Money Clinic with Claer Barrett

Latest Episodes:

The bonus secrets of Financial Times readers Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

This bonus season, will the UK’s top earners invest their payouts tax-efficiently into pensions and Isas, or use them to pay down debts? In this episode, Money Clinic host Claer Barrett and FT communities editor Lucy Warwick-Ching discuss key findings from nearly 3,000 responses to the FT’s annual anonymous bonus survey. They are joined by Nimesh Shah, the tax expert and CEO of advisory firm Blick Rothenberg, and financial planner Adam Walkom, partner at Permanent Wealth Partners and author of Plan For Happy. Even if you’re not lucky enough to receive a bonus this year, learning what other FT readers plan to do with theirs provides some valuable – if enviable – financial insights.

Read Claer and Lucy’s full breakdown of this year’s FT readers’ bonus survey, Pay out or doughnut? FT readers’ bonus secrets

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Follow Claer on social media @Claerb and contact the Money Clinic team via money@ft.com

Want more?

Check out Claer’s column, A dating app with credit scores: what’s not to love?

Listen to more episodes on bonuses and tax, such as Should I save, spend or invest my bonus?, When is a tax cut not a tax cut? The Autumn Statement digested, and more.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick and Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

I’m in over my head with debt: what now? Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

The viral ‘finfluencer’ Clare Seal, better known by her handle, My Frugal Year, to her almost 120,000 Instagram followers, is known for her compassionate approach to managing debt. Having cleared £27,000 of credit card debt, the author and financial coach sat down with host Claer Barrett to share practical tips on how to start repaying debt, manage the cost of parenthood and address feelings of shame surrounding indebtedness.

If you need to speak to someone about your debts, please seek advice from free debt advice charities such as the National Debt Line and Step Change.

This episode contains a mention of suicide. If you are in need of urgent mental health support, please contact your local emergency services or reach out to a mental health helpline, such as the Samaritans.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Follow Claer on social media @Claerb and contact the Money Clinic team via money@ft.com

Want more?

Check out Claer’s column, A dating app with credit scores: what’s not to love?

Listen to more episodes on financial planning, such as How to Sort Your Financial Life Out in 2024, Credit Card Clinic: How to get on top of your debts in 2024, and more.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

Tax cuts: will they or won’t they? Feb 06, 2024

Show notes

Will taxes rise or fall in next month’s Spring Budget? Host Claer Barrett visits the recently appointed financial secretary to the Treasury, Nigel Huddleston. He addresses the topic of tax cuts as well as listener concerns about static personal allowance thresholds, reduced entitlements to child benefit and ISA withdrawal penalties.

Back in the studio, FT’s Whitehall editor and Political Fix podcast host Lucy Fisher joins Claer to scratch beneath the surface of the minister’s comments on progressive tax policy in light of the IMF’s latest warning to chancellor Jeremy Hunt not to lower taxes. The two also discuss the national insurance reduction, the future of Lifetime ISAs and the importance of appealing to younger voters in the run-up to the election.

Read the full news story here.

For tips on how to organise your money, sign up to email series Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett at FT.com/moneycourse

Follow Claer on social media @Claerb and contact the Money Clinic team via money@ft.com

Want more?

Check out economics editor Sam Fleming’s article, IMF warns Jeremy Hunt against tax cuts in call to shore up UK public finances

Listen to more episodes on tax, such as When is a tax cut not a tax cut? The Autumn Statement digested, Understanding economics: why it matters for your money, and more.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

Investment Masterclass: An insider's view of the City of London Jan 30, 2024

Show notes

The broadcaster and investment commentator, Justin Urquhart-Stewart, is well-known to millions for wearing bright red braces during his many TV appearances explaining the ups and downs of the investment world. The co-founder and former director of Seven Investment Management sat down with host Claer Barrett to recount his decades-long City career, during which time the ability for retail investors to put their capital to work has become measurably easier - and cheaper.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Follow Claer on social media @Claerb and contact the Money Clinic team via money@ft.com

Want more?

Check out Claer’s column, Why do we think we can beat the market?

Listen to more investment masterclasses, like How and ISA millionaire chooses stocks, Four ways to beat the market and more.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

I want to save for my long-term future, what should I do? Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

Niamh is 24 but she wants to make sure she’s in a financially stable position when she is older. How should she go about saving and investing for her long-term future? Presenter Claer Barrett is joined by Holly Mackay, founder of Boring Money, and financial planner Michael Martin, founder of Cannizaro, who discuss the pros and cons of private and workplace pensions, Lifetime Isas, mortgage overpayments and index investing.

Want more?

Check out Claer’s column: Why do we think we can beat the market?

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Follow Claer on social media @Claerb and contact the Money Clinic team via money@ft.com

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Philippa Goodrich and Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

Introducing Untold: The Retreat Jan 18, 2024

Show notes

Introducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year. People rave about them. But some people go to these meditation retreats, and they suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality. And on the other side, they’re not themselves anymore. Untold: The Retreat launches Jan. 24.

Subscribe and listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

Mortgage clinic: your questions answered Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

Mortgage lenders are cutting their rates. That’s good news for anyone thinking of buying or remortgaging a property. Presenter Claer Barrett and a panel of experts answer questions from listeners looking to switch, lock in a new rate, or wondering whether to go from fixed to variable rate deals. With Andrew Montlake, managing director of Coreco mortgage brokers, mortgage advisor Dan Knott, aka Dan Does Mortgages, and Rachael Sinclair, managing director for mortgages at Nationwide.

For more tips on how to save for a mortgage sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Follow Claer on social media @Claerb and contact the Money Clinic team via money@ft.com

Want more?

Read Claer’s column: Why it pays to be picky about mortgage brokers

Barclays and Santader announce cuts to UK mortgage rates

How far will UK mortgage rates fall?

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

Best of Money Clinic - How to keep your food bill down: supermarket hacks Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

First aired in September 2022, 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 yellow sticker 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.

Investment masterclass: The psychology of money Jan 09, 2024

Show notes

‘If you can tell a good story,’ says Morgan Housel, ‘you’ll get people to line up and listen to you.’ In this episode of Money Clinic, Morgan shares some of those stories with host Claer Barrett and challenges us to think differently about our attitude to wealth and wealth creation.

To sign up for Claer's Sort Your Financial Life Out money series, visit FT.com/moneycourse

More information on Morgan Housel and his books: https://www.morganhousel.com/

Follow Claer on social media @Claerb and contact the Money Clinic team via money@ft.com

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Philippa Goodrich. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

Credit Card Clinic: How to get on top of your debts in 2024 Jan 02, 2024

Show notes

With the bills rolling in after Christmas, this week’s episode is devoted to helping listeners tackle their credit card debts on a practical and emotional level - no matter how big or small they might be. Host Claer Barrett hears from experienced debt adviser Sara Williams of the popular Debt Camel blog and Instagram account, Helen Saxon, deputy editor of Money Saving Expert, and Dr Pamela Roberts, a shopping addiction specialist at the Priory Clinic. They give tips on balance transfers and on how to resist the urge to splurge.

To sign up for Claer's Sort Your Financial Life Out money series, visit FT.com/moneycourse

Links:

Business Debtline here

Citizens Advice here

Stepchange here

Debt Camel Blog here

For the MSE Credit card eligibility calculator, go here

To listen to the Money Clinic episode about shopping addiction, go here

Follow Claer on social media @Claerb and contact the Money Clinic team via money@ft.com

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Philippa Goodrich. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Simon Panayi, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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