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And there it was, another interest rate hike. Another quarter point move up seems almost commonplace now, but cast your mind back to the era after the financial crisis and we had to wait nearly ten years for the base rate to climb above its 0.5% 'emergency level'. It cut first and then base rate got all the way to the heady heights of 0.75%, before it was cut again when Covid hit. Yet, less than 18 months since the Bank of England started raising rates in December 2021, base rate has rocketed from 0.1% to 4.5%. The rate itself is still relatively low in historic terms, but the magnitude of the rise is not. So, are the Bank's ratesetters right to keep voting for hikes, has the full pain been felt yet, and why would you do this when all the forecasts suggest inflation is soon to nosedive? Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert discuss the latest rate rise and how high interest rates will go. Plus, is the return of the 100% mortgage absolute madness, a helping hand for trapped renters, or something in the middle of all that? Why people should claim pension credit or help their friends or relatives? And finally, not only will it lack the crisp one-liners of Succession, but an inheritance drama is not something you want to get into, so how can people avoid one?

A row over housebuilding has erupted again. Labour leader Keir Starmer has said he would bring back a 300,000 annual housebuilding target, after Rishi Sunak scrapped it. Meanwhile, some backbench Tory MPs are reportedly unhappy about their party ditching that target in the first place – with the number having featured in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto. At the same time Michael Gove has been cheered in many quarters for blocking a development in Kent, as it was deemed to be poor quality and ugly, but is now being taken to court by developer Berkeley Homes over the decision. So, what can we do about housebuilding and how do we get ourselves out of this mess – especially as the younger generation are squeezed out by high house prices and rents? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert dig into the myriad problems with UK housebuilding and what can be done to build better homes that people want to buy and have near them. Is the answer just bringing back targets or is it more complicated than that? Is not wanting housing developments Nimbyism if there’s a failure to build well and deliver infrastructure? How can we convince local communities to back new housing? All this and more come up for debate. Also, if you are in the fortunate position of being able to buy a home but are worried about falling house prices and locking into high mortgage rates, what should you do? Sam North, of eToro, joins us for the latest market update, including the reaction to the Fed's latest rate rise. Will a new crackdown on scams finally stop the fraudsters? And finally, we said it was coming. The 5% savings rate is back, but should you get one?

What's the best home improvement plans, if you're thinking about selling? Has the dust now settled following the banking sell-offs — is it a good time to invest now? Will Schroder's UK private/public trusts ever be able to shake off the Neil Woodford legacy? Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss these issues, and the This Is Money 'Best Buy' savings table.

Adam Cox is joined by Steven Bailey, from Barrettine, to discuss why it is so important to care for wood outside, and the environmental issues that should be considered when doing so. Steven explains the best time of year to carry out woodcare projects, and how to save grey wood. www.bestwoodcare.co.uk

As if buying a home wasn’t enough of a lottery, borrowers are now facing a major gamble on their mortgage. Whether buying or remortgaging, they need to work out how long to fix for and try to assess what might happen next to interest rates. On the basis that even the world’s top economists and investors didn’t spot the past year’s sudden interest rate spike coming and can’t agree on what central banks will do next, that’s a tough task. Five-year fixed rates are cheaper than two-year fixed rates, but borrowers worry they risk locking in at higher rates for longer. Meanwhile, trackers are pricier but could fall if the base rate comes down, although there’s not much agreement on when the Bank of England will stop hiking or how swiftly it will lower rates when it eventually does. Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss the great mortgage gamble and what people can do. Also, the house price hotspots of the past decade – and why living in a place where home values has doubled may not be a good thing. Simon takes a look at UK shares, why they are considered cheap and whether they are a decent investment or not. Helen talks through her latest 'Crane on the Case' and how it involved a loyal BA customer locked out of a staggering number of Avios points and getting a raw deal from the airline on sorting it out. And finally, here is a test of your age: how well do you remember the Ford Orion, Austin Maestro and Vauxhall Nova — and did you ever believe that one day they’d be classic cars?

House prices fall by the largest amount since 2012, and mortgage approvals also fall for the fifth month in a row. So are we approaching a house price crash, or will there be a soft landing? Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost are joined by Helen Crane, and they also discuss energy prices and deals on offer from digital banking.

Inflation is theoretically running out of steam but there's one essential that's still gloing up in price rapidly: food. Even as energy prices and other recent highly inflationary items run out of steam, the cost of food seems to show no let up - with reports reporting inflation-busting rises. What is going on here? How much have food prices risen, why have they gone up so much, are supermarkets or brand-name makers profiteering, and will costs ever come back down? Georgie Frost, Angharad Carrick and Simon Lambert, delve into food prices on this week's episode - and look at any ways you could save money. Plus, mortgage rates are falling while the base rate is going up: why is that and what happens next? Should you invest in a VCT, not just for the juicy tax breaks but also for the investment opportunities on offer? And finally, we met the founders of Seatfrog to find out how they are helping passengers buy up unused first-class seats on trains at bargain prices and their plans for making train ticket-buying better.

Are we nearly there yet? The Bank of England hiked interest rates again this week, adding 0.5% to take base rate to 4%. That’s a level that it was almost unthinkable we’d reach so quickly a year ago, but rates have gone up hard and fast. The questions now are will base rate stall and when will it come back down again? But while the Bank of England has sent rates up like a rocket, its forecasts show that they will only fall like a feather. Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert look at how likely those forecasts are to be correct and what this all means for the economy, mortgages, savings and first-time buyers. Also on the show, Tanya explains another potential state pension scandal that she and Steve Webb have uncovered and Steve joins the podcast to talk through it. Sam North, of eToro, gives us a market update and explains why investors have sent stock markets soaring at the start of 2023. The clock is ticking on the tax year and Simon explains why he thinks the next couple of months are vitally important for getting money into an ISA and potentially selling some investments to do so. And finally, do you love your tumble dryer? Many do, but worry they can’t afford to run them. Fear not, help might be at hand.

Adam Cox is joined by Chris Hutchinson, CEO of Canopy, to discuss the issues facing renters who want to build towards home ownership, and how using rental passports and credit score-building tools can help. Chris explains how paying rent, bills or subscriptions on time can help build a credit score, and provides, tips to those looking to buy a home. https://www.canopy.rent

The mortgage crunch has stalled the pandemic property boom and sent house prices down, but could they fall 20%? The risk of a severe house price downturn of that magnitude was flagged by Rightmove founder and property market veteran Harry Hill. Hill’s CV includes setting up property giant Rightmove and selling estate agency group Countrywide for £1 billion a year before the 2008 banking crisis. Hill told the The Mail on Sunday and This is Money: 'My view on the housing market is that it's going down in every direction. Transactions are going to go down. Prices are going to go down.’ He added that a bad recession would mean ‘we could see 20% price reductions’. Could house prices fall 20% from here? Why would it happen? How bad would that be? Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss the prospects for the housing market, how the rapid rise in mortgage rates is affecting it and what prospective home movers or first-time buyers should do. Plus, they are joined by a very special guest: Lee Boyce, now Money Mail editor, is back on the programme to discuss the Wooden Spoon award for the worst customer service of the year. Who are the runners and riders, what did they do wrong, and why does Simon nominate a couple of firms that aren’t even on the shortlist? Savings rates have been a rare bit of good new recently and Simon talks through the attraction of small building societies and how some are offering market beating rates, but you might struggle to secure them. And finally, it’s time for a second special guest, John Mayhead of classic car specialist Hagerty, who is joins Simon to discuss the insurer’s Bull List of ten classics it tips to rise in value next year. How do these classic cars get on the list, what makes them ripe for appreciation and what’s a Citroen BX doing rubbing shoulders with a Lamborghini Diablo?