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Adam Cox is joined by Anna Materson from Atom Learning. New data shows a 39% rise in the number of parents seeking a grammar school place for their child. Anna tells Adam all about how Atom Learning is attempting to level the playing field and is offering its 11+ exam resources to eligible pupils completely for free. https://atomlearning.com/

The need to 'prove one's worth' is a common male trait, but it tends to be rooted in a comparison with others and deep-seated feelings about relationship anxiety. Adam Cox helps to unravel this challenge.

James Cameron-Wilson says the box office is up 44% thanks to #1 Joker: Folie à Deux, with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. Essentially a jukebox musical contemplating the human condition, it sadly lacks a narrative drive and is often downright boring. At #10, A Different Man is an accomplished and original drama which is moving, challenging and entertaining. Never sure where it's going, it's remarkable and highly recommended. Out on excellently restored home discs is the 1954 JB Priestley An Inspector Calls with Alastair Sim, directed by future Bond director Guy Hamilton. Despite its age, it still casts quite a spell.

Steve Caplin explains why the BBC has been forecasting record winds & temperatures. Tesla are to unveil their Robotaxi. Google Japan have produced a Möbius strip keyboard with 208 keys. A virtual dog lead is somewhat shocking. What will happen to the Chagos Islands' internet domain? A Harvard student has produced smart glasses with real-time facial recognition. The Ask Silver scam checker gets the thumbs up from Steve. The crowd-funded FlyOn travel coat is designed to beat the meagre luggage allowance on budget airlines. And an Australian university has found a way to make flat-pack tubes incredibly strong.

Russ Mould of A J Bell discusses the UK 10-year gilt yield rising over 4%, despite the Bank of England governor saying that interest rate cuts could happen more quickly. Why are equity markets both here and in the US more optimistic than fixed interest investors? In the UK we owe £2.5 trillion and have a £100 billion interest bill, so the government faces very difficult decisions. The only way to reduce the burgeoning debt/GDP ratio is through growth or inflation. It will probably be a combination of both and 2% may soon be the floor for the inflation rate rather than the ceiling. Russ discusses what this may mean for equities, with 28 of the FTSE100 companies yielding more than the 10-year gilt.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves presents her first Budget on Wednesday 30th October after a major spending review. Her election commitments on tax rates and the priority she has given to restoring growth will limit the scope for raising further revenues, but there's plenty of room for re-balancing health spending by introducing mandatory health insurance for wealthy old folk. The balance between what comes in and what goes out is a struggle for almost all western democracies: in the United States, debt interest accounts for 76% of income tax receipts. In the UK it's 36%: still high, and that's notwithstanding the impact of frozen tax thresholds causing higher receipts, which would act to reduce that percentage. Background music: 'People Watching' by Sir Cubworth

How well do you manage your money? Where would you rate your budgeting, saving, investing and pension efforts in marks out of ten? It's not often that we think about these things but mulling them over and making improvements where needed and patting yourself on the back when deserved, is a major step on the road to financial success. Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert dial down the noise of the news and dive into how we can manage our money better instead. They discuss tips on how to budget, how to boost your savings and returns, how easy or complicated investing should be, and why a pension is the best and easiest way to get rich. They also share an honest look at their own money management and finances, revealing what they do well, what they just about get by at — and the mistakes they make. Plus, when should you decide to get the professionals in and seek financial advice or financial planning? Simon and Georgie discuss that and the costs. And financial planner Dan Beecroft, of Charles Stanley, joins the show to talk about why people seek financial advice and the questions they ask.

This is Money recently welcomed Sir Steve Webb for a special episode where he answered listeners' questions on everything you need to know about pensions. In this excerpt, Steve and Simon Lambert discuss whether you should invest in a work pension or Sipp - and how to make the most of them.

OpenAI is projected to lose $5 billion this year. And, yet: it just keeps raising money. Jim Gillies and Mary Long discuss OpenAI’s $157 billion valuation, the port strike’s potentially positive impact on two auto parts makers, and changing tastes in the beverage market. Then, 16 minutes in, Asit Shama and Ricky Mulvey test out a new rating system on Costco stock. Companies discussed: ALV, GTX, STZ, COST, BJ, WMT. Host - Mary Long; Guests - Jim Gillies, Asit Sharma, Ricky Mulvey

Driverless vehicles are already here, even if they’ve made some wrong terms. Motley Fool contributor Travis Hoium joined Ricky Mulvey to check in on some companies leading the way on autonomous vehicles. They discuss the progress that autonomous vehicles have made over the past few years, where automakers including Tesla and General Motors stand in the race, and how autonomous vehicles could deploy on a large scale. Two notes: (i) that Tesla’s market cap is $800 billion, and (ii) Travis meant to include Uber in his autonomous driving stock basket. Companies discussed: TSLA, GM, INTC, MBLY, UBER, BIDU, GOOG, GOOGL. Host - Ricky Mulvey; Guest - Travis Hoium