Best of Money Clinic: Against the backdrop of market turbulence, investors Jonathan Hollow and Robin Powell explain why they believe investing in broad-based index funds is the cheapest way to increase long-term wealth. This investment masterclass breaks investing down into six simple steps, with tips for those just getting started and those further along their investment journey. If you would like to be a future guest on Money Clinic, email the team via money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social...
Jan 24, 2023•24 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast Thirty-year-old Henrietta wants to start investing but has found herself lost in the small print of stocks and shares ISAs. How to choose the right one? Which fee structure is right for the amount she is investing? And should she go for passive or active investing? Presenter Claer Barrett is joined in the studio by FT personal finance and investing columnists Moira O’Neill and Jason Butler to discuss everything new investors need to know about opening a stocks and shares ISA. Want more? For more...
Jan 17, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast How to invest when you’re cash-strapped? What to do if you think your landlord is unfairly demanding more rent? Could moving out of the city save money? Host Claer Barrett and a panel of personal finance experts field questions at the ‘Young, Gifted and Broke: how to navigate the cost of living crisis’ event, organised by the FT Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign. With expert tips on renting, investing and budgeting from Margot de Broglie, founder of Your Juno app, Dan Wilson Craw, deputy...
Jan 10, 2023•28 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast The past 12 months have not been kind to investors — but will the going get rougher or smoother in the year ahead? Presenter Claer Barrett hears from three of the FT’s most experienced investment writers who pass on tips on how to handle volatility, what’s driving change in the markets and where they think the best opportunities could lie in 2023. With Rob Armstrong, the FT’s US financial correspondent and author of the Unhedged newsletter, Stuart Kirk, the FT’s new Skin in the Game columni...
Jan 03, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast The new year is a perfect time to rethink and reorganise your financial affairs but where should you start? Host Claer Barrett is joined by Iona Bain of Young Money blog, financial educator Timi Merriman-Johnson, aka Mr Money Jar, and Sara Williams of the Debt Camel. They discuss their own new year’s resolutions, whether it’s worth overpaying on your mortgage as interest rates are set to rise, and why paying more into your pension could be a good idea. Plus, advice on how to keep to your new yea...
Dec 27, 2022•24 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast How does one of the UK’s most popular comedians handle his money and investments? In a repeat of one of Money Clinic’s most popular episodes, host Claer Barrett interviews Joe Lycett, the consumer campaigner and TV comedian. Joe shares his own personal money story - including his charity shop thrifting, ESG investments and money rules - and explains why he campaigns on consumer issues. If you would like to talk to Claer on a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with...
Dec 20, 2022•24 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast More than a million crypto investors around the world stand to be wiped out by the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Presenter Claer Barrett is joined by Scott Chipolina, the FT’s digital assets correspondent, and Rob Armstrong, the FT’s US financial commentator, to discuss what the collapse means for the future of crypto. What should people still holding crypto investments do? Will crypto recover? What role should regulators play? And is there a way of keeping your crypto investments safe? Want ...
Dec 13, 2022•28 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast With more than 10mn 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? This week presenter Claer Barrett revisits Money Clinic’s tax return guide from last year, with guests Jacquetta Brown, tax specialist at HMRC, and chartered accountant Deborah Edwards, who runs the money mentoring programme Raised Up Finance . They discuss how much extra income you need to earn before you have to submit a return, how apps c...
Dec 06, 2022•20 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast Thirty-year-old Brooke struggles with a shopping addiction and feels as if no one is taking it seriously. With thousands of dollars of credit card debt spent at thrift stores and bargain clothes sales, shopping is an obsession that leaves her both mentally and financially exhausted. Presenter Claer Barrett speaks to financial therapist Amanda Clayman, and addiction specialist Pamela Roberts about why people get addicted to shopping, and what they can do to break the cycle. You can find Ama...
Nov 29, 2022•24 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Budget Statement spelled out gloomy times ahead for the UK economy, but what does it mean for your money? Host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, is joined by political editor George Parker and Chris Giles, economics editor, to discuss taxes, energy bills, mortgages rates and why this Budget will squeeze the finances of lower and middle earners. Plus, why were young people left out of the new Budget plans? Money Clinic is keen to hear from listeners and r...
Nov 22, 2022•23 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Should you overpay on your student loan to try and beat rising interest rates? Or are you better off putting your hard-earned salary towards other things? Presenter Claer Barrett hears from recent graduate James who is struggling with these very questions, and speaks to Ben Waltmann, research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Ben explains how student loan repayments work and what the statistics tell us about repayments. Plus, FT columnist and former financial adviser Jason Butler gi...
Nov 15, 2022•23 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast Childcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world, with parents spending an average of two thirds of their salary on nursery costs for children under two. Host Claer Barrett speaks to Joeli Brealey, author and founder of campaign group Pregnant then Screwed, about why the UK childcare system is in crisis. She also hears from Megan Jarvie, the head of Coram Family and Childcare, about how to navigate a complicated system of government support for families with young children. Plus, mot...
Nov 08, 2022•26 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast How can you make the most of your savings at a time when inflation is eating into the value of your cash? Host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, speaks to Iona Bain, personal finance writer and author, and Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, and sources, for practical advice about how to get the best interest rates on your savings and how to use savings to achieve your financial goals. Plus, should you use your cash savings to overpay your mortgage? If you...
Nov 01, 2022•24 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast Pension funds have been the focus of some worrying news over the past few weeks. But don’t panic! Money Clinic host Claer Barrett is joined by the FT’s global pensions correspondent, Josephine Cumbo, and chartered financial planner David Hearne to explain what’s going on, and to offer some reassurance. Whatever type of retirement fund you have, this episode is packed with information to help you understand your pension better. If you would like to be a future guest on Money Clinic, email the tea...
Oct 25, 2022•23 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast Against the backdrop of market turbulence, investors Jonathan Hollow and Robin Powell explain why they believe investing in broad-based index funds is the cheapest way to increase long-term wealth. This investment masterclass breaks investing down into six simple steps, with tips for those just getting started and those further along their investment journey. If you would like to be a future guest on Money Clinic, email the team via money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media - she’s @Claerb...
Oct 18, 2022•24 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast When former banker Emilie Bellet discovered that an average woman in her twenties would have to work 37 years longer than her male counterparts to accumulate the same pension wealth, she thought it was time to do something about it. She launched Vestpod seven years ago with the ambition of empowering 1mn women financially. In this Money Clinic Investment Masterclass, Emilie talks to host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, about how to get started investing, when to start saving for a pensi...
Oct 11, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast What does this mortgage tumult mean for individuals? Will borrowers be able to remortgage? How high could rates go? Will there be a property crash? In this special episode of Money Clinic, host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer affairs editor, puts listeners’ and readers’ questions to Andrew Montlake, managing director of mortgage broker Coreco, and James Pickford, deputy editor of FT Money. Please note: This is an updated, corrected edition of an earlier version of the podcast which contai...
Oct 03, 2022•35 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget includes what he claims are the biggest tax cuts in a generation . He’s hailing it as a new era for the UK economy and a way of kick starting growth, but what does this mini-budget mean for your wallet? Who gains and who loses out? Host Claer Barret unpicks the details with George Parker, the FT’s political editor, and Mary McDougall, the FT’s acting tax correspondent. Want more? A mini-budget for those on maxi incomes https://www.ft.com/content/cdbf7a9...
Sep 26, 2022•23 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast How much does the way you cook your meals affect how much you are spending? Host Claer Barrett speaks to Suzanne Mulholland, aka The Batch Lady, about how batch cooking can save both time and money. Plus, Archie Lasseter, sustainability lead at energy company Utilita, reveals which kitchen appliances are the most energy- and cost-efficient. How much could switching from oven cooking to an air fryer save? You can find The Batch Lady and many of her recipes on instagram @thebatchlady or on her web...
Sep 20, 2022•21 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Claer Barrett takes to the supermarket aisles to find the best tips for keeping the cost of the weekly food shop to a minimum. She hears from Laura Gaga aka Reduction Raider on how and where to find bargains, while Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland supermarkets, explains why his chain has introduced interest-free buy-now-pay-later loans for struggling customers. Follow Laura Gaga on instagram @reduction_raider1 And if you would like to get in touch with us about your experiences of re...
Sep 13, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Forget about being a day trader, you need to let the money come in slowly and take a serious, business-like approach if you want to succeed - that’s the advice of Robbie Burns, better known as the Naked Trader. In this repeat of a popular Money Clinic Investment Masterclass from last year, Robbie gives host Claer Barrett his top tips about trading, still relevant now amid uncertain financial and economic times. Want more? Here is Robbie’s Naked Trader site Listen to our previous episode ab...
Sep 06, 2022•22 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast How to match your money to your relationship status. Nearly one in four of us live on our own, but dealing with the financial and emotional strain of handling everything by yourself can be difficult. Jenny, 27, from Leeds, is being hit by the ‘single penalty’ and is exhausted trying to find everyday ways to save money. She’s looking for tips on investing in the stock market, whether to try to buy or stay renting and how to ease the worries that come with financial independence. In this Money Cli...
Aug 30, 2022•25 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast We know that investing in crypto is a popular topic with Money Clinic listeners, so we thought you might like to hear the first episode in the new season of the FT's Tech Tonic podcast.A Sceptic's Guide to Crypto asks whether crypto and its supporting technology - the blockchain - have a future following a market crash. In the first episode of this five-part series, FT columnist and host Jemima Kelly casts a sceptical eye on what led to the boom in digital assets and their subsequent collapse. S...
Aug 23, 2022•29 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Listen and subscribe to Tech Tonic here . Even after the crypto markets crashed this year, there are still a number of people who believe there’s a future for digital assets and blockchain technology. FT columnist and avowed crypto sceptic, Jemima Kelly, isn’t so sure. On this season’s Tech Tonic, she takes a trip deep into cryptoland to hear from critics, converts and hardcore believers to find out whether crypto technology has a future. Check out stories and up-to-the-minute news from the Tech...
Aug 17, 2022•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast 
