Share Sounds.

Rishi Sunak's call for tolerance in Downing Street on Friday 1st March was couched in terms of hard work and endeavour, which are generally associated with self-interest; but what's really needed is convergence based on generosity of spirit, starting with tolerance and journeying through respect for others, no matter how different they are, towards unconditional love. Background music: 'Resolution' by Wayne Jones

The debacle over widespread errors in the state pension that This is Money and Sir Steve Webb uncovered, continues. As of the end of October last year, DWP had paid out just under half a billion pounds to more than 80,000 people who’ve been underpaid. But what about those who have died? Tanya Jefferies, Lee Boyce, Angharad Carrick and Georgie Frost reveal the case where a letter was sent to the daughter of an 100 year-old man three years after he passed away, stating he had been unpaid state pension for two decades. Yet, despite the letter – months later, she was left hanging on what the DWP was actually going to do about it. And still on the state pension front, people continue to complain of top-ups chaos as the Government gets ready to launch a new online service next month. Sir Steve is calling on DWP and HMRC to get in more staff. You don’t need HMRC to have more staff to answer your call, oh no! You just need to be a VIP. Apparently there is a helpline, also known as Public Department 1 (PD1) which answers calls nine times quicker. We explain more. On the savings front, the FCA is launching a campaign to encourage savers to shop around – and if you rushed to sign up for a one-year fixed-rate cash Isa this time in 2023, Lee explains why you must act. Optional and mandatory service charges at hospitality venues – Georgie, Ang and Lee give their verdict. And finally, the price of bitcoin jumped beyond $60,000 this week. What’s behind the latest cryptocurrency surge?

The AI race heats up with Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Google Gemini’s rough week. And Salesforce joins Meta in the Big Tech dividend club. Jason Moser and Matt Argersinger discuss Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman, Apple putting an end to Project Titan and its automotive ambitions, and earnings updates from Axon and Okta, and a new dividend from Salesforce. Then, 19 minutes in, Motley Fool Money’s Deidre Woollard caught up with analyst Karl Thiel about the role of patents in pharmaceuticals, and the dreaded patent cliff looming for roughly 200 big-time drugs over the next decade. Finally, 33 minutes in, Jason and Matt break down two stocks on their radar: Palo Alto Networks and eBay. Stocks discussed: TSLA, AAPL, GOOG, GOOGL, AXON, OKTA, CRM, PANW, EBAY. Host - Dylan Lewis; Guests - Jason Moser, Matt Argersinger, Deidre Woollard, Karl Thiel

Warren Buffett’s annual letter points to a steady path ahead. Jason Moser and Deidre Woollard discuss why Berkshire Hathaway doesn’t pay a dividend, if utility businesses are in trouble, and what a mountain of cash means for the insurance business. Then, 18 minutes in, Ken Costa, author of The $100 Trillion Dollar Wealth Transfer, explains how a sea change in wealth could impact the world’s financial future. Companies discussed: BRK.A, BRK.B, DPZ, LULU. Host - Deidre Woollard; Guests - Jason Moser, Ken Costa

To what extent is fear real, and to what extent is it an illusion? Childhood is often conditioned with constant reminders of what could go wrong, with fear being used as a primary way of controlling behaviour. However this can lead into continual anxiety about potential negative consequences as an adult, handicapping our ability to live life to the full. Imagination often amplifies fear: Adam Cox helps to put it into perspective in this episode. Image: Wikimedia

Adam Cox is joined by Lucy Ketley from ATG Access to address the escalating car theft crisis in the UK, where incidents of stolen vehicles have reached unprecedented levels. They explore simple preventive measures the public can take to deter thieves and discuss more comprehensive solutions for enhanced car protection. Lucy also clarifies whether the risk of theft primarily affects expensive cars or if lower-value vehicles are also vulnerable to such incidents. https://atgaccess.com/

James Cameron-Wilson on the UK cinema scene, still dominated by Bob Marley: One Love at #1 with a total of £11.3m in 2 weeks. He was disappointed by Wicked Little Letters at #2. Set in a 20s village, it sees the like of Olivia Colman and Timothy Spall overacting and overswearing in a piece of annoying whimsy. At #6 is the NT Live production of Vanya, with Andrew Scott playing multiple characters. Without boning up beforehand, James found it somewhat baffling. He loved the beautifully-restored home video disc of Stanley Kubrick's 1957 anti-war film Paths of Glory, starring Kirk Douglas. As powerful as ever, it comes with some fantastic bonus material.

Steve Caplin delves into the world of tech. The once officially-secret BT Tower has been sold to a hotel group. The Odysseus lunar lander fell over because somebody forgot to turn a switch back on. A new ride will give you longer in space for less money. Google has had to pause AI images of people again because of bias. Helicopters could soon be much simpler to fly. A Brazilian company has found a way to sterilise mosquitoes en masse. A robot bed vacuum will get rid of your dust mites. An armchair can expand into a 2- or 3-seater sofa. And Tesla is shamed online into paying for the thousands of pies it ordered then cancelled.

Russ Mould of A J Bell looks ahead to the full year results of the UK's insurance companies. While a valid short cut could be to think of the life companies in particular as bond proxies, he explains more sophisticated ways of assessing them as investment prospects. He points out that the life companies have some very high yields, but investors must consider if these compensate for the risks and complexities. He also goes through the considerations to mull for the less high-yielding non-life companies.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University turns his eyes skyward to marvel at the boom in private space enterprise, with the space industry now worth around $400bn. He finds it a source of optimism, feeling that it will be transformative in the future with great benefit for mankind. He is shocked by research showing that the true NHS waiting list figure is not 7m, which measures people waiting for their first treatment, but something approaching 20m. This, despite the fact that 40% of all government spending goes on the NHS. Lastly, he looks at the financial stresses of the Eurozone, with the Bundesbank losing money and its reserves collapsing. While the Euro may look a success, he says, there are serious fissures and fractures in the system.