Rachel Reeves' maiden Budget this week saw the first-ever female chancellor make £40billion of sweeping tax rises in to plug funding gaps in the NHS and schools. While it left many of us with something to be miserable about when it comes to our money, there were also some important dodged bullets, as Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Helen Crane dis…

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Whether you voted Labour or not, with any new government, there is a sense of optimism. Things can only get better… apparently. But within days, Rachel Reeves and co poured cold water over all that - and the gloom and doom about the economy and what then could be (and crucially not be) in the Budget hasn’t stopped. Well Simon Lambert is fed up. So …

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How well do you manage your money? Where would you rate your budgeting, saving, investing and pension efforts out of ten? It's not often that we think about these things but mulling them over and making improvements where needed and patting yourself on the back when deserved, is a major step on the road to financial success. On this week's podcast,…

The This is Money podcast recently welcomed Sir Steve Webb for a special episode where he answered listeners' questions on everything you need to know about pensions. In this excerpt, Steve and Simon Lambert discuss whether you should invest in a work pension or Sipp - and how to make the most of them. > Listen back to the full Steve Webb pensions …

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Sir Steve Webb has been This is Money's pensions agony uncle for the past eight years - and this week he celebrated an astonishing 400 columns. Every week, Steve, in partnership with This is Money's pensions and investing editor Tanya Jefferies, answers readers' questions about retirement. On this special episode of the This is Money podcast, Steve…

Do you keep savings in your current account? It’s an easy trap to fall into, with a third of people admitting they do it in a recent poll. If you do keep a savings pot in a bank account you are likely to be missing out on a big chunk of interest you could otherwise earn. But even if they don’t do this, there’s two more mistakes people make – using …

Inheritance tax- punches above it s weight. It is paid by only a small minority of estates, yet manages to be Britain's most hated tax and its most controversial. Some believe it's immoral double taxation and should be axed altogether, others say crank it up - and somewhere in the middle there are many people who feel that taking 40 per cent is jus…

A bad news Budget looks to be on the cards after Labour continued to pour cold water on optimism its own election victory this week. Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a gloomy speech saying the Budget was going to be painful, hot on the heels of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' own gloom-mongering. But having made a promise not to raise the rates of i…

Gold has hit record highs this week and has rocketed so far this year. What’s driving the price and how do you invest? This week, Tanya Jefferies, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce turn their attention to the precious metal – a notoriously volatile investment, but yet seen as a safe haven. Energy bills will be back on the up, with the new Ofgem price cap…

This week, the consumer prices index measure of inflation nudged higher to 2.2 per cent. But what does this mean for future base rate decisions - and then in turn, mortgage rates and savings rates. This week, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss the latest inflation figures and what the rest of the year has in store for the economy. Meanwhile, exper…

Stock markets around the world saw huge falls this week, but is it a sign of more trouble ahead or just a storm in a teacup? Simon takes a look at what’s behind it all, and why investors should avoid the temptation to start tinkering with their portfolios once the horse has already bolted. His advice is to ignore the voice in your head that says yo…

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Building up a savings pot and then investing to growing your wealth and provide a decent pension for retirement is the key to long-term financial success. But there's lots to consider at each step - and most people will want to buy a home along the way. So what do you need to think about when sketching out your lifetime finances and then trying to …

It's official - we're complaining about our neighbours more, new data shows. When it comes to noise, many appear sick of barking dogs, squeaky trampolines and loud music ruining the enjoyment of our homes. This week, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost talk about neighbour wars - and what we can do about it. And sticking to the property fron…

Do you feel financially confident? When it comes to budgeting, saving, investing, and building your pension, are you clueless, comfortable, or cracking on? A piece of research this week by Moneybox claimed that being financially confident could add £67,000 to your lifetime wealth – on average those with confidence were worth £145,000 on average, co…

All change, please. In a radical reshaping of the political landscape, Britain has elected a Labour government for the first time in 14 years. New prime minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have made bold promises of revival, growth and wealth creation. But many fear that Britain’s troubled public finances will also mean that promises…

You find a decent paying savings account, diligently squirrel away your money, watch it grow… only for the taxman to come along and swipe a chunk. And since savings rates have been much better in recent years, the amount HMRC is taking in in savings tax revenue has gone up significantly It's only going to increase according to estimates, to the tun…

Inflation is back on target at 2 per cent. After the spike into double-digits that triggered talk of a cost of living crisis and sent interest rates spiralling, we are now back at the Bank of England's target level. So, is the great inflation panic over and is life about get easier? Or will we be feeling the after effects of high inflation for year…

It’s manifesto week and Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems have laid out their vision for the country – along with the Green Party, Reform and others. The economy, tax and people’s finances are a cornerstone of the all the manifestos, but what are the main parties proposing and what could it mean for you? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Fro…

How much do you need in Premium Bonds to win the jackpot? And if you haven’t maxed them out to the full £50,000, is it even worth bothering? This is Money has run some in-depth analysis on all the £1million prizes over the past four years and this week revealed how much those lucky people held. On this week’s podcast episode, Georgie Frost, Lee Boy…

This is Money's consumer champion Helen Crane celebrated the 100th edition of her Crane on the Case column this week. Helen has won back more than £1.2million for readers over the course of all those columns and learnt a thing or two along the way about how to battle consumer problems and bad customer service. On this podcast, she discusses the big…

The Prime Minister put an end to all the speculation this week by giving us the date for the general election: July 4. That comes as the latest inflation reading was 2.3 per cent, a little above forecasts making a base rate cut next month now unlikely. Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce delve into the economic state of affairs and what the …