campaign to stop power firms using bullying tactics in order to force households into getting a smart meter – and why it is better to wait until the end of the year. We take a look at some of the methods to make your home more energy efficient, including insulation and wood burning stoves. We also discuss how to give money to charity in a tax efficient way - and whether or not loyalty cards are still worth having. The latter comes as changes to Avios and Nectar are imminent, and Virgin Money unveils two credit cards to garner miles for Virgin Atlantic flights.

Good news. Chances are you just got a tax cut. Well an income tax cut at least, problem is your council tax is likely to be rising and if you are an investor the Government is after more of your dividends, or if you’re a landlord it wants your rental income. So who are the winners and losers of the new tax year that rolled round on 6 April? And what are the candidates for dumbest bits of Britain’s tax code. In this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and George Frost take a look at who is getting the biggest tax cut and who is being hit. They also discuss whether we need a new hypothecated tax to pay for the NHS. Also on this week’s show we look at the best rural places to live in the UK and how to invest in wine without breaking the bank. And finally, Britain’s ten most hated driving moves have been revealed. Parallel parking we get, but why are there so many people who struggle to navigate a roundabout.

Building up a pension was once relatively simple, for each year you worked for a company it promised to pay you some money in retirement. The death of the final salary scheme put paid to that and now most people must invest into a pension instead - with their work helping out. But while it is tempting to put off a pension and think you have more pressing financial matters to deal with, that's a mistake. The earlier you start and the more you pay in, the greater your chance of having a richer retirement. So what do you need to know - and do? On this week's podcast, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost talk pensions. Also on this week's show, some last minute Isa tips, how to share an inheritance if you want to divert it and the energy firm told it can't have any more new customers. And finally, selling used cars that are really new ones. Why on earth would a dealer do that?

My property is my pension. That was the popular saying when buy-to-let was all the rage and every other person you met fancied their chances as a minor property mogul. But life has got much tougher for landlords, with a series of tax grabs and tougher mortgage rules hitting. So does buy-to-let still stack up as a way to build your wealth? It certainly requires a lot of money upfront, even more now than ever before, and while the taxman will take a big chunk of your buy-to-let investment pot in stamp duty, he’ll give you money back if you invest in a pension instead. Simon Lambert, Sarah Davidson and Georgie Frost take a look at buy-to-let and the property market in this week’s podcast, including how it compares to investing in your Isa or a pension. They also look at investing in property without buying it directly yourself, and whether houses are too expensive now for good profits in years to come, or if there are some areas where an investment still makes sense. Also, tackled on this week’s show is whether interest rates will definitely rise in May and what’s behind the tough times on the High Street. And finally, ever wondered whether you could stick a hypercar on finance. We explain how much that costs and why further down the ladder a lot of those supercars you see are going on the never never.

It’s not long before the door slams shut on your chance to use this year’s Isa allowance. It’s always best not to leave Isa saving or investing until the last month of the tax year, but many of us will do so. If you do end up fixing your Isa against the deadline, it’s definitely wise not to leave it to the last week – or even the final few days. So, here is our special Isa podcast – with a comfortable three weeks to spare before the 5 April tax year end. In it, Simon Lambert, Rachel Rickard Straus and Georgie Frost dive into everything you need to know about Isas, from cash, to stocks and shares, and Innovative to Lifetime. The podcast tackles the basics and also tips for those who are experienced Isa savers or investors. It also looks at why investing is the best way to get inflation-beating returns over the long term, how savers can eke some precious extra interest from accounts, and why an Isa is worth having.

We have a housing crisis. That’s the message, loud and clear, and it was reiterated by the Prime Minister this week. What’s the answer? Build more homes. Or is it? Because once you start digging into the subject, this housing crisis is a pretty ill-defined problem - and it’s not clear that a lack of homes is causing the problem of too high house prices. Many people suspect that actually it’s too much cheap money that made homes so expensive. On this week’s podcast episode, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost get stuck into the housing crisis. They look at what the problem is meant to be, what made homes so expensive, what the plans are to solve the issue, and whether building more homes will make house prices cheaper. And there’s even a defence of the dreaded Nimby in there. Also on this week’s show we discuss why we are calling for action on the state pension top-up fiasco, how your driving licence might get Brexited, and the jobs that desperately need more people. And finally, what should you do in an interview when dealt tricky questions, such as ‘tell me about yourself’. Or even, ‘what fruit are you?’