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Some common lines you’ll hear about the economy: we all put money in, or take it out. Some people pay their fair share, but others don’t. We can’t overspend – putting public spending on the national credit card would be irresponsible. But not all of those lines are strictly true and the way we talk about the economy affects the way we think about its future. This week on the podcast: what we’re really talking about when we talk about the economy. Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Anat Shenker-Osorio – communications expert, researcher and author of ​‘Don’t Buy It: the trouble with talking nonsense about the economy’, and Ellie Mae O’Hagan – journalist and author of the forthcoming book ​‘The New Normal’.

Richard Blanco is joined by Meera Chindooroy from the National Landlords Association, Lawrence Bowles from Savills and Richard Bowser from Property Investor News to analyse some of the factors driving the property market as we near the end of 2019. We discuss the latest sales and rental trends, the UK and global economy, housing politics, regulatory changes and landlord and developer sentiment. This programme was recorded just before the announcement of the December 2019 election.

Adam Cox is joined by financial adviser, Tim Morris, to discuss the growing trend for Ethical Investing. Tim explains that due to climate, environmental, and controversial policies many investors are choosing investments that are ethical and sustainable; that avoid companies involved in things like military funding and pollution, or those that contribute to poor health such as tobacco. They explore why some governments, such as in the US, appear to be in defiance of this positive trend – and share their predictions for the future of ethical investing.

Adam Cox is joined by Trevor Raymond, leader of research and investor development for the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC). They discuss how precious metals are good vehicles to hedge against uncertainty in volatile markets, as well as how Brexit and the general election could mean that precious metals such as platinum could be a safe haven with opportunity for growth.

Will this election really prove to be about Brexit? That issue was predicted to define the vote, but while each party’s Brexit stance will be at the forefront of people’s minds there are many other factors that now seem to be heavily influencing how the 12 December general election is shaping up. One of the biggest is the battle over the economy and our personal finances. There’s a sizeable difference between Labour’s tax and spending plans and those of the Tories. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats propose their own sizeable tax and spending rises but at less than half the Labour increase. So what do all these promises and plans mean for you? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce dig into the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat manifestos to find out. What is the chance of any of their plans working? Will the tax rises pull in the money expected – and can the spending be used wisely? And what of the other things Britain needs to achieve? Is more housebuilding compatible with combatting climate change, protecting the environment and looking after the countryside – and what have beavers got to do with it?

Will Rhind, founder and CEO of GraniteShares, joins Adam Cox to talk about how ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) and ETPs (Exchange Traded Products) can give investors opportunities for diversification, growth and protection against uncertainty – normally only accessible to sophisticated investors or hedge funds.

It’s one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. But unlike the phone, the car, computers and indoor plumbing, the weekend is still stuck in the 1930s. As productivity increased, the promise of shorter working hours always seemed just out of reach. But now, there’s a campaign to make the 4-day week a reality within our lifetimes. Obviously many people would love to work less. But what would it mean for the economy? And what would it take to make it a reality? Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined by Alfie Stirling, Head of Economics and Aidan Harper, Researcher at the New Economics Foundation.

What’s the best new or used electric car on the market, would buying your insurance on the day you need it drive up the price, and does London’s diesel-crunching ULEZ make sense? Those are the questions and more on this motoring special edition of the This is Money Podcast. On it, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert are joined by deputy motoring editor Rob Hull to talk cars and money. First up, is our exclusive on how insurers are sneakily pushing up prices for those who buy cover close to when they need it - bad news if you want to choose and buy a car and then drive it away. The team also look at attempts to crack down on older petrol and diesel cars, such as London’s ULEZ. Simon argues that one of the key problems is not how good new electric cars are (albeit they are now pretty good) but the issue of buying second hand and the limited choice and consumer concerns. Meanwhile, Rob says that although a brand new electric car may be tempting to those committed to greener motoring, many buyers are likely to sit on their hands expecting a better choice of longer range vehicles to arrive soon.

This is Money, with Georgie Frost, editor Simon Lambert and Assistant editor Lee Boyce. And in this episode: the clocks have gone back, winter is a coming…but are the burglars! So the team will give you the top tips on how to keep your home safe in the dark. Also, they run through some of the consumer rights we get wrong and whether booking through a third party will affect credit card claims. Should you help your kids pay off their student loan or save for a house; and do you need a pension 'wake-up' call? Plus…we all love a good coin story but what about comic books?

What's the difference between loyalty and inertia? Do we get too little reward for the former and show too much of the latter when it comes to shopping and banking? That's the question Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and host Georgie Frost tackle in the podcast this week. It comes as Tesco – one of the original loyalty scheme pioneers – revealed its new paid-for Clubcard Plus, costing £7.99 per month. Meanwhile, Nationwide Building Society has also announced it is scrapping its hugely popular loyalty savings accounts held by 1.6million people. Which are the firms and organisations the team feel some loyalty too - and what are the ones they stick with out of sheer laziness? And with another small energy firm going bust, should we in fact be staying 'loyal' to some of the established giants for peace of mind? Elsewhere, we look at a study comparing the costs of buying and renting a home claiming the former could leave you £350,000 better off: do we finally have conclusive evidence?