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Political commentator Mike Indian looks at the energy price cap increase and the general rise in the cost of living, as well as the Government's attempts to ameliorate the effects of inflation in an era of rampant political short-termism. He examines the waning popularity of Boris Johnson and asks if the PM can survive, feeling the May local elections could prove crucial. And he turns his attention to the Ukraine, wondering if Russia is merely sabre-rattling or if Putin is seriously considering an invasion.

Share Radio's technology editor Steve Caplin discusses the success of the online game Wordle, just bought by the New York Times. The Royal Mail will be adding QR codes to stamps to show videos, rendering all existing stamps obsolete. Horse riders will soon be able to learn to ride using a smart saddle while there are proposals to make electric scooters safer by getting them to emit the noise of a cymbal followed by that of a tuba. There's a wetsuit to protect swimmers from sharks and Tesla has yet more problems with recalls and hacking.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked about his company doubling down on gaming, which should give gamers and investors pause. Tim Beyers analyzes not only the impressive 2nd-quarter results but the overall health of Microsoft's business and how much room to run the gaming division has. He also discusses Mattel's renewed partnership with Disney, and what investors need to understand about F5's place in the cloud industry. Plus, Olivia Zitkus and Keith Speights discuss how Pfizer, Moderna, and Abbott Laboratories are investing the money they've earned from Covid-19-related sales, and whether one is doing a better job of it than the others. Our free Investing Starter Kit includes 15 stocks and 5 ETFs. For a copy just go to http://fool.com/StarterKit Stocks: MSFT, ATVI, MAT, DIS, HAS, FFIV, SNOW, MDB, PFE, MRNA, ABT

Most investors are not as smart as they thought they were a year ago. Fortunately, they're also not as dumb as they feel today. Morgan Housel, author of the international best-selling book “The Psychology of Money” joins Motley Fool co-founder Tom Gardner on to discuss investing behavior and why it is the most fundamental piece of your investing success. They also talk about how you can think about your cash position and how to mentally prepare for down markets. For a free copy of our investing “Starter Kit,” visit http://fool.com/starterkit and we’ll email it to you. Stocks: NFLX, SHOP

It’s almost crunch time for our energy bills, with the new price cap that will kick in from 1 April due to be announced in just over a week. At that point those on variable rate price cap-linked tariffs will know how much their bills will rise by – a figure that’s widely expected to be 50%. But the worst of the bill shock pain will be felt by others, those with fixed rate deals cheaper than the current price cap but that are soon due to end. So, can people on either variable or fixed deals do anything to stop their bills soaring? Is there any merit in trying to fix? And what should we do to help the households for whom this will be not just another blow from the cost of living crunch, but a shove into fuel poverty? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert talk through the options for Britons facing soaring energy bills and the government and industry in trying to deal with them. Plus, with Simon one of those people whose fix is imminently ending – in the middle of March – what are the options that his energy supplier Octopus has presented him with, and which one is he going to take? He talks us through that. Also on this week’s podcast, the team talk through the stock market wobble, the US growth vs rising rates conundrum, and the suggestions that it might be UK shares time to shine. And finally, Nationwide has at last raised savings rates – only a week before the Bank of England is forecast to deliver another rate rise – but will savers be cheered or disappointed?

Adam Cox is joined by Senior Behavioural Scientist for CoachHub, Windy Tshepiso Maledu, to discuss why so many Brits make New Year's resolutions but fail to stick to them. She explains why personal goals are important, both at work and in personal life, and how CoachHub helps people improve in the workplace. https://www.coachhub.com/en/

Adam Cox is joined by Rory O'Sullivan, from award-winning Martin Miller’s Gin, for Ginuary to talk all things Gin. They discuss how the gin industry has changed over the last 2 years and what to look out for when choosing a gin. Rory also gives some great tips and tricks to recreate bar standard drinks at home. https://www.martinmillersgin.com/

Adam Cox takes an in-depth look at attitude to risk, recognising that undue caution can undermine confidence and hold you back from taking opportunities. In particular, moving away from steady, paid employment can present a major challenge to people's search for fulfillment: but is staying put when you feel the need to move on based on a rational risk assessment? Adam suggests exploring a different approach to discernment: either you win or you learn.

Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, explains why markets are so highly volatile at present, producing the worst start to the year since the financial crisis as QE is about to give way to QT (Quantitative Tightening). She points out that investors should try not to get emotional but to review their portfolio. Indeed, if companies you considered attractive only recently are now much cheaper, perhaps it could prove a bargain-hunting opportunity.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University asks whether we are seeing the end of the second great age of globalisation and wonders how the future will be different. With the Tories in free fall, he ponders whether there are still divisions within Labour. And he reflects on the way inflation is calculated and how it may not reflect the experience of the less well-off.