Share Sounds. related to Personal Finance

Welcome to the This is Money and Share Radio podcast, presented in partnership with NS&I. This week of course the top financial story was Philip Hammond’s first, and indeed last, Autumn Statement. Just what state are the country’s post-Brexit finances in, and crucially what would the Chancellor offer to help his much referenced ‘Jams’? In the end those ‘just about managing’ certainly received a few headline policies but with predictions pointing towards low growth, high borrowing and high inflation many argue Jam spending has been spread too thin. There were also some losers with those enjoying salary sacrifice perks and letting agents coming into the crosshairs, as well as in fact the Autumn Statement itself which will now be scrapped. So what will all this mean for the pound in your pocket? Georgie Frost joins editor Simon Lambert and reporter Becky Rutt to answer just that. Also on the agenda this week they discuss Black Friday and for a slightly different purchase the opportunity to buy a road legal Formula 1 car. This is Money is presented by Georgie Frost in partnership with NS&I.

Black Friday is on and bargain hunting shoppers may spend an estimated £2 billion trying to beat expected new year price rises. And according to the online retailing association IMRG, well over half the spend will be done online. So it might seem surprising to find that two old pre-internet age stores are being revived on the High Street. Safeway and Austin Reed are both staging a comeback, so Matt Cox has been hearing from Mintel’s Retail Analyst, Richard Perks, about the return of these old names.

When it first crossed the Atlantic, Black Friday was a one day affair when we sat back in amusement watching punch-ups over cheap TVs. Now, hundreds of household name retailers are already dangling Black Friday carrots in front of our noses. Last year, amazon.co.uk sold more than 7.4 million items on the day at a rate of 86 items per second and are expecting to beat that this year. Fergal Gara is a Director of Amazon UK, and he joined Share Radio Breakfast to discuss the event.

Sue Dougan is joined in the studio by Kevin Pratt Web editor MoneySuperMarket.com. On the agenda today, they discuss the big story - The Autumn Statement. Sue and Kevin speak about how all aspects of the policies the Chancellor delivered will impact the consumer. Elsewhere, over ten million people across Britain could struggle in retirement if minimum contributions to workplace pensions aren't increased. Air traffic bosses have issued a new code of conduct for drones. All these stories and more on The News Review.

As Black Friday approaches and retailers gear up to welcome an influx of shoppers, Barclaycard is warning merchants to prepare for an increase in customer returns. Paul Lockstone is the Managing Director at Barclaycard, and he joined Share Radio to discuss those shoppers who deliberately over-purchase and then return unwanted items.

Georgie Frost is joined by financial journalists Lindsay Cook and Vix Leyton. This week they take on the banks spying on their customers as well as discussing the value of homemade gifts and deliver the Sucker Punch to Black Friday.

Every week the UK Money Blogger community have a twitter chat to allow all the bloggers - about 100 in total - to share their experiences, tips and questions. Be it DIY, savings, supermarkets - this week they look ahead to Black Friday. They looked if there really are bargains to be had, how do you find a good deal, and what are your consumer rights if price drops or you want a refund? To enlighten us with some of the tips and information that came out of that chat Georgie Frost was joined this week by Tom Church Co-Founder, LatestDeals.co.uk and Author of 'Money's Big Secret'.

One in four UK businesses say their employees have cut their hours owing to the high cost of childcare. The report from the British Chambers of Commerce also showed that 10% of employers had had staff quit their jobs entirely for the same reason. Its report is calling on the Government to allow policy to revolve around working parents. Measures could include additional childcare subsidies, possibly by extending existing support to the working parents of one and two year olds. Georgie was joined on the line by Marcus Mason, Head of Business, Education and Skills at the British Chambers of Commerce.

Want to get the best deals on your Christmas Shopping? Not sure how to make the most of Black Friday? Never fear! Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by Martyn James, Independent Financial Expert and Commentator, Katy Phillips from Idealo, and James Walker from the complaints website Resolver.co.uk, to share top tips on securing that must have bargain as well as answering your consumer rights questions.

In the wake of Brexit and Donald Trump being elected, what should you take account of and what should you ignore when it comes to investing? Sarah Pennells is joined by Louise Oliver, a Chartered Financial Planner at Piercefield Oliver, Lisa Stanley-Mann from Good with Money, and Share Radio's own Senior Analyst, Ed Bowsher, to guide you through investments and what to look out for in a post-truth environment.