Share Sounds.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves presents her first Budget on Wednesday 30th October after a major spending review. Her election commitments on tax rates and the priority she has given to restoring growth will limit the scope for raising further revenues, but there's plenty of room for re-balancing health spending by introducing mandatory health insurance for wealthy old folk. The balance between what comes in and what goes out is a struggle for almost all western democracies: in the United States, debt interest accounts for 76% of income tax receipts. In the UK it's 36%: still high, and that's notwithstanding the impact of frozen tax thresholds causing higher receipts, which would act to reduce that percentage. Background music: 'People Watching' by Sir Cubworth

How well do you manage your money? Where would you rate your budgeting, saving, investing and pension efforts in marks out of ten? It's not often that we think about these things but mulling them over and making improvements where needed and patting yourself on the back when deserved, is a major step on the road to financial success. Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert dial down the noise of the news and dive into how we can manage our money better instead. They discuss tips on how to budget, how to boost your savings and returns, how easy or complicated investing should be, and why a pension is the best and easiest way to get rich. They also share an honest look at their own money management and finances, revealing what they do well, what they just about get by at — and the mistakes they make. Plus, when should you decide to get the professionals in and seek financial advice or financial planning? Simon and Georgie discuss that and the costs. And financial planner Dan Beecroft, of Charles Stanley, joins the show to talk about why people seek financial advice and the questions they ask.

This is Money recently welcomed Sir Steve Webb for a special episode where he answered listeners' questions on everything you need to know about pensions. In this excerpt, Steve and Simon Lambert discuss whether you should invest in a work pension or Sipp - and how to make the most of them.

OpenAI is projected to lose $5 billion this year. And, yet: it just keeps raising money. Jim Gillies and Mary Long discuss OpenAI’s $157 billion valuation, the port strike’s potentially positive impact on two auto parts makers, and changing tastes in the beverage market. Then, 16 minutes in, Asit Shama and Ricky Mulvey test out a new rating system on Costco stock. Companies discussed: ALV, GTX, STZ, COST, BJ, WMT. Host - Mary Long; Guests - Jim Gillies, Asit Sharma, Ricky Mulvey

Driverless vehicles are already here, even if they’ve made some wrong terms. Motley Fool contributor Travis Hoium joined Ricky Mulvey to check in on some companies leading the way on autonomous vehicles. They discuss the progress that autonomous vehicles have made over the past few years, where automakers including Tesla and General Motors stand in the race, and how autonomous vehicles could deploy on a large scale. Two notes: (i) that Tesla’s market cap is $800 billion, and (ii) Travis meant to include Uber in his autonomous driving stock basket. Companies discussed: TSLA, GM, INTC, MBLY, UBER, BIDU, GOOG, GOOGL. Host - Ricky Mulvey; Guest - Travis Hoium

It's Menopause Awareness Month! Adam Cox is joined by Marva Williams, Formulator, Menopause Coach and Counsellor & Shhh… Menopause Founder. They discuss her story with menopause and how it led her to found Shhh... Menopause. https://shhhmenopausewellness.com/

Adam Cox is joined by Lucy Diamond, a specialist dietitian who has been a part of new research regarding fatigue. A new study by Lift Activ Energy Boost has revealed that 71% of Brits admit to feeling more fatigued than 5 years ago. https://liftglucose.com/

Adam Cox is joined by Dominic Grinstead & Richard Horner from MetLife. With the number of sick days that we take on the rise and 1 in 10 hospital admissions being the result of things such as trips and falls, it’s clear that we need to consider what support we have in times of need. Dominic and Richard talk to Adam about their 'Everyday Risk Report' and its findings. https://www.metlife.co.uk/

Imagine if you could reach into your wardrobe and select whatever emotional resource state you wished, in the same way as choosing what to wear? This episode draws on theories of behavioural psychology which enable a degree of self-control so that you can, for example, choose when to be fearless or when to have a high level of confidence. Needless to say, this is not just personal: marketeers use it deliberately to create an anchor designed to maximise their promotions.

Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the surprisingly upbeat tone at the Conservative Party conference. He takes Simon Rose through the four leadership contenders, explaining who he thinks will be the pair party members will vote on. He also talks about the interventions of three former leaders, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson. Turning to the controversy about freebies given to Labour ministers, he considers the ethics of lobbying. While feeling Keir Starmer is right to return £6,000 of gifts, the PM must address the giving of gifts, as well as tackling MPs' second jobs and the issue of Sue Gray.