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Adam Cox is joined by Alison Bull, a Family Mediator and Lawyer from Mills & Reeve, to delve into the objectives of Family Mediation Week and its intended outcomes. They explore the advantages of opting for a mediator over the traditional court process, offering insights for couples seeking legal guidance while aiming to avoid courtroom proceedings. Additionally, the discussion provides advice for individuals looking to navigate settlements independently, without the involvement of a solicitor or mediator. https://www.mills-reeve.com/

People increasingly resort to 'Alter Ego's to develop a resilient or 'tough guy' persona: possibly resulting from criticism in childhood or difficult experiences in adolescence. Being true to oneself calls for having the internal resources to build emotional resilience, for developing coping strategies to deal with those difficult times. Using analogies and metaphors, Adam Cox looks through those facades to find a resilience based on honesty.

In a bumper box office week, James Cameron-Wilson finds the musical reboot of 2004's Mean Girls (#1), dull and lacking fizz, despite Tina Fey's script. Like Simon Rose, he adores Poor Things (#3) from The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos, with Emma Stone getting one of 11 Oscar nominations. It's odd, extraordinarily original and visually and aurally glorious. Simon praised The Holdovers, with Paul Giamatti one of 5 nominees, at #6 from Sideways director. #7 is so-bad-it's-good thriller The Beekeeper with Jason Statham, while George Clooney's The Boys In The Boat has sunk to #14. A true Depression-era sporting tale, Simon and James both loved it. James also gave a round-up of the Oscar nominations and who he expects to triumph on the night.

Neil Shah returns to the subject of 4imprint after their year-end update. This well-run company making marketing promotional goods in the US surprised on the upside. Efficient and responsible, they are at a discount to a sensible price. He also looks at Telecom Plus, trading as Utility Warehouse, which provides all your utilities in a single service, using economies of scale to get the best deal for their customers, some of whom become evangelists for the company. This well-positioned business with a good model for growth should continue to expand and has a stickier clientele than the comparison sites.

Steve Caplin digs up the latest from the world of tech. There's a Segway-style two-wheeled wheelchair which rises to the upright position, electric all-terrain skis, a prototype car whose 90-degree-turning wheels enable perfect parking, binoculars that tell you what bird or animal you are looking at, a Stylophone Theremin almost as good as the real thing, a crash-test-dummy hedgehog to train lawnmowers to recognise them, an Elon Musk robot video that didn't quite show what it claimed, a drone disguised as a eagle, the problem of cars getting wider, a Nikon camera for pregnant cows and a new way of choosing wines.

Huge disparities in wealth lie at the heart of most of humanity's problems, including conflict. The route towards participation for all relies on respect for others, however different, and individual freedom: then the respective needs of adults and young people can be met through 'Stock for Data' and inter-generational rebalancing. Here's a summary report from Share Alliance and The Share Foundation of progress in both these areas over the past year. Background music: 'Hopeful Freedom' by Asher Fulero

The Government wants us to get heat pumps fitted in our homes and it's offering up to £7,500 for us to do so. Now Worcester Bosch is bumping that up by an extra £2,500 - if you pick one of theirs of course. But with the devices cost between £8,000 to £30,000 to buy and fit, would it tempt you? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Lee Boyce reveal all... and talk the 'boiler tax'. Is inflation back on the rise? How worried should we be by the latest figures? And where next for interest rates? And millions face a big price hike for their mobile and broadband from March. Isn't it time these inflation-busting mid-contract increases were banned? Also, following campaigning by This is Money for years for fair treatment for parents who do not qualify for child benefit, parents denied state pension credits WILL get them. Tanya Jefferies explains all you need to know. Tanya also talks about a bungled handover to a new administrator that has left BAE Systems retirees suffering drastic cuts of up to 50% in their pensions. And Crane is on the Case, this time over a robot vacuum cleaner...

Big-time institutions are jumping into newly-approved Bitcoin spot ETFs, and that could create trouble for some of the bigger players in crypto. Jason Moser and Matt Argersinger discuss why there’s so much cash sitting on the sidelines right now, and why it may or may not work back into the market, Blackrock and Fidelity getting in on the newly available Bitcoin spot ETFs, and how they could create problems for Coinbase, and earnings updates from industry leaders Prologis, Taiwan Semiconductor, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. Then, 19 minutes in, best-selling Author Dan Pink takes ideas from his books and applies them to the modern topics of AI, employee motivation, and what the modern office is really for in an increasingly hybrid world. Finally, 32 minutes in, Jason and Matt break down two stocks on their radar: Globus Medical and RPM International. Stocks discussed: IBIT, FBTC, COIN, PYPL, PLD, TSMC, MS, GS, RPM, GMED. Host - Dylan Lewis; Guests - Jason Moser, Matt Argersinger, Dan Pink, Shannon Jones

Ricky Mulvey caught up with Jules van Binsbergen, a finance professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, to talk about market sentiment, savings goals, and how to prepare for periods with lower rates of return. They also discuss disconnects between the real economy and financial markets, whether the US stock market is merely a “lucky survivor”, and the dangers of institutional thinking – in investing and academia. Tickers discussed: NOK, BTC. Host - Ricky Mulvey; Guest - Jules van Binsbergen

Adam Cox is joined by Rob Sherry and Katie Smith, the Co-founders of The Jump Digital School, to explore the potential for a lucrative and fulfilling career in the tech industry, emphasising its accessibility to individuals regardless of their current skill level or background. The discussion delves into the feasibility of individuals without existing digital skills becoming successful software developers and the diverse career paths that retrained individuals may pursue. The trio also sheds light on optimal approaches to learning software development and outlines the qualifications one might consider pursuing to advance their career in the field. https://www.thejump.tech/