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
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The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also the most expensive. Between gifts, food and travel, people can end up spending a lot of money this year. The Financial Times' Marc Filippino talks with Claer about why people are feeling the pinch this season and what they can do about it. Mentioned in this podcast: FT Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign Find Claer on TikTok and Instagram Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts This episode of Mo...
The Money Clinic panel analyzes Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget, highlighting tens of billions in tax rises, particularly focusing on salary sacrifice, frozen income tax thresholds, and new investment rules. Experts debate the Budget's effect on personal finances, UK economic growth, and the housing and job markets, offering insights into navigating complex tax traps and fostering financial stability.
This episode features Margo, a successful investor nearing retirement who built her seven-figure portfolio primarily through Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. She questions her high US equity exposure and the long-term effectiveness of Buffett's strategy. Financial experts discuss diversifying geographically into markets like Japan and China, reassessing the equity-bond mix, and planning for income drawdown to secure her retirement gains against market corrections and inflation.
This episode features Matt, a 29-year-old investor balancing inherited stock tips with personal financial goals like a wedding. Experts Adam Walkom and Taha Lokhandwala debate the merits of stock-picking versus diversified index funds, highlighting the concentration risk in Matt's portfolio. The discussion offers insights on managing short, medium, and long-term investments, and the importance of discipline for DIY investors.
This episode addresses a common dilemma for pre-retirees: how to transition from substantial cash savings to investing. Jane, 49, with £125,000 in cash, seeks expert advice on starting her investment journey. Financial planners discuss the importance of defining financial goals, leveraging tax-efficient ISAs and pensions, strategies for investing lump sums, and building diversified portfolios with funds and bonds. They also emphasize the value of professional financial advice and encourage listeners, especially women, that it's never too late to begin investing for a secure future.
Sixty-seven-year-old Paul invests using index funds. Over the years, his exposure to US tech stocks has helped him build up a sizeable retirement pot — but recent stock market volatility is making him worry. Now that he’s no longer working, Paul wonders if he should diversify into other equity markets, consider buying bonds, or an annuity. But he is finding this is hard to do without looking at the bigger picture of his finances in retirement. Financial Times consumer editor Claer Barrett is joi...
Stefan, a 45-year-old software engineer, is a committed ethical investor with a healthy portfolio, but faces a conflict with his significant, profitable crypto holdings. In this episode of Money Clinic, financial experts Moira O'Neill and David Baxter help Stefan navigate this dilemma. They offer advice on simplifying his over-diversified portfolio, exploring active ethical funds, and strategically rebalancing investments for financial independence and retirement income.
This episode features 29-year-old actuary Faye, who has dabbled in risky investments like cryptocurrency and AI-suggested stocks, alongside novelty number plates. She joins financial experts to explore how to transition from investing "for fun" to a more structured, tax-efficient portfolio. The discussion covers tax traps for high earners, alternative tax-advantaged schemes like Venture Capital Trusts, and the importance of aligning investment strategy with personal financial goals.
In this FT Weekend Festival highlight, columnist Stuart Kirk outlines his ambitious goal to grow his £500,000 portfolio to £1 million within eight years, a feat requiring increased investment risk. He details his current asset allocation, favouring UK, Japanese, and emerging Asian equities, and explains his rationale for largely eschewing the overvalued US market and culturally different European stocks. The episode also features an engaging audience Q&A, covering topics from individual stock picking and alternative investments like gold to the potential impacts of capital gains tax and the future of market productivity.
Morgan Housel discusses how behavioral psychology impacts financial success, emphasizing stories over formulas. He shares insights on true wealth, the dangers of insatiable greed, the accessibility of investing, and the role of humility in financial planning, encouraging listeners to align money goals with personal values for a better life.
With a significant "black hole" in public finances, this episode examines how the UK government might address its budget challenges through tax reform. Guest Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, proposes a radical overhaul of the UK tax system, advocating for growth-focused policies over mere revenue generation. The discussion covers potential changes to pensions, ISAs, capital gains tax, and the abolition of inefficient property and transaction taxes, replacing them with a land value tax. It also addresses public misconceptions about tax, the complexities that breed evasion, and the historical failures of wealth taxes.
In an increasingly cashless society, how can parents ensure children learn healthy financial habits? In this episode, host Claer Barrett speaks to Sheila Bair, author of the Money Tales children’s book series and former chair of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, about instilling children with sensible attitudes to money - and reveals details of her next book, How Not to Lose a Million Dollars . For a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones, share your thought...
When FT columnist Miranda Green lost her father, she expected the grief to be long-lived. What she didn’t expect was that she would still be attempting to settle her father's financial affairs nearly a year later with multiple calls to banks, building societies, insurers and utility companies. In an episode which first aired last September, Miranda tells presenter Claer Barrett about her experiences dealing with inconsiderate call handlers and poor processes in the private sector. Claer puts Mir...
Barbie is a big spender and high earner, fast approaching the age of retirement. But after a long and varied career that has seen her build a portfolio of multiple dreamhouses and a low-commitment, long-distance relationship with casual boyfriend Ken, what financial advice should she be looking for? In this Headlinemoney award-winning episode of Money Clinic, first aired in August 2023, presenter Claer Barrett is joined in the studio by wealth manager Christine Ross from Handelsbanken and FT per...
Explore the growing trend of prenuptial agreements in the UK, once reserved for the ultra-wealthy, as a modern tool for financial clarity and protection. Hear from Steve and Georgina about their decision to get a prenup, a family lawyer on legal validity and timing, and the founder of an online service making prenups more accessible and affordable. The discussion emphasizes that open communication about finances strengthens relationships and provides certainty for both partners.
Isabel Berwick, host and editor of the FT’s Working It podcast and newsletter, has spent the last year writing The Future-Proof Career , a book about how to thrive at work, now and in the future. In April, she held a launch event at Daunt Books, where she spoke to Money Clinic’s Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, about what she learned in the process. This is an edited version of a Working It episode that aired in May. For a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones,...
The cost of insurance premiums is rising to record highs, but levels of customer service are falling for customers who end up having to make a claim, according to a new report. The consumer group, Which? has found that almost half of those claiming on home, car or travel insurance policies in the past few years have experienced at least one problem, as the volume of complaints linked to claims handling soars. Host Claer Barrett sits down with Sam Richardson, the deputy editor of Which? Money and...
When it comes to growth investing, big US tech stocks are the prime example. However, professional investors are looking to diversify into other areas of global stock markets, seeking out fast-growing companies of the future.This week, Claer sits down with fund manager James Thomson, who has managed the £4bn Rathbone global opportunities fund for 20 years. In this episode, he shares the ingredients for his “special sauce” to investing in growth stocks, his biggest mistakes and the core lessons h...
Over the past decade, collectible sneakers have crept to multi-billion dollar market status, but can they really be considered investments? In this episode, presenter Claer Barrett checks in with Unhedged podcast co-host and aspiring sneakerhead Rob Armstrong for his take on these alternative alternative investments, and later hears about the world’s first managed sneaker fund, Always Legit, asking co-founder and COO Howie Schwartz the burning question: are sneakers investable in the long run? F...
It’s easy to harbour regrets about poor financial decisions, but this week’s guest has decided to do what many wouldn’t dare: air her mistakes in public on a national tour. Presenter Claer Barrett speaks with comedian Lucy Porter, best known for her appearances on QI, Have I Got News For You and EastEnders, about her biggest money regrets and more, and the many, many laughs along the way. Clip: BBC Catch Lucy on her national tour of No Regrets and listen to her podcast, Fingers on Buzzers . For ...
Regardless of which political party wins the UK general election on July 4, voters fear they will have to pay more taxes. Taxes are the crucial battleground in the run-up to polling day, and experts question whether manifesto pledges can be delivered without raising them. What aspects of our personal finances could be affected - and could a change of leadership potentially be beneficial for investors in UK stocks? In this episode, host Claer Barrett discusses what could happen next with Miranda ...
Prepare to take a seat on the therapist’s couch and discover what your money habits say about you. In this episode, host Claer Barrett sits down with the UK’s first financial therapist, Vicky Reynal whose new book, Money on Your Mind: The Psychology Behind Your Financial Habits, aims to help people untangle problematic aspects of their relationship with money. They discuss the symbolic nature of money, what can make one person a spender and another a saver, and how equipping yourself with this k...
When we talk about the relative value of our investments, PE ratios are never far away from the conversation - but what does this mean, and what exactly goes into this calculation? In the latest episode of our Five Minute Investor miniseries, FT consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges FT investment columnist Stuart Kirk to break down the ‘price’ and ‘earnings’ parts of the equation, and elucidate on other ways the PE ratio is used by investors to benchmark the relative value of different shares...
With a string of companies preparing to launch stock market listings on both sides of the Atlantic, investors may be tempted to invest in an IPO. But when companies stage an initial public offering, what are the factors to consider? In our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges Rob Armstrong, co-host of FT’s Unhedged podcast and author of the Unhedged newsletter, to explain why companies go public, and the risks of getting carried away with investing o...
Like an interest rate on a savings account, investment yields show us how much income different investments are able to generate. But how are yields calculated, and how can they measure the returns on different types of investments including shares, bonds and property? In our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett asks FT markets columnist and Unhedged co-host Katie Martin to give practical examples of how yields can be used as a benchmark for different assets, a...
Global stock markets are charging along breaking record after record — but what’s driving this ‘bull market’ and how much longer can it last? Plus, what could it mean for investors if a ‘bear market’ awakens from hibernation? In our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges Rob Armstrong, co-host of FT’s Unhedged podcast and author of the Unhedged newsletter, to explain the factors that drive bull and bear markets, and if individual investors should recon...
‘The two most powerful warriors are patience and time,’ Leo Tolstoy once wrote. But how can this make you a richer investor? The answer is compounding, and in our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges Bobby Seagull, the TV star and mathematics teacher, to demonstrate how compounding can power up our long-term investments. Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of The Five-Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your ...
Share buybacks have been in the news as Apple announced what would be the largest buyback in US history. But why is the US tech giant purchasing $110bn of its own shares, and cancelling them? In the latest episode of our Five Minute Investor miniseries, FT consumer editor Claer Barrett quizzes FT investment columnist Stuart Kirk on why more and more companies are doing this — and how investors can benefit. Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of the Five Minute Investor, and subscri...
In the age of the smartphone, it’s never been easier to buy an investment — but how quickly can you sell one, and how might this affect the price? In our new miniseries, The Five Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges investment commentator Justin Urquhart-Stewart to explain why liquidity should be at the forefront of every investor’s mind. Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of the Five Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcast...
The Magnificent Seven could make up a much bigger slice of your own portfolio than you realise, but what are these seven stocks, and why are they so dominant? In our new miniseries The Five Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges FT markets columnist Katie Martin to explain the hype around these gigantic US stocks. Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of the Five Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer ...
