Are you working to live, or living to work? Followers of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence Retire Early) budget carefully so they can invest a greater proportion of their take-home pay. Is a life of extreme frugality worth the extra years of financial freedom later on - and how could you apply the principles of FIRE to your own finances? This week, Claer helps listeners Amy and Rory on their FIRE journey, with expert tips from Mr Money Mustache, AKA the US blogger Pete Adeney, and ...
Aug 16, 2022•33 min•Season 3Ep. 23
Increasing rents, bidding wars and queues to view properties – for 28-year-old Will, finding a place to live is proving very difficult. He moved out of his last flat because the landlord increased the rent, and has just two months to find his next place. Greg Tsuman, president-elect of Propertymark, a trade body for UK estate agents, offers insider tips on how prospective tenants can get ahead of the competition. He also explains why rental properties are in such low supply at the moment. Plus, ...
Aug 09, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 22
Do you ever long for an extended period of time off? Maybe you’d travel the world, try out a new career, or just put your feet up for some proper R&R. While the prospect of taking six months off work to do something completely different may well appeal to you, could you afford to do so? Thirty-four-year-old podcast listener Ali has reached a crossroads in her career and is keen to plan some time off. Presenter Claer Barrett speaks to Isabel Berwick, the host of the FT’s Working It podc...
Aug 02, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 21
The cost of living is rising at its fastest pace for 40 years, and economists warn prices will increase further this autumn — with some fearing annual inflation could hit 15 per cent. On this week’s episode, presenter Claer Barrett hears how the soaring cost of fuel, energy bills and food is causing podcast listeners to cut back in other areas in order to balance their budgets. Chris Giles, the FT’s economics editor, explains what’s causing the price rises and why this in turn is pushing up inte...
Jul 26, 2022•25 min
There’ve been thousands of flight cancellations and scenes of chaos at UK airports, so this Money Clinic episode is packed with advice about your consumer rights if your travel plans go wrong. Host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, hears from listeners battling to get their money back from airlines and third-party booking sites, including one listener who was forced to wear her husband’s underpants after her suitcase went missing! Can she help them obtain compensation - and track down the...
Jul 19, 2022•24 min•Season 3Ep. 19
Record numbers of people are falling victim to online fraud attempts, but there are no guarantees that your bank will refund the lost money. Thirty-one-year-old Jenny was distraught when fraudsters impersonating her bank made off with her life savings of £17,000. Money Clinic helped her to take her case to the UK’s Financial Ombudsman, and in this episode host Claer Barrett explains how listeners could use the free ombudsman service to obtain compensation themselves. Plus Pat Hurley, the lead om...
Jul 12, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Would you fall for a £17,000 scam? You might think you are too smart, but criminals keep coming up with frighteningly convincing ways of parting us from our hard-earned cash. Figures released last week showed that online fraud hit a new record in 2021, with under-35s increasingly the target of ‘impersonation scams’. Fewer than half of those tricked into transferring cash to criminals ever get their money back from their bank. Victims include 31-year-old Money Clinic listener Jenny. In this repea...
Jul 05, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 17
The FT just launched a new podcast on porn, power and profit. When FT reporter Patricia Nilsson started digging into the porn industry, she made a shocking discovery: nobody knew who controlled the biggest porn company in the world. Now, she and her editor, Alex Barker, reveal who is behind it and much more. This eight-part investigative podcast reveals the secret history of the adult business and the billionaires and financial institutions who shape it. Brought to you by the Financial Times and...
Jul 01, 2022•33 min
Most people know that you need a good credit score to be able to borrow money, but how to start building one up is a bit of a mystery. Money Clinic listener Emma, 22, has never been in debt before, apart from her student loans. However, she has heard that getting a credit card could increase her chances of being able to take out a mortgage in the future. Before she applies for one, what does she need to consider? Plus, if your credit score isn’t great, how can you improve it and why is...
Jun 28, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Global stock markets have suffered their biggest weekly drop since the start of the pandemic, and cryptocurrencies have crashed. As younger investors struggle to absorb the losses, they also have the rising cost of living to contend with. This week, Money Clinic host Claer Barrett speaks to Ashley, a 28-year-old investor who has lost thousands of pounds, about how he’s weathering the financial storm, and two of the FT’s top investment brains unpick exactly what has been happening in world market...
Jun 21, 2022•33 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Who taught you the most about money — your dad, your mum or the internet? Traditionally, parents had the biggest influence on how people managed money in their adult lives. But all that is changing. In an unofficial Money Clinic poll ahead of Father’s Day this Sunday, while 20 per cent of listeners said their dads had been the strongest financial influence in their lives, the vast majority (71 per cent) said it was the internet, raising important questions about the role of online influencers an...
Jun 14, 2022•24 min•Season 3Ep. 14
As the cost of living rises, securing a pay rise is likely to be the top item on your financial to-do list. So how can you maximise your chances of getting one? This week on Money Clinic, we’ve joined forces with the FT’s Working It podcast to return to one of our most popular episodes: “How to ask for a pay rise - and get one!” Back in November, podcast listener Max told presenters Claer Barrett and Isabel Berwick about how he hoped to negotiate a raise with his current employer after bei...
Jun 07, 2022•21 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Introducing Behind the Money. This is part 1 of 2 in a mini-series on crypto. Part 2 is available now here: https://link.chtbl.com/BTMMC First up, we're wondering: is a crypto vibe shift underway? Bitcoin’s price has been dropping for weeks and earlier this month, a popular stablecoin collapsed. FT reporter Ethan Wu explains how the effects of that rippled into other areas of the crypto universe. Michela and Ethan will talk about what stablecoins are and why they matter — even for people who are...
Jun 01, 2022•20 min
Rishi Sunak has just unveiled a £15bn support package to help households as the average UK energy bill is predicted to hit £2,800 a year. Even with the chancellor’s help, plenty of people will still be feeling the pinch - but this episode is packed with practical tips and advice to help you save on your energy bills. Presenter Claer Barrett hears from Bella who is renting a draughty Victorian flat, and wants to know her rights before she tackles her landlord. Homeowner Sam has seen his bil...
May 31, 2022•22 min•Season 3Ep. 12
This month’s crash in the value of cryptocurrencies has wiped out investments for people all over the world. In Bangalore, 29-year-old Subbaiah watched in horror as his $7,000 crypto holdings in luna and terra collapsed. Even investors holding other cryptocurrencies as part of a diversified portfolio are feeling the sting. Scott Chipolina, the FT’s digital assets correspondent, and Ilan Solot, a partner at crypto group Tagus Capital, discuss what the future could hold for crypto as an asset clas...
May 24, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Behind the Money is back with all-new episodes! From hostile takeovers to C-suite intrigue, Behind the Money takes you inside the business and financial stories of the moment with reporting from Financial Times journalists around the world. The podcast returns May 25. You can follow the show now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 20, 2022•1 min
If you hated maths at school, does it follow that you’ll be bad at managing money as an adult? Money Clinic host Claer Barrett hears from Jade, a 21-year-old self-employed graduate, who says even thinking about numbers makes her feel anxious, bringing back memories of not knowing the answer in school maths lessons. In her adult life, it’s affecting Jade’s ability to manage her finances, particularly as the cost of living rises. But Jade’s problem is far from uncommon — half of working-age adults...
May 17, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 10
A year ago, 24-year-old Evvia, a full-time care assistant in Norwich, started a vintage knitwear business from her bedroom. Today, her Loupy Studio label has more than 40,000 followers on Instagram, and she’s receiving orders from all over the world. Evvia’s creations are in such hot demand she’s going to have to scale back her hours at her day job — but she wonders how this might knit together financially. Money Clinic host and FT consumer editor Claer Barrett gets advice from Jo Ellison, edito...
May 10, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever have to make, so how can you prepare for it? On the Money Clinic podcast this week, presenter Claer Barrett meets a couple — 29-year-old Alex and her partner 31-year-old Sarah — who are midway through their property buying journey. They have lots of questions: Did they get the right kind of mortgage? Should they prepare for unexpected costs? And what other financial questions should they consider before signing on...
May 03, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 8
How financially compatible are you as a couple? On Money Clinic podcast this week, presenter Claer Barrett meets newly-weds Sahil and Priya, who have very different attitudes to money. Sahil is a spender and a high-risk investor. Priya is a diehard saver who finds it hard to enjoy spending her hard-earned cash. The couple want to iron out their financial differences, but confess that conversations about money often end in arguments or nagging. Financial psychotherapist Vicky Reynal examines the ...
Apr 26, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Record inflation! Soaring energy prices! Tax rises! Those are the gloomy economic and financial headlines, but three-quarters of the readers who answered an FT poll said they expected their bonus to be bigger, or substantially bigger, than last year’s. If you’re lucky enough to be one of those people, this episode is for you, because the squeeze on living standards and turbulent world markets mean it’s even more important to use your bonus wisely. Claer is joined in the FT studio by ...
Apr 19, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Why does the crew of the world’s biggest rock band have its own financial literacy programme? Well, life in the music industry is rife with financial instability - workers are often on short-term contracts, missing out on employee benefits such as pension savings and health insurance. A tour can stop at the drop of a hat - when a rockstar breaks their leg, or a pandemic hits - and workers are left without any income. That's why, when the retirement planning nonprofit, Alliance for Lifetime Incom...
Apr 12, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Ashley dreams of owning his own home, but is well aware that the cash he is saving for a deposit is at the mercy of rising inflation. Would he be better off investing his money in his pension, in stocks and shares, or should he stay focused on getting on the property ladder? Expert guests Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and Jason Butler, financial guru and FT columnist, have lots to say about the challenges facing younger investors, and offer tips for devising a long-...
Apr 05, 2022•31 min
With so many investing options out there, getting the right balance for your portfolio can be difficult. So this week presenter Claer Barrett has invited two listeners in for a portfolio makeover. Thirty-seven-year-old James holds UK-focused equities in his stocks and shares Isa. He was doing well, but market movements and rising inflation have made him think he might need to diversify. Thirty-four-year-old Gillian has taken a different approach, investing as much as she can into her company pen...
Mar 29, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Investors traditionally turn to gold as a ‘haven investment’ during volatile times so it will come as no surprise that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as rising global inflation, have caused a jump in its price. But there are many ways to invest in gold and in this episode, presenter Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, visits the vault of a gold shop in Mayfair and speaks to FT columnist Merryn Somerset Webb about what role gold can play in an investment portfolio. Read Merryn’s colum...
Mar 22, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Next month has been dubbed ‘Awful April’ as the cost of pretty much everything is going up — but is your budget ready to withstand the strain? 22-year-old podcast listener Lil is worried about how she’ll cope with higher energy bills, rising rent and bigger food bills at the supermarket — not to mention National Insurance increases and changes to her student loan repayments. She’s already pretty thrifty — so can presenter Claer Barrett come up with more ways that Lil could stretch her money furt...
Mar 15, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 1
From the highs and lows of crypto, to weathering the cost of living crisis, to your financial compatibility with your partner - Money Clinic is here to help you feel more in control of your finances. New episodes every Tuesday from March 15. Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 08, 2022•57 sec•Season 3Ep. 1
REPEAT: This week, Money Clinic is having a pay rise takeover - we’ll be pulling apart that big, scary box labelled ‘Asking for a pay rise’ - and unpacking the dos, the don’ts, the tips and tricks for getting the salary you think you are worth. Visiting our pay-rise clinic today are three podcast listeners with three different financial predicaments: Natalie keeps getting knocked back when she asks for a raise; Max knows that he could get paid more elsewhere, and Charlotte is trying to negotiate...
Jan 11, 2022•30 min
With nearly 11m people in the UK set to file their tax returns by January 31, are you dreading the annual nightmare - or have you already got it licked? In this bonus episode of Money Clinic, we answer all of the questions about tax returns that you wanted to ask. With more people starting side-hustles and small businesses during the pandemic, how much extra income do you need to earn before you have to submit a return? Presenter Claer Barrett discusses how apps can make the whole process easier...
Jan 04, 2022•20 min
When Lucy Kellaway left the Financial Times and retrained as an economics teacher, she could not have predicted how the cryptocurrency craze would sweep through British classrooms. But is there anything on the school curriculum to teach teens about the risks of unregulated investments, or even basic financial literacy? Lucy thinks not. The FT’s Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign — FLIC for short — is hoping to change all that. In this special Christmas edition of the Money Clinic podcast,...
Dec 21, 2021•23 min•Season 2Ep. 16
