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The state pension is getting a boost this week, meaning many pensioners will see their payments go above £200 per week or £10,000 per year for the first time. The Government has also recently announced that it is delaying a decision on hiking up the state pension age to 68 until after the next election – perhaps influenced by protests across the channel. Pension commentators said move would be 'incredibly unpopular', and likely 'political suicide'. Governments don’t like to upset retirees because they vote in high numbers — but maintaining the status quo is incredibly expensive. Has something ultimately got to give when it comes to the state pension age and maintaining the triple lock? Georgie Frost is joined by Tanya Jefferies and Helen Crane to discuss. We also look at one lucky This is Money reader who is getting an even bigger rise, seeing his pension go up by more than 16%. It sounds like great news — but he is wondering whether it means he has been short-changed in the past. Elsewhere, research this week has shown Britons are still dragging their feet when it comes to making a will. The team looks at why it’s important, how to do it — and why it isn’t just about money. Also, E-Toro’s Sam North provides the latest update on the markets as we head into the long weekend. We also discuss why broadband companies have been able to get away with ignoring instructions from regulator Ofcom to make switching easier for customers. It told them two years ago that they needed to make it possible to swap providers in just one day — so why are most of us still left languishing without an internet connection for up to two weeks? Finally, do you fancy a sabbatical from work to travel? Some big firms are offering the extended time off as a perk to long-serving staff — but would your boss let you go, and how would you afford it?

If you clean out your closet once in a while, consider doing the same with your investment portfolio. Ron Gross and Jason Moser discuss stocks investors should consider trimming like hedges, two stocks to throw out altogether, stocks that spark joy (a la Marie Kondo), investments poised for a comeback, why Visa, Mastercard, and Berkshire-Hathaway are good stocks for a rainy day, and actual cleaning tips! Then, 19 minutes in, Motley Fool senior analyst Bill Mann talks with Howard Marks, co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, about China’s effect on inflation in the U.S. and the winners and losers in a world of higher interest rates. Stocks discussed: FIVE, DG, DLTR, OLLI, ZG, UA, COST, CDNS, XBI, PYPL, SQ, BRK, V, MA. Host - Chris Hill; Guests - Jason Moser, Ron Gross, Bill Mann, Howard Marks

There are no style points in investing, and big brands continue to dominate teen spending habits. Dylan Lewis and Nick Sciple discuss Piper Sandler’s Generation Z survey about brands and spending, tailwinds for Ulta Beauty, Spotify, and Nike, investing in resale companies, and how the competitive landscape shifted for upstart brands. Also, 11 minutes in, Ricky Mulvey and Sanmeet Deo look at two health trends for investors to watch. Companies discussed: NKE, SPOT, LULU, ULTA, WINA, TSX: ATZ, LTH, XPOF. Host - Dylan Lewis; Guests - Nick Sciple, Sanmeet Deo

Adam Cox is joined by Wendy K Laidlaw, bestselling author and endometriosis expert, to discuss how endometriosis can affect suffers and how her own journey led her to develop the 'Laidlaw Protocols.' Wendy also speaks on her booked and training academy. www.healendometriosisnaturally.com

Adam Cox develops a metaphorical story into this intriguing episode: ambiguities that don't make sense but may fit together as a route to creating meaning and progress. Enigmatic? Possibly. Worth a listen? Definitely.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University believes that the UK joining the Trans Pacific Partnership could be a massive boost for the country in the coming years. With Sanna Marin losing her role as Finnish PM, he considers the country's geopolitics and why the country is so impressive militarily. And he looks at the achievements of Lord Nigel Lawson following his death and the extraordinary impact he had on British politics and the economy.

James Cameron-Wilson tells Simon Rose how surprised he was by Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (the 29th Hasbro movie spinoff), finding it very funny and bursting with imagination. Still recommending Allelujah he also liked gritty drama The Wife And Her Househusband (a very limited release) and YouTube short film Two Strangers Who Meet Five Times. His home video release of the month is the surreal Oscar-nominated EO, which looks at our world through the eyes of a donkey.

Tech obsessive Steve Caplin demonstrates to Simon Rose just how impressive text-to-speech has become and why AI should really be AGI. There's the UK's first self-driving bus, why cars with damaged batteries must be scrapped, Paris banning e-scooters, AI suggesting how your home can be redecorated, the noises plants make if they are stressed, how you can insulate your home with coconut & lemon and a crowdfunded punchbag – that fights back.

The climax of the Easter story, for those of a Christian persuasion, is resurrection: something which should concern us all, because we're all going to die one day — and this is about life after death. Drawing on reason and logic, and referencing great intellectual thinkers throughout history, Revd. Canon Rosie Harper contributes her thoughts to help you make sense of it all. Background music: 'Erev Shel Shoshanim' by E's Jammy Jams Image source: BBC Share Radio webpage for links & text https://www.shareradio.co.uk/thinkingaloud/newsletters/comment-wc-2023-04-03/

Just when you thought the cost of living crisis was meant to be on its way out another round of bill hikes are hitting. From council tax to mobile bills, seemingly every organisation wants another piece of your bank account - and some of the rises are even higher than inflation. Is there anything you can do about it? Could a bit of switching, planning and another round of cutting back on energy usage, shave some money off? And is there light at the end of the tunnel? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert look at what's going up and how to fight it. Meanwhile, do you know how much tax you pay and are you in the firing line for Britain's worst tax traps? Ben Laidler of eToro delivers the latest update on the markets, after a much better week than the banking shakeout delivered last week. Plus — if you haven't done it yet, what can you do to sort your ISA?