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Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at research showing that 2 in 5 people have either used private health care or are considering doing so. He wonders if this means that the NHS has reached a tipping point and that the old model will soon be declared moribund. He considers the rise, role and dangers of "greedflation" and asks whether consumers are being taken for a ride. And, with Labour doing more poorly in the polls, he ponders whether the next General Election is a foregone conclusion and whether politics may be about to get interesting again.

James Cameron-Wilson points out that while weekly box office is down 41%, it's still much healthier than this time last year. Super Mario Bros is still #1 with the highest new film being Renfield at #5. Another Dracula adaptation with Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult, James found it a ridiculous mess, "more ham than Hammer" and one of the bloodiest films he had ever seen, despite its 15 certificate. He much preferred Tetris, the story of the computer game. Streaming on Apple+ and starring Taron Egerton, he found it utterly absorbing.

Russ Mould of A J Bell looks at gold, which recently went above $2,000 an ounce again. He asks how the metal, which produces no income, can be valued. Believing it is NOT an inflation hedge, he does think it can be a hedge against loss of faith in central bankers. Despite a round of mergers and acquisitions in the industry, while gold has risen 30% since 2020, gold shares, out of fashion, are only up 12%. While smaller and riskier than the giants, he wonders if some UK gold producers could be considered cheap.

Victoria Scholar of Interactive Investor summarises the latest UK inflation and employment statistics. In the light of general inflation remaining above 10% and with the likes of food and drink considerably higher than that, what do economists think will happen with interest rates? Is a hike more likely now? Will the economy fall into a recession this year? And will the UK stock market's tear come to an end?

Steve Caplin delves into the world of tech, with AI creating a photo that won a big photography competition, composing a popular song that has now been banned and attracting Elon Musk, shortly after demanding a pause in AI research. There's an electronic device to replace physical board games, a bike rack with a powered motor and a backpack for your bike if it's too tough off road. Last year cassette sales were at a 20-year high, while vinyl outsold CDs. And do you know how "high" you are scrolling? Steve will tell you.

There's always the opportunity to learn more and develop one's capabilities. This episode is a session which helped the chief executive of a fast-growing and successful company with a real anxiety about speaking to big teams and taking part in media interviews: overcoming such fears is not easy. Adam Cox invites you to think of someone you would regard as strongly capable, and then mapping their resources into yourself so that you broaden your own comfort zone. For those looking to grow their career or develop leadership capabilities, this episode could be a real help. It's not about aiming for perfection — it's about making constant progress.

A survey from Lending Tree found that a majority of Americans thought investing was just as risky as gambling. And sure, the stock market can be a casino, but it doesn’t have to be. Anand Chokkavelu and Ricky Mulvey discuss the lines between gambling and investing, and when they get blurry, games that Wall Street traders play, positive/negative sum games, and how to know the difference, and how Uncle Sam helps investors more than gamblers. Host - Ricky Mulvey; Guest - Anand Chokkavelu

Investors cheered the steadily improving inflation story. Jason Moser and Matt Argersinger discuss how the current macro environment is what the Fed was aiming for, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo starting earnings season in a strong way, Boeing's latest production challenge, key takeaways from Andy Jassy's shareholder letter, and Warner Bros Discovery's confusing rebrand of HBO Max. Then, at 19 minutes in, Motley Fool senior analyst Tim Beyers weighs in on how board games and video games are finding success on the big screen, the future of movie theaters, and why "YouTube has an uncommon amount of power right now." Finally, 34 minutes in, Jason and Matt share two stocks on their radar: Airbnb and T. Rowe Price. Stocks discussed: JPM, WFC, BA, AMZN, WMT, WBD, HAS, DIS, NFLX, AAPL, CMCSA, GOOG, GOOGL, ABNB, TROW. Host - Chris Hill; Guests - Matt Argersinger, Jason Moser, Tim Beyers

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?

The first SHARE conference in Cambridge last Friday provided much food for thought, and comments particularly drew attention to the need for widespread understanding of stock ownership if 'Stock for Data' is to take hold. In financial terms and because equity stock in companies is a surrogate for human enterprise, earnings from capital growth and dividends massively outperform bonds and cash over the long term; meanwhile stock owners have a key role in contributing to the governance of their companies, as employee shareownership has shown. All this needs straightforward and intelligible communication. Background music: 'Communicator' by Reed Mathis