Share Sounds. presented by Georgie Frost

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.

Is there any point trying to save when inflation is so high? Interest rates are rising and savers can now get a far better return than a year ago, but compare those rates to inflation and they are losing even more money. So why bother? That's the question that Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert tackle in this podcast. From what the best rates are and where you can get them, to why you should avoid what Simon calls your bank or building society's 'insult account' – with a special mention for Nationwide - and how to turn a savings habit into an investing one that should hopefully get you a better return, the podcast team talk all things saving. Also on the agenda: where are the best places to start investing a small amount, and why that has got so much easier in recent years? Simon shares a bit of behind the scenes knowledge on investing platforms and why they are pushing so hard for new investors – and gives some tips on getting started the easy way. But not everyone will be feeling like they have money to stash away right now: the cost of living crisis is seeing people cut back, the ONS, revealed this week – and that's before most bills spiked. Where are they cutting back and is there anything we can do to help them? (Bonkers two-year MOT ideas excluded). And finally - just when you thought printing at home couldn't get any worse, printer firms came up with a way to make it better… and then made it worse.

Much bigger energy bills are on their way to households for and a warning was sounded this week that there is much worse to come. Energy bosses told MPs that 40% of households could end up in fuel poverty and raised the prospect of a ‘truly horrific’ winter, with the price cap tipped to rise another 30% or more in October just as the heating goes back on. Energy firms are not responsible for the surge in gas and electricity prices but watchdog Ofgem warned that some may not be treating customers fairly on monthly direct debit payments. Meanwhile, This is Money has been contacted by reams of customers struggling to get incorrect bills fixed but being threatened with debt collectors by bullying energy firms. What can be done to help customers struggling with soaring bills? Will Rishi Sunak have to step in with more meaningful help than his £200 off now, pay it back later deal? Should wealthier customers subsidise the bills of the poorer? And how do we make energy firms get their act together? All these questions and more are tackled by Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert. Also on this show, how do you know if you are saving enough for retirement and are there any positives to encourage you, as more gloom-laden warnings about our pension pots pot being big enough land? Plus, why has the Great British Rail Sale managed to get not one, not two, but all three of our podcasters riled? And finally, why is Netflix having a wobble and does it mark a change in consumer and investor behaviour?

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?

This week has seen a number of changes to our personal finances in the wake of energy bill and council tax rises, along with a number of key utilities such as broadband and mobile contracts. It also marks the start of a new tax year and with it a National Insurance rise, a meagre state pension hike and the start of new 'no fault' divorce system. Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Helen Crane run through what these changes potentially mean for you and why they're important. Renting is set to become cheaper than mortgage repayments for the first time in 14 years according to a study. This could signal 'trouble ahead,' as the data shows that when this happens, often a recession follows shortly afterwards. We discuss why. The pandemic boom could also leave high-earning homeowners trapped and unable to move, if they've overstretched themselves to buy. They may be unable to remortgage as lenders consider their squeezed incomes during the cost of living crisis. And finally, with the energy price cap soaring, are there gadgets that could help you save money? Lee comes with a warning with his own 'smart' thermostat.

It's the time of year when we are urged to put our money into an Isa or pension, but faced with the choice which should you pick? After all, most of us don't have the £52,000 needed to max out both (£20,000 into an Isa and £32,000 into a pension plus the £8,000 tax relief added). So, we must make a decision: take the upfront tax relief of a pension and that lovely boost to the money you pay in, but not be able to get the cash until at least age 55, or opt for the tax-free gains of an ISA and its flexibility, but no contribution booster. Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert look at the perks of each, where the drawbacks are and how you can make an informed decision. Plus, is the Lifetime ISA a better option for your hard-earned cash? Also, they discuss the child benefit mess and how many mums are missing our on vital state pension credits, whether Chase's bank account is now Britain's best, and how to work out if buying an expensive electric car might save you money.

Why would you cut tax and raise the same tax at the same time? That’s been the slightly baffled response from many people to Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement. Effectively, the Chancellor both cut and raised National Insurance – lifting the threshold it is paid at but ignoring calls to 'spike the hike' and ploughing ahead with the 1.25% being added to rates. Bizarrely, the tax rate goes up in April, only for the threshold to rise and reduce bills shortly afterwards in July. And we wonder why people find tax taxing? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert dive into the detail of the Spring Budget to explain what the NI hike/cut means for you. Depending on their earnings some will be in the group paying more than now and some will pay less? The team also look at the other measures in the Spring Statement and whether a 5p petrol duty cut and some money off solar panels really cuts the mustard in the face of a cost of living crisis. The Office of Budget Responsibility also had some bad news for us: inflation is tipped to hit almost 9%, energy bills are likely to rise another 40% or so, and there’s the not so trivial matter of the biggest fall in living standards since records began in the 1950s. How bad will this feel? Away from the Spring Statement, ths episode looks at what’s going on with building costs and how to try to get the best quote from a builder, stick to a budget and protect against price rises. And finally, you might not go fully down the secretive POA (price on application) route when selling your home, but should you name an asking price, guide price, or ask for offers over a certain amount? Georgie, Lee and Simon dabble with a bit of estate agentese.

It's a hat trick. After all those years of waiting in vain for a rate rise after the financial crisis, now the Bank of England has the wind in its sails and has raised rates three times since December. The shift up in the base rate to 0.75% hardly takes rates into the stratosphere but moving from 0.1% to here in four months stands at serious odds with the lower for longer mantra that dominated the past decade and a bit of central bank thinking. It's being done to combat inflation that's now forecast to hit 8% (or maybe higher admits the Bank). The irony is that interest rate rises will do little to tackle imported inflation. So is the Bank making the right moves? Is it right to try to crack down on inflation now, or is it putting the Covid recovery at risk? And what does this mean for savers, borrowers and investors? Tanya Jefferies, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss the rate hike - if you can call a quarter point rise a hike - and how much more of this may be coming down the line. Plus, what are the best shares and funds to stash in your ISA in volatile times, do you have to pay tax on a £20,000 bitcoin profit, and would you swap your device trash for cash at Currys?

Simon Lambert and Georgie Frost discuss the potential benefits of Stocks & Shares ISAs for young investors, the end of rock bottom interest rates for mortgages and rising rates for depositors and, of course, escalating energy & fuel costs.

House prices have soared in the pandemic boom – with the average home an astonishing £44,000 more expensive at £260,000, according to Nationwide. But mortgage rates are rising, the cost of living crunch is hitting hard, and the idea of a post pandemic Roaring Twenties seems very distant right now, so is a reckoning for Britain’s property market on the way? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert dive into the housing market to look at why homes are now the most expensive they have ever been when compared to wages – and what could send them even higher or tip them into decline. They also look at the mortgage market, where the best bargain basement fixed rate deals have long vanished and rates have been rising rapidly. But while they might be going up, mortgage rates are still very cheap and the Bank of England is weighing up loosening some lending rules, so where does that take us next? Simon also has some advice for anyone whose mortgage fix is up for renewal this year. Spoiler alert: it’s to start looking into a new fixed mortgage now. And a reader question – and yes, this was a genuine one – of whether taking $1 million-plus in payment for a property in the Caribbean in crypto is a good idea? And finally, credit cards are dead: it’s all about buy now, pay later… or is it? There’s a new Avios-earning Barclaycard out and Lee’s excited. Find out why by listening to the end.