Share Sounds. from This is Money related to Travel & Holidays

This summer has seen travel demand rebound and for many, it could be their first overseas jaunt since before the pandemic. For that reason, there may be some rusty holidaymakers out there. But fear not, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane and Georgie Frost are at hand to help get you in the holiday mood (kind of). They talk about what you need to think about before a trip, from sorting out your passport with plenty of time to why it is imperative to have good quality insurance. It may not be sexy, but it is vital. Then, while you're away, what to think about in terms of spending money and little tips and tricks to save cash. We also ask if the days of cheap flights are over thanks to fuel price rises, whether chickenpox just before you go away means an automatic refund and more pearls of wisdom from decades of travel experience. Elsewhere, there are dire pension warnings linked to inflation. A new study believes that fewer than two in five households will be on course for a decent retirement due to the soaring cost of living. What can be done about it? And a large factor of that soaring cost of living is energy bills. Next month, we'll fully know just how high the price cap will head. Many are facing bill rises that they simply cannot afford. One part of the cost that is a real bugbear for many are standing charges. What are they and why can they not simply be cut?

After a great deal of fuss about air bridges and people being able to go on summer holiday, things suddenly changed last weekend. A swift about turn saw a 14 day quarantine period imposed for those arriving in the UK from Spain at just six hours’ notice, hitting tens of thousands of holidaymakers who are there already, those with trips booked and leaving Britons hoping for some Spanish sunshine stuck in travel limbo… again. So is this the end of summer holidays for 2020? Are holidays to Spain off the cards for some time, and can you go to France, Italy, Greece or anywhere else safe in the knowledge you can come home and not have to take an extra fortnight off work? On this week’s podcast Georgie Frost – in Spain and facing a 14 day quarantine if she can get back – is joined by Simon Lambert and Grace Gausden to talk holidays, travel insurance, refunds, air bridges and whether even a staycation is safe. Plus, as savings rates take another tumble should you lock your money away for five years at 1.1 per cent just to protect against further falls? And finally, is buy-to-let back? A stamp duty cut, low rates and a weaker property market has got property investors interested again but are they saving money now just to lose it in future?

The mortgage price war claimed a high profile victim this week as Tesco Bank scrapped lending. Tesco Bank will continue with its other products, but why has it ditched mortgages, why have a string of other smaller players shut their doors in recent months, and why did building society behemoth Nationwide issue its own caution on home loans this week? On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Sarah Davidson and Georgie Frost dive into what is currently a weird world of mortgages: where a greater supply of money to lend than demand to borrow it means there are some very cheap deals on offer. Also on this week’s show, the team look at a reader’s problem with a neighbour upstairs, who has stripped the floor back to floorboards and is creating noise issues, despite a lease that says there must be carpets. How do you enforce that? Thomas Cook’s troubles and what they mean for holidaymakers are under the spotlight too. And finally, ever wondered why sometimes drivers get a ticket but at others escape with just a warning, or what really drives police officers mad behind the wheel?

Inheritance tax is a conundrum. Just 5 per cent of estates currently incur it but it’s been voted Britain’s most unfair major tax. Even with the number of people hit by it expected to double, it seems we just don’t like the concept. It’s no wonder then that the Chancellor commissioned a report into it from the Office of Tax Simplification, but no one forecast that to be as damning about the system as it was. It’s complicated, more than ten times as many bereaved families have to fill in forms as pay it, and it turns out the very rich pay proportionally less than those directly below them. Does that make inheritance tax ripe for a change and how could it be adjusted? Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost discuss that on this week’s podcast. Also, on the show they discuss why tenants are still waiting for a fees ban, whether the latest move to curb private parking tickets goes far enough and the least reliable cars you can buy second hand. And finally, we’ve all heard the one about how airlines might use your browsing history to hike flight costs, but have you heard about error fares that can get you somewhere for a fraction of the normal price? And more to the point are both these true. We bust five flight booking myths.

Child benefit and state pension - It’s not the most obvious link. But if you are a parent who is looking after a child instead of working, you need to register for child benefit in order to build up your entitlement in retirement age. Austerity swept away the universal child benefit and those households where one parent earns more than £50,000 have to start giving it back until it is removed altogether above £60,000. Unsurprisingly, many who fall into this bracket simply opt not to take it and see no point in registering. Unfortunately, mums and dads who stopped work to look after children are now finding they’ve missed building up their state pension. It should be easy to fix, but HMRC and the government have been stalling parents affected. That’s why This is Money has started a campaign to get this mess fixed, before it gets any worse. On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss how this all happened and why it matters to not just those affected. And finally, can you really have a weekend away in Europe, flights and a decent hotel for £57? Yes you can, thanks to a very clever new website we tracked down.

Welcome to This is Money, the podcast, presented in partnership with NS&I. Editor Simon Lambert and Personal Finance Editor Rachel Rickard Straus join Share Radio’s Georgie Frost in the studio to go through the week’s biggest money stories. And this week it’s all about inflation, and the news is leaving us all a little … deflated. Yes, that nebulous indicator, inflation has jumped to its highest level in 2 years - hitting spenders and savers alike. Blame Brexit if you like, and a lot of people have done, but is that really it? Michael O’Leary of Ryanair certainly is blaming the referendum as he hikes prices in even more obscure ways. And then, we’re looking at the banks: they’re slashing rates, deceiving switchers, and worst of all; this week it seems they don’t even know how to keep our money safe! Meanwhile, we take a look at the treasury's U-Turn to allow retired savers to cash in their annuities. Is Chancellor Hammond just doing all he can to obliterate Chancellor Osborne’s legacy, or dare I say it, could there be an actual plan in place? Surely not, that’s madness. At the other end of the show, Simon reckons we need a tax break on savings interest, what little we have, someone’s bought a car with Apple Pay and everyone’s amazed for some reason, and the new Churchill fiver sees even more inflationary trading. This is Money is presented by Georgie Frost, in partnership with NS&I.

Welcome to the This is Money and Share Radio podcast, presented in partnership with NS&I. This week, we're finally seeing the real-world of effect of Brexit: Marmite is gone from Tesco's shelves! Well, digital shelves at least, and it seems the supermarket giant and its main supplier Unilever have sorted out their differences for now, so you can rest easy. But if the battle is over for now, we can't be so sure about the war. As companies are squeezed from all sides by a falling pound and the soaring popularity of online delivery, can it lead to anything but higher prices at the checkout? Editor Simon Lambert and Consumer Affairs Editor Lee Boyce joined Georgie Frost this week to examine Marmite-gate, and see what it portends. They also took a look at Sterling's effect on holidaymaker's plans, the latest round of cuts at the beleaguered Lloyds, and what if anything we can know about housing prices in the future. This is Money is presented by Georgie Frost, in partnership with NS&I.

On the show this week, we're taking a look back at the very best of our weekly financial analysis and commentary, in partnership with NS&I, over the past few months. And what a few months it has been! From Brexit to the Bank of England rate cuts, and don’t forget the BHS and Sports Direct scandals. We’re going to take you back, and get some perspective on it all. Maybe it will start to make sense... We'll also be looking at the major takeover of Britain’s own ARM holdings, a much-loved current account getting its rates slashed, and the best and worst of Great British Auto Manufacturing. This is Money is presented by Georgie Frost, in partnership with NS&I

Once again, it's time for the This is Money podcast. Every week, in partnership with NS&I, Financial Broadcaster of the Year Georgie Frost and Financial Website of the Year This is Money team up to go through all the finance stories you need to know this week. We're going to be talking about Base Rates remaining steady, despite indications to the contrary - is the Bank of England our unreliable boyfriend? And dreams of owning a home are disappearing for lower-income families, as small-deposit mortgages are drying up amid post-Brexit nerves. And that's not the only bad news for would-be buyers this week, sneaky estate agents are re-posting listings to make them look much fresher than they are. And finally, we'll be running through Parking Rage, the best cities to live and work, and certain coins that could make you a mint. This is Money is presented by George Frost, in partnership with NS&I.

On this edition of This Is Money, Editor Simon Lambert and Personal Finance Editor Rachel Rickard-Strauss are in to talk more Brexit fall-out, of course; will Mark Carney’s reassuring tones be enough to steady the ship, as Sterling falls further than we've seen since Walter Mondale was a relevant cultural reference? We’ll also be looking at property fund lockouts, and why you should NEVER trust them with your pension. And stay tuned to the end as we have a rare win for the little guy, to the tune of £19 Billion! This is Money is presented in partnership with NS&I, and hosted by Georgie Frost.