Money Clinic with Claer Barrett

Latest Episodes:

Childcare in the UK: 'Dysfunctional, unaffordable, inaccessible' Nov 08, 2022

Show notes

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, mother Jess tells Claer how unaffordable nursery costs pushed her out of full-time work..

Money Clinic is keen to hear from listeners. If you would like to get in touch, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Want more?

England’s childcare in crisis as costs rise and staff leave https://www.ft.com/content/f07886fa-becc-4491-88e0-dbfe2c07c225

What’s driving the rich world’s falling fertility? https://www.ft.com/content/2f90b924-3122-4548-85fa-4c5a775c2cae

Childcare: female-led social enterprises tackle dysfunctional system https://www.ft.com/content/d576fedd-6577-4c4c-98ac-f3c73fcf6346

Joeli Brearley and Pregnant then Screwed can be found at https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/

Further details on childcare options in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, can be found here: https://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/help-your-childcare-costs

To download the FT Edit app, click here https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1574510369?pt=246269&ct=FT-E-22Q4-HAD-AD-US-Anon&mt=8

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

High interest rates? Time to get saving Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

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 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 on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Iona Bain can be found at https://www.youngmoneyblog.co.uk/

Sarah Coles is on Twitter @sarahecoles

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should I be worried about my pension? Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

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 team via money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media - she’s @Claerb on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Investment Masterclass: the cheapest way to invest Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

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 on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

How to Fund the Life You Want: What everyone needs to know about savings, pensions and investments by Robin Powell and Jonathan Hollow is out now.

Want more?

Why do we still bother with active funds? https://www.ft.com/content/c2e9abd0-0edd-4805-b1ab-d55b661c24de

Passive investing has increased US stock volatility, study finds https://www.ft.com/content/818f9e83-52a8-4170-a148-80f9d9139809

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mind the gap! What women need to know about investing Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

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 pension and why some of the myths around women investors are just that.

Vestpod is focused on women, but the episode is packed with useful tips for all budding savers and investors.

You can listen to Emilie’s podcast, The Wallet, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wallet/id1520695849

And follow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/vestpod/

And if you’re interested in becoming a member of the Vestpod community, check out the website: https://www.vestpod.com/

For tips and strategies for investing during market volatility, listen to our previous Money Clinic episode: https://www.ft.com/content/fb93bdbe-957f-4e50-97f5-840d800ddbeb

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 on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Help! What should I do about my mortgage? Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

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 contained incorrect figures on the interest rate mechanism for Help To Buy properties.

Want more? Check out our online mortgage Q&A: https://www.ft.com/content/6dd96b0e-6b39-492e-9040-4f4b4d247a84

Money Clinic is keen to hear from listeners and readers. If you would like to get in touch, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

You can find Andrew Montlake on Twitter, @montysblog, and James Pickford @MrJamesPickford

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. 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.

The mini-budget’s maxi impact: what it means for your money Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

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/cdbf7a95-8ddf-48df-a9fc-8e40100caac7

Traders bet on emergency UK interest rate rise https://www.ft.com/content/c7f815b6-e7f2-43d2-b160-b7b3182e63b4

Kwarteng’s ideological approach will leave the Treasury with ‘no money’ https://www.ft.com/content/53709418-7ed6-4b10-b6b0-b2e2d5b77683

Kwasi Kwarteng vows to stick with tax cuts despite investor jitters https://www.ft.com/content/5b9d1f87-dc78-4626-bb08-507561c6176a

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. 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.

How to keep your food bill down: cooking hacks Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

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 website https://thebatchlady.com/

Don’t forget to check out last week’s episode about how to keep the cost of your food shop down: https://www.ft.com/content/6dc26bb8-55a1-4176-ba15-58cddf73bda0

And if you would like to get in touch with us about your experiences of renting property, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. 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.

How to keep your food bill down: supermarket hacks Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

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 renting property, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. 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.

Best of Money Clinic: Investment Masterclass with the Naked Trader Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

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 about the advantages of tax free Isas

If you want to get started in investing, listen to this episode

Claer’s free-to-read column about day trading

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.