Switch Your Money On

It’s a question we’ve all heard and possibly asked ourselves when discussing money: why weren’t we taught this at school? Well in this episode, we’ll be covering some of the tactics you as a parent can take to speak to your kids. From the weekly shop, to pocket money, managing online payments, and budgeting, we’ll cover off some the tactics you need to know to raise financially savvy kids.This podcast isn’t personal advice. If you’re unsure what’s right for you or the child, seek financial advice. Pension, ISA and tax rules can change, and benefits depend on personal circumstances. Investments can fall as well as rise in value, so the child could get back less than you invest.

In this episode, Emma and Matt discuss the launch of a landmark industry campaign to help people build their confidence in investing. They discuss some of the reasons that people are held back from wanting to get invested, whether they think it’s something that’s not for them, or they lack confidence. The new character - following 4 decades after the famous ‘Tell Sid’ advertising campaign of the 1980s - launched last week, and over the coming year we’ll all be getting to know the new investing mascot: Savvy the Squirrel.Later, a discussion on inflation data, the latest from the Middle East, and a lookahead to some of the major retail sector results.This podcast was recorded on April 27 2026 and all information was correct at the time of recording.Nothing in this podcast is personal advice – you should seek advice if you’re unsure what’s right for you. Investments rise and fall in value, so you could get back less than you invest. And past performance is not a guide to the future.

As the new tax year gets underway, this is as good a time as any to take stock of your finances and your future. Retirement planning should be high on the list for you, so today Helen and Clare are answering some of your top pensions questions.We’ll be covering everything from pension transfers to retirement options, and what happens to your pension when you pass away.This podcast isn’t personal advice. If you’re unsure what’s right for you, seek financial advice. Pension and tax rules can change, and benefits depend on personal circumstances. Investments can fall as well as rise in value, so you could get back less than you invest.

Commodity prices - oil, gold, bond markets - have moved around a lot during recent weeks of market volatility. But in this episode, Emma and Matt discuss whether markets are choosing to actually ignore the conflict, and see a path through to normalisation. US markets are actually up for the year to date, so are we seeing optimism about a path to peace?Matt also explains some of the recent movements made by the so-called Magnificent 7 - Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta, and Tesla - and why some have been starting to question whether they are feeling more like the Lag 7?This podcast was recorded on April 15 2026 and all information was correct at the time of recording.Nothing in this podcast is personal advice – you should seek advice if you’re unsure what’s right for you. Investments rise and fall in value, so you could get back less than you invest. And past performance is not a guide to the future.

The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year. It’s important because many of the most valuable savings and investing benefits are tied to this annual cycle, including ISA allowances and pension tax relief. When the tax year ends, those allowances reset – and the majority of unused allowances don’t roll over. In this episode, Helen and Clare highlight some of the trends we are currently seeing to help inform what people do in this new tax year.We’ll discuss some of the changes to allowances and tax rates that are taking place or coming up in the near future, and look back on how some of these have changed in recent years.This podcast isn’t personal advice. If you’re unsure what’s right for you, seek financial advice. Pension and tax rules can change, and benefits depend on personal circumstances. Investments can fall as well as rise in value, so you could get back less than you invest.

As we find you looking ahead to a restful Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, there will be some amongst you that are still looking to make the most of your annual investment allowance. In this episode, Matt and Emma share three funds and three shares that you may want to consider as part of a balanced portfolio.And if you’re not ready to invest right now, either because of uncertainty in the current market conditions, or because you’re just not sure, well there’s still time to at least use those allowances by putting cash in, and making a decision later on what to invest in. But don’t wait too long because, as we always say, time in the market is always better than timing the market.This podcast was recorded on March 30 2026 and all information was correct at the time of recording.Nothing in this podcast is personal advice – you should seek advice if you’re unsure what’s right for you. Investments rise and fall in value, so you could get back less than you invest. And past performance is not a guide to the future.For more investment ideas, visit our website at News & Insights

With inheritance tax receipts set to deliver another record-breaking payday for the Treasury, it’s a tax that fills miles of column inches, but only actually affects 1 in 20 of estates. So with more people concerned about the tax than ever have to pay it, we delve into some of the myths, facts and misunderstandings around IHT.We talk about the rules around gifting while you’re still alive, life insurance, the importance of wills, and how inheritance will be divided in the absence of one.This podcast isn’t personal advice. If you’re unsure what’s right for you, seek financial advice. Pension and tax rules can change, and benefits depend on personal circumstances. Investments can fall as well as rise in value, so you could get back less than you invest.

The conflict in Iran continues to drive volatility in markets, driven mostly by the price of oil. Despite our base case assumption that the war will last weeks, not years, markets are trying to weigh up whether there will be high inflation, a slowdown in economic growth, or in extreme circumstances recession.It remains the case, that if you hold a well-balanced portfolio, aligned to your long-term goals, then the best thing to do right now is, generally, nothing.But what if you don’t already have diversification built into your portfolio? We’ve been looking at what types of investments add resilience, in times of market shock.This podcast was recorded on March 16 2026 and all information was correct at the time of recording.Nothing in this podcast is personal advice – you should seek advice if you’re unsure what’s right for you. Investments rise and fall in value, so you could get back less than you invest. And past performance is not a guide to the future.

Benjamin Franklin famously said there’s only two things that are certain in life: death and taxes. But although tax is a part of life, it doesn’t have to be something that just happens to you. With smart planning, you can avoid some costly traps.When your income goes up, you need to step up your planning too. With tax thresholds having been frozen in the UK since 2021/22, the number of people paying the higher rate of tax has risen by 2.65m since that time.We talk about some of the taxation pitfalls, and ways that you can maximise your pensions and ISA allowances to make the most of your earnings.This podcast isn’t personal advice. If you’re unsure what’s right for you, seek financial advice. Pension and tax rules can change, and benefits depend on personal circumstances. Investments can fall as well as rise in value, so you could get back less than you invest.