Share Sounds

Wages are up, but inflation is — the same. What does it all mean for mortgage rates, the state pension, benefits and the economy generally? One thing we know won’t be affected by the latest figure is income tax bands. Just how much is the big freeze – AKA fiscal drag - going to cost us? That’s on the agenda for Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost this week as the latest CPI reading stuck at 6.7%. At the start of the year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set the target to halve inflation by the end of 2023. And it was looking promising. But this latest inflation figures might have thrown a bit of spanner into the works. What’s going on at Royal Mail? Some households say they are only receiving their post once a week. Hospital appointment letters, birthday cards, parcels and important bills have all gone missing in delays caused by a staffing crisis. In Brighton, households say they’re receiving mail as infrequently as just once a fortnight. Picking an estate agent to sell your home is so important. A good agent will make finding your buyer seem like a breeze. Choose the wrong one and it can cause untold stress, drag the whole process out and you could end up being forced to reduce your asking price and ultimately sell for less. So how do you pick a good ‘un? And just what is gazundering – and why is it back with a vengeance? The new Tesla Model 3 arrives on our fair shores in January - but how much will it cost and is it any good? If it proves to be out of your budget range what about Citroen's new e-C3, set to start from around £17,000. And — range anxiety is real: so would you take an EV on a continental road trip? Paul Barker, motoring journalist of decades, gave it a go and diarised it for you.

Can Elon Musk build a $30,000 EV that everyone wants to drive? Tim Beyers and Deidre Woollard discuss Tesla’s compressing margins, robots with brains and Tesla’s take on the AI universe, and how Netflix is becoming a global television network. Then, 22 minutes in, Deidre Woollard interviews real estate industry insider Greg Robertson on the impact of lawsuits against the National Association of Realtors. Companies discussed: TSLA, NFLX, RDFN, RMAX, HOUS. Host - Deidre Woollard; Guests - Tim Beyers, Greg Robertson

Nearly two years after the initial announcement, Microsoft has completed the largest deal in tech history. Ricky Mulvey and Asit Sharma discuss what got Microsoft across the finish line for its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, an unexpected winner in the deal, the latest memo from Howard Marks, “Further Thoughts on Sea Change”, and the case for credit investing, and a bond fund yielding 9%. Plus, 15 minutes in, Robert Brokamp and Alison Southwick answer listener questions about money market funds, 401(k) rollovers, and automated investing. Companies/Funds mentioned: MSFT, LULU, USHY. Hosts - Ricky Mulvey, Alison Southwick; Guests - Asit Sharma, Robert Brokamp

Adam Cox is joined by Chand Chudasama from Price Bailey Chartered Accountants to explore the issue of the unclear extension of the sunset clauses for EIS (Enterprise Investment Scheme) and VCT (Venture Capital Trust) schemes. These schemes have played a crucial role in fostering the growth of the UK AI Tech industry. Chand sheds light on the concerns that might arise if these schemes were to come to an end and why there's hesitancy in announcing extensions, which is already impacting investments. Additionally, they delve into the potential long-term economic implications of this situation. https://www.pricebailey.co.uk/

Neil Shah of Edison Group looks at the possible ramifications of the Middle East crisis which, if it continues, could mean higher oil prices, a less optimistic picture for inflation and a boost for safe havens, perhaps with tech stocks stuffering. He points out that it's a binary switch, with the opposite happening if the situation improves. He also talks about the Abrdn UK Smaller Growth Trust. Despite a difficult year, the managers are sticking to their policy of holding quality stocks for the long term. It stands at a 14% discount to asset value and offers a 2.8% yield. There are more details in a note on the Edison website.

James Cameron-Wilson reviews the latest UK box office where the Taylor Swift concert film, The Eras Tour, sweeps everything before it with a massive £5.7m take, making it the highest-ever event release in the UK, just on its first weekend. James was disappointed by The Miracle Club (#9) despite Laura Linney and Maggie Smith. Simon Rose caught up with Blackberry, finding it one of the best business movies he's seen. On Netflix, James was full of praise for hedge-fund-set Fair Play, an intense and emotional drama, with Phoebe Dynevor a talent on the rise.

Steve Caplin dazzles Simon Rose with the latest tech news. NASA are using SpaceX to visit an asteroid worth $10 quadrillion. Twitter is to introduce an annual fee, but only in 2 countries. Amazon say they'll be delivering by drone by the end of next year. Adobe have developed a dress that changes pattern. Japanese scientists have discovered that drinking alcohol-free drinks reduces your alcoholic intake. There's a flat-pack electric car for €10,000. And a bricklaying robot will be able to lay 300 masonry blocks an hour, with no need for any tea breaks.

Political commentator Mike Indian reflects upon the Prime Minister's visit to Israel and the UK reaction to the delicate situation, feeling that this is Sunak's first test on the world stage. After attending the Labour Party conference, he feels that, for the first time in a long time, Labour feel like a party expecting to be in government soon. And, on the day of two by-elections, he wonders if the Prime Minister will call the General Election earlier than he has to.

Unbridled revenge just leads to an escalation of the cycle of violence: in a world which possesses such an arsenal for mass destruction, we have to learn how to deal with national insecurity in ways which promote rather than destroy international harmony. In this episode of Share Radio's Thought for the Week, we set out realistic routes by which this can be achieved. Background music: 'Sarabande' by Joel Cummins

Aggression very often arises from insecurity, as the desire to take an imagined reality of absolute control seeks to level the playing field: as if strength and dominance might provide a solution. It never does, in the long run. The route forward is by building personal responsibility and self-discipline, and Adam Cox helps to build this new outlook on life in this episode, rejecting 'the warrior' as the route to power and showing how to dispel intrusive, obsessive thoughts about seizing control.