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Tens of millions of workers contribute to 401(k)s, thanks to a benefits consultant who got creative with a 1978 law. That consultant, Ted Benna, joins us to talk about how he came up with the idea, how he got Uncle Sam’s seal of approval, and the ways that Wall Street have abused the 401(k). He also discusses his new book, “401(k)s and IRAs for Dummies,” including why he thinks Roths are over-sold and his recommendations for retirement plans for small business and the self-employed.

The US inflation rate rises to a 39-year high. Pet supply retailer Chewy tumbles on earnings. Costco rises on big 1st-quarter results. CVS hits an all-time high after its investor day presentation. Motley Fool analysts Emily Flippen and Ron Gross discuss those stories and weigh in on the latest from Lululemon Athletica, Rent the Runway, Stitch Fix, RH Holdings, Intel, Beyond Meat, Jack in the Box, and Shake Shack, Plus, our analysts share two stocks on their radar: Tyler Technologies and Accenture. And CFP Dan Messeca talks 401Ks and last-minute financial planning tips for investors.

As a 12th company in the Footsie this year announces a special dividend, Russ Mould of A J Bell calculates that these, taken together with cashbacks and regular dividends, have amounted to payouts of £105bn, putting the FTSE on around a 5% yield. With fewer IPOs and placings than usual and dividend cover approaching 2, he feels this ought to be supportive of the market, even if some investors might baulk at the oils, banks and miners that are the big payers.

James Cameron-Wilson looks at the UK box office, where Boxing Day arrives at #7 and the unimpressive Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City at #8. Joaquin Phoenix stars in the charming C'mon, C'mon which debuts at #15. James found much to admire in the 2-versions-for-one Blu-Ray release of the 1927 silent film The Love of Jeanne Ney, by Pandora Box director G W Pabst and also the 1949 Kirk Douglas film Champion.

Share Radio's tech guru Steve Caplin takes us through a selection of possible Christmas gifts, from the sublime to the ridiculous. Among them are gin that lights up, a Lego typewriter, a James Bond Scalextric set, a CO2 bike tyre inflator, a wooden DIY projector, LED candles, a Casio keyboard, the champion of Swiss Army knives, a Dyson that tells you about the dust it's gathered and a couple of tech games.

Political commentator Mike Indian looks at "Partygate" and the resignation of Allegra Stratton, as well as the fine over the refurbishment of the PM's Downing Street flat. With polls indicating a hung Parliament if there was a snap election, he asks what it would take for the PM to go. He considers the latest Covid rules and discusses how heavy they might get - could Christmas be cancelled again? And he puts the case for mandatory vaccination as an alternative to recurring shutdowns of society.

Adam Cox is joined by Jennifer White to discuss PETA's new Wool Free Winter campaign. They look at how, despite public misconception, wool is both environmentally unfriendly and cruel to the sheep who it is sheared from. Jennifer explains how PETA are encouraging the public to go wool free this year and gives some tips on alternative ways to keep warm.

Adam Cox is joined by Bobby Watkins, Managing Director of Arthr, to discuss the issue of the 'Home Office Hunch' and how we can look after our musculoskeletal health. They look at how working at home has affected Brits musculoskeletal health, and Bobby explains Arthr and how it helps those effected by arthritis.

We're all used to Quantitative Easing by central banks now, and the abundance of public money brought about by debt-fuelled economies: what a difference from the days of the Gold Standard and the rush to higher interest rates, supposedly intended to defend the currency and the banking system. But fear of money scarcity continues to be a very real issue for people, which can deter them from taking on risk in the form of investment or being entrepreneurial. In this episode Adam, Cox explores how fear can hold back people from being courageous - but is he right to draw a link between easy public money and personal risk appetite? We'll leave you to judge.

We’ve all felt it, that moment when you look at your bank balance and think ‘I’ve spent how much?’ But what if you looked at an entire lifetime’s worth of spending? What would the damage be and how painful would that number feel? According to a recent piece of research by Atom Bank, the cost of living an entire near 81-year lifetime in 2021 would be a whopping £1,543,834. That includes £169,159 spent on children, £266,742 on buying the average house and £69,793 on Christmases. The bank compared the figures to what the same lifetime would have cost at a 1971 snapshot, with £14,738 on children, £2,371 on the average house, and £4,177 on Christmases. Beyond highlighting just how much house prices have skyrocketed in 50 years – if they had only kept pace with standard inflation the average home would cost £38,000 – what does this tell us? On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert discuss that and why a snapshot like this – vaguely precise as it may be – can help us understand how inflation works and how it can drive up prices. Lee picks out the inflation across each decade to show that and Atom’s figures that see the cost of the average lifetime rise to £19.2million by 2071 sharpen the mind. Inflation is looking large again, but Omicron has made it look like a Bank of England interest rate hike may be back off the table this month. The team discuss that and whether the variant and restrictions to tackle it will cause more economic problems and what those with travel plans can do. Next up is the Great Resignation – another phenomenon thrust to the foreground by the pandemic – what’s going on, why are people quitting and should you stay or go to get a pay rise and better working conditions? And finally, is your home hotter than Lanzarote? It’s cold and frosty outside, but inside a surprising number of British homes it’s shorts and t-shirt weather.