Share Sounds. related to Financial Education

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, compared to £78,000 for the unconfident. But what does being financially confident actually mean and how can you get there? Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert look at how to boost your financial confidence and whether the tips to do so could work. Plus, a week into a new government and with a planned pensions review looming, the team look at what Labour could mean for our retirement savings. Meanwhile, investors seem to be cheering Labour taking charge and this week investment giant BlackRock flagged Britain’s ‘relative political stability’ and cheap stock market, so does that mean good future returns? Investing a large sum was on the mind of a reader who asked This is Money an unusual question: I’m inheriting £10 million, should I set up an investment trust? So, what is the answer to that? And finally, a new report has revealed Britain’s best places for customer service – did your favourite make the list?

As GCSE and 'A' Level exam season sets in across the nation, students will no doubt be contemplating their futures. Given that it's Learning at Work Week — and there’s an ongoing rise in those seeking university alternatives — it’s probably time we chatted about apprenticeships. Joining Adam Cox now to do just that is Matt Butcher from New College Swindon and Darran Marks from the Swindon and Wiltshire Institute of Technology.

Individual achievement is recognised in many walks of life, and that recognition spurs people on to achieve even greater things. With education, good exam results and university entrance are celebrated, but this doesn't do much for those who find it difficult to get started in the first place. That's why The Share Foundation's introduction of incentivised learning is so important for young people in care, achieving an attitudinal transformation as they progress through the six-step Stepladder course. We need acceptance of incentivised learning to break the cycle of deprivation. Background music: 'Everything Has a Beginning' by Joel Cummins

The core of the problem with unclaimed, adult-owned Child Trust Funds (of which there are over £2 billion waiting to be claimed) is with accounts opened by HMRC. That's why The Share Foundation has proposed a 'default withdrawal at 21' process, based on the young person's National Insurance number. Danny Kruger MP took part in the CTF conference in Westminster on Tuesday 5th March, and two weeks later in a Westminster Hall CTF debate, and supported this initiative which could release £1/4 billion each year to help these young and predominantly low-income young adults. Background music: 'Waiting' by Andrew Langdon

Adam Cox is in conversation with Kirsty Anderson, M&G Wealth's Pension & Saving Specialist. They delve into the findings of a recent M&G Wealth-commissioned report that underscores a noticeable decrease in households engaging in financial discussions. The conversation revolves around the crucial financial topic’s families should be addressing, emphasising the significance of having these conversations at the present moment. Kirsty sheds light on the barriers hindering open discussions about finances within families and offers valuable tips on fostering openness among loved ones regarding money matters. https://www.mandg.com/

Adam Cox is joined by Matt Dronfield from Debt Free Advice to discuss the charity's pop-up advice centres throughout the capital, offering practical money tips as part of Talk Money Week. They delve into the current debt crisis in the UK, discussing its scale and the key contributing factors. Matt also sheds light on Talk Money Week's purpose and guides individuals on where to seek help if they are concerned about their financial situation. https://debtfreeadvice.com/

As the Party Conference season draws to a close, we check out last week's rather lacklustre Conservative event and add some thoughts to Sunak's agenda for education. Meanwhile, for those more focused on how to invest and still meet the net zero targets, don't miss the Sustain:Social Investing Conference on Saturday 21st October! https://sustain.social Background music: 'Communicator' by Reed Mathis

The scars borne by the younger generation reflect parents under pressure: from relationship breakdown, the demands of work, migration, the cost of living. So we must look intelligently at the journey towards adulthood, responding particularly to the call for reason, and underpin it with the firm foundation of unconditional love. Background music: 'Generations Away' by Unicorn Heads

Last week Jerome Mayhew MP drew attention to the dire state of financial education in the UK: a recent survey for Parliament suggested that 62% of young people had no recollection of being taught about finance in school. But how can it be given proper recognition among teaching staff when there's no Financial Awareness GCSE? Meanwhile King's College Entrepreneurship Lab has launched an inaugural essay competition for Year 12 and 13 students, designed to encourage UK Sixth Form students to pursue entrepreneurial aspirations and to understand better how to launch an enterprise. Great idea — let's give it the oxygen of publicity! Background music: 'The Plan's Working' by Cooper Cannell.

Welcome to a special episode of The Financial Outlook: the investment section of the Managing My Money course. What's the difference between saving and investment? It's all in the risk. We talk about shares, bonds and funds, and which perform best over the long term. The Managing My Money course has 16 sections in total, and is presented by Glen Goodman and Annie Weston. You can enjoy the whole course, produced in association with the Open University via Share Radio's home page.