If it feels that good, it's probably a scam
Episode description
This week, as the country was feeling good about its record medal haul in the Rio Olympics, suddenly consumer confidence appeared to be looking healthy too.
But behind the rose-tinted sunglasses, a bubble of household debt was competing in a new kind of race with rival, the house price bubble, to see which will burst first.
It’s neck and neck.
Household debt is at terrifying levels. If consumer spending is on the rise, it’s likely that credit cards are a driving force.
More than one in 10 households (1.6m) are in extreme debt, where 25% of monthly spending is servicing cards, loans and other debts - not including mortgages.
Wages are stagnant yet house prices appear to keep on rising. That cannot last.
We’re here to help. But the conclusion from This is Money’s consumer affairs gurus Rachel Rickard Straus and Lee Boyce is there’s not a lot individuals can do.
Best thing, at the very least, is to try to avoid the increasingly clever scams and rip-offs. There’s some horrific tricks and it's almost impossible to tell a deal from a con. We offer some tips on what to look out for.
Also, further proof emerges that George Osborne’s legacy as Chancellor is peppered with the wacky and unworkable, as his help-to-buy Isas are shown to be largely useless.
Mobile phone companies, energy companies and travel companies are as sneaky as ever.
First Utility charges one of its customers to STAY with First Utility.
Strange times.
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Hosts: Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane
Producer: Georgie Frost
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