Share Sounds. related to Property & Mortgages

Adam Cox is joined by health and wellbeing advocate, Katie Piper, and the CPO of Unilever, Sara Alsen, to discuss new research from Blueair that shows Brits' concerns around indoor air pollution. Katie discusses why this is a topic close to her heart, whilst Sara talks through the research and why this is such an issue. www.blueair.com

Adam Cox is joined by seasoned journalist and independent mortgage specialist, Paula John, to discuss new research from Pepper Money that demonstrates the impact the current rise in interest rates has had on Brits. She provides some advice to listeners on how to improve their finances, and what it means to consolidate debt. www.pepper.money

Adam Cox is joined by Robert Lyon, Managing Director of Playfair, to discuss the new law stating that landlords will legally need to provide a carbon monoxide alarm for their tenants from October 2022. Robert explains the dangers of carbon monoxide, and why it is so important to have an alarm, in addition to why a change in the law is being put into place. https://www.coalarmssavelives.com/

Rocketing rates have sent the average two and five-year fixed rate mortgage through the 6% barrier. This is a level that would have been considered unthinkable a year ago, when there were fifty mortgage deals on the market at below 1%. The Bank of England belatedly playing catching up with inflation has sent base rate from 0.1% last December to 2.25% now - and with inflation far from tamed and the US Federal Reserve going in all guns blazing on monetary policy, rates are likely to keep going up from here. But the catalyst for the past month's big jump in mortgage rates has been the turmoil triggered by the Chancellor's ill-received mini-Budget and the flurry of borrowing Britain will have to do to fund it. So, what happens next to mortgage rates, what should people who need to fix now do, and will this send house prices sinking? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert dive into the mortgage market to look at what is happening and why - and what borrowers can do about it. Are expensive fixes now worth taking, what should you do if you are buying a home and is a variable rate mortgage really now the answer? They answer these questions and more. Plus, while rate rises are bad for mortgage borrowers they are proving good news for savers, who have been starved of decent deals for many years. The top fixed rate savings are knocking on the door of 5%, but how high will savings rates go and should you fix and risk losing out on better ones in future? The ill-fated mini-Budget also brought about the abolition of the 45p tax rate, except that's now been abolished itself as Kwasi Kwarteng staged a screeching U-turn this week. Nonetheless, Simon has some middle-class tax cutting ideas that he reckons make more sense and could be popular. And finally, a reader wrote to This is Money telling us they had some letters written to them in the 1960s by a rock star who then died young and they could be worth £20,000... but will they have to pay tax if they sell? More to the point, who could the mystery rock star be?

Inflation is up again with CPI now measured at 10.1%, the highest since February 1982, when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister. How does this bout of inflation compare to then? Lee Boyce, Helen Crane and Georgie Frost discuss the higher than forecast inflation rate and what is driving it. With that rate of inflation soaring, a majority of economists believe another 0.5% increase in base rate is on the cards next month. But what would a base rate of 3%, 5% or 7% do to mortgage rates and property prices? Britons are estimated to have billions 'lost' in pension, investment and bank accounts – how do you go about tracking it down? And, with thousands of students opening their A Level results this week, Lee reveals how he has already built a £10,000 investment pot for his three-year-old, in case she decides to go into further education.

A mortgage stress test designed to stop borrowers overstretching themselves will be scrapped, it was revealed this week. The mortgage industry has long bemoaned this supposedly unrealistic test that makes lenders check if borrowers can afford their repayments at a level higher than the fix or tracker deal they may be taking, their lender's standard variable rate plus 3%. Yet, isn't a bit of an odd time to finally get rid of this, just as interest rates are finally rising and the base rate has jumped from 0.1% to 1.25% in six months? What's more, it's forecast by some to keep rising and go as high as 3% by the end of the year: meaning almost that entire 3% rise which the stress test uses. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce discuss why the Bank of England is doing this and whether it is the right move, or could lead to risky lending and even higher house prices? Also, the team discuss inflation and how to (at least) try to do something to combat it with your savings - and also, why investors are finding it so hard to buy the dip and be greedy when others are fearful in the inflation storm. The renewed fervour for offering bumper deals on current accounts also goes under the microscope, but is a bung to join, an interest rate on your balance, or the ability to categorise your spending the best readon to switch? And finally, you live in an end of terrace house, someone wants to build next door using your wall and making your home a mid-terrace: surely that couldn't be allowed? Or would it? Listen to the end to find out.

More than 40 years after Margaret Thatcher introduced Right to Buy, the current Prime Minister is considering plans to revamp the scheme. Could it unleash a home buying revolution and help give a much needed boost to the Government, or is it a bad idea rehashing an old scheme? This week, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss the plans, how it could work and why it may be unleashed in the near future. Would it be unfair to private renters? With ever increasing property prices, would people be able to purchase them? And what are the current Right to Buy rules? It's safe to say that green bonds, launched by National Savings and Investments last year, have been a damp squib. Rates on them are low, and a three-year fix is a relatively niche product. Just how far have they missed the mark and could the rate head higher again to make them more attractive? On the other hand, Premium Bonds continue to be an incredibly popular way to save. The two jackpot winners this month had huge sums held in them – is that the only chance you have of winning a £1million, maxing out the holdings? There are calls to claim your pension credit – nearly one million people are missing out on extra cash and 'the door to more,' by not taking advantage. Could you, or someone you know, benefit? The Bank of England celebrates 25 years of independence – we ask whether New Labour's gamble of making it independent has paid off, just as it hikes base rate to a 13-year high of 1%. Meanwhile, Lee reveals details of a new This is Money columnist signing – businessman Dave Fishwick is ready to take your business and careers questions – find out how you can contact him.

For many homeowners it's been the case for some years that each time they remortgage, their rate comes down. But with the Bank of England liftng base rate three times in a matter of months, inflation soaring to 7%, and banks and building societies hiking mortgage rates, that is no longer the case. It must be said that mortgage rates are still low by historic standards, but whereas borrowers with the biggest deposits or equity could fix for under 1% last year, now they will be paying 2%. Not much compared to the sky high rates of the past, but many homeowners can't bag these super cheap deals and will pay rates above 3%. Again, these are low but rising and people may find the same mortgage now sets them back £100 a month more. What can borrowers do, will rates keep rising and how does inflation fit into all of this? Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert look at the mortgage market and what's going on. Also, is buy-to-let having a mini resurgence? Could you search out a social broadband tariff and save money? And finally, what makes a good home or car insurer, and does anybody ever check up before taking out policies?

The pandemic house price boom caught almost everyone by surprise and has continued to run for longer that most expected, but is it now about to end. Rising interest rates and the cost of living crunch are putting a serious squeeze on how much buyers can borrow - and that means they can't keep paying ever higher prices for homes. Meanwhile, stories are emerging of banks and building societies getting cold feet on some of the offers that ambitious buyers have had accepted and the lenders are down-valuing properties. What's a down-valuation? When the bank or building society says, 'we're sorry, but that property isn't worth what you have agreed to pay'. Combine that with the best mortgage rates having more than doubled and you might finally have the recipe for the property market running out of steam. Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss whether house prices can defy gravity once more. Also — should you sign up to a savings platform to manage your cash in one place and hopefully get a boost on rates? Plus, what should investors do as a slow motion crash hits stock markets and sends the price of many shares and popular funds and trusts sinking? And finally, fed up of being told to cancel your subscriptions to save money? We look at ways to keep your favourite shows and music, but cut back on costs.

Boris Johnson clearly hopes that an increased focus on home ownership will restore his fortunes as we approach the next election in the United Kingdom: we've certainly slipped a long way from the focus on ‘right to buy’ and popular capitalism over the decades since Margaret Thatcher was in power. Politicians often speak glibly about ownership as if it's a definitive term, but the sense of ownership depends on a whole range of features. We look at a number of different styles of, and pressures on, ownership, and how they weaken or strengthen that sense of connection for which Boris Johnson is no doubt seeking. Background music: Timeless by Slenderbeats