Northern Rock lifts its 100 per cent guarantee

Regardless of which political party wins the UK general election on July 4, voters fear they will have to pay more taxes. Taxes are the crucial battleground in the run-up to polling day, and experts question whether manifesto pledges can be delivered without raising them. What aspects of our personal finances could be affected - and could a change of leadership potentially be beneficial for investors in UK stocks? In this episode, host Claer Barrett discusses what could happen next with Miranda Green, the FT’s deputy opinion editor; Nimesh Shah, chief executive of advisory firm Blick Rothenberg and Moira O’Neill, an FT investing columnist. Clips: LBC, Labour Party

Links to articles mentioned in the show:

Blue Wall vulnerable to tactical voting as natural Conservatives turn against party

The hunt for good-value UK stocks

Wealthy foreigners step up plans to leave UK as taxes increase

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

If you would like to be a guest on a future episode of Money Clinic, email us at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. 

Want more?

Check out Claer’s column, What I wish I’d known before my smartphone was snatched.

Listen to more episodes, such as Tax cuts: will they or won’t they?, The bonus secrets of Financial Times readers, and more.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prepare to take a seat on the therapist’s couch and discover what your money habits say about you. In this episode, host Claer Barrett sits down with the UK’s first financial therapist, Vicky Reynal whose new book, Money on Your Mind: The Psychology Behind Your Financial Habits, aims to help people untangle problematic aspects of their relationship with money. They discuss the symbolic nature of money, what can make one person a spender and another a saver, and how equipping yourself with this knowledge can empower you to change negative behaviours around money.

Want more?

Check out Claer’s column, What I wish I’d known before my smartphone was snatched.

Listen to more episodes, such as Money and relationships: a crash course, Investment masterclass: The psychology of money, The high cost of being a wedding guest, and more.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

If you would like to be a guest on a future episode of Money Clinic, email us at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. 

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we talk about the relative value of our investments, PE ratios are never far away from the conversation - but what does this mean, and what exactly goes into this calculation? In the latest episode of our Five Minute Investor miniseries, FT consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges FT investment columnist Stuart Kirk to break down the ‘price’ and ‘earnings’ parts of the equation, and elucidate on other ways the PE ratio is used by investors to benchmark the relative value of different shares and other assets in their portfolio. 

Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of the Five Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Instagram and TikTok.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Want more?

Check out Claer’s column, Have you got five minutes to talk about investing?

Read Stuart Kirk’s latest Skin in the Game column for free.

Listen to Money Clinic’s Investment Masterclasses, such as Stuart Kirk has ‘skin in the game’, ‘Money is basically a fiction’, and more.

Disclaimer: The Money Clinic podcast is a general discussion about financial topics and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a string of companies preparing to launch stock market listings on both sides of the Atlantic, investors may be tempted to invest in an IPO. But when companies stage an initial public offering, what are the factors to consider? In our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges Rob Armstrong, co-host of FT’s Unhedged podcast and author of the Unhedged newsletter, to explain why companies go public, and the risks of getting carried away with investing on the first day of public trading.

Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of The Five-Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Instagram and TikTok.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Want more?

Listen to Unhedged wherever you get your podcasts, read Rob Armstrong’s latest Unhedged newsletter, and sign up to a free 30-day trial of the Unhedged newsletter: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer. 

Check out Claer’s column, Have you got five minutes to talk about investing?

Listen to Money Clinic’s Investment Masterclasses, such as An insider's view of the City of London, What’s one of the world’s leading investors buying?, and more.

Disclaimer: The Money Clinic podcast is a general discussion about financial topics and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like an interest rate on a savings account, investment yields show us how much income different investments are able to generate. But how are yields calculated, and how can they measure the returns on different types of investments including shares, bonds and property? 

In our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett asks FT markets columnist and Unhedged co-host Katie Martin to give practical examples of how yields can be used as a benchmark for different assets, and how to interpret the story behind the numbers.

Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of The Five-Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Instagram and TikTok.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse.

Want more?

Listen to Unhedged wherever you get your podcasts, and read Katie Martin’s column on the topic, How the humble dividend might rise again.

Check out Claer’s Lunch with investor and ‘Dragon’s Den’ star Deborah Meaden.

Listen to Money Clinic’s investment masterclasses, such as Deborah Meaden on her life in business, An insider's view of the City of London, and more.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Disclaimer: The Money Clinic podcast is a general discussion about financial topics and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Global stock markets are charging along breaking record after record — but what’s driving this ‘bull market’ and how much longer can it last? Plus, what could it mean for investors if a ‘bear market’ awakens from hibernation? In our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges Rob Armstrong, co-host of FT’s Unhedged podcast and author of the Unhedged newsletter, to explain the factors that drive bull and bear markets, and if individual investors should reconsider their strategy.

Links:

Free pound cost averaging calculator: https://www.hl.co.uk/tools/calculators/regular-investing-calculator

Free dollar cost averaging calculator: https://www.buyupside.com/calculators/dollarcostave.php

Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of The Five-Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Instagram and TikTok.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Want more?

Listen to Unhedged wherever you get your podcasts, read Rob Armstrong’s Unhedged newsletter on the topic, A better bull market?, and sign up to a free 30-day trial of the Unhedged newsletter: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer. 

Check out Claer’s column, Have you got five minutes to talk about investing?

Listen to Money Clinic’s Investment Masterclasses, such as An insider's view of the City of London, What’s one of the world’s leading investors buying?, and more.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Disclaimer: The Money Clinic podcast is a general discussion about financial topics and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘The two most powerful warriors are patience and time,’ Leo Tolstoy once wrote. But how can this make you a richer investor? The answer is compounding, and in our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges Bobby Seagull, the TV star and mathematics teacher, to demonstrate how compounding can power up our long-term investments. 

Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of The Five-Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Instagram and TikTok.

Try out a compound interest calculator, and read more about INC and ACC funds.

Take a look at MoneySavingExpert’s credit card minimum repayment calculator.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Want more?

Check out Claer’s column, Why do we think we can beat the market?

Listen to Money Clinic’s Investment Masterclasses, such as An insider's view of the City of London, What’s one of the world’s leading investors buying?, and more.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Disclaimer: The Money Clinic podcast is a general discussion about financial topics and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Share buybacks have been in the news as Apple announced what would be the largest buyback in US history. But why is the US tech giant purchasing $110bn of its own shares, and cancelling them? In the latest episode of our Five Minute Investor miniseries, FT consumer editor Claer Barrett quizzes FT investment columnist Stuart Kirk on why more and more companies are doing this — and how investors can benefit. 

Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of the Five Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Instagram and TikTok.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Want more?

Check out Claer’s column, Have you got five minutes to talk about investing?

Read Stuart Kirk’s latest Skin in the Game column for free.

Listen to Money Clinic’s Investment Masterclasses, such as Stuart Kirk has ‘skin in the game’, ‘Money is basically a fiction’, and more.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Disclaimer: The Money Clinic podcast is a general discussion about financial topics and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the age of the smartphone, it’s never been easier to buy an investment — but how quickly can you sell one, and how might this affect the price? In our new miniseries, The Five Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges investment commentator Justin Urquhart-Stewart to explain why liquidity should be at the forefront of every investor’s mind.

Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of the Five Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Instagram and TikTok.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Want more?

Check out Claer’s column, Why do we think we can beat the market?

Listen to Money Clinic’s Investment Masterclasses, such as An insider's view of the City of London with today’s guest Justin Urquart-Stewart, What’s one of the world’s leading investors buying?, and more.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Disclaimer: The Money Clinic podcast is a general discussion about financial topics and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Magnificent Seven could make up a much bigger slice of your own portfolio than you realise, but what are these seven stocks, and why are they so dominant? In our new miniseries The Five Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges FT markets columnist Katie Martin to explain the hype around these gigantic US stocks.

Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of the Five Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

For more tips on how to organise your money, sign up to Claer's email series 'Sort Your Financial Life Out With Claer Barrett' at FT.com/moneycourse

Want more?

Read Claer’s recent column that looked at how exposed the index funds in her portfolio were to the Magnificent Seven - and if this was a good or bad thing: free to read link here 

Check out Katie Martin’s most recent FT column, which looks at how the Magnificent Seven share prices are coming under pressure: free to read link here 

Listen to more episodes of Money Clinic, such as The case for investing in AI, WTF are ETFs?, and more.

Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.

Disclaimer: The Money Clinic podcast is a general discussion about financial topics and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK has introduced new rules requiring all people arriving in the country to self-isolate for 14 days. But given the severity of the UK’s outbreak can there be many places more infectious? Is it true that Covid-19 mostly kills people who would die soon anyway? The first figures are out showing how England’s Test and Trace programme is performing, but they contain a mystery we’re keen to resolve. And we play with some mathematical puzzles, courtesy of statistician Jen Rogers.

Does the UK really have by far the highest domestic energy bills in Europe? We debunk a viral social media claim suggesting just that. Also the number of excess deaths has been falling in the UK - how positive should we be that we’re through the worst? Plus do we really have access to only 3% of rivers and 8% of the countryside in England – and after the conviction of former MP Jared O’Mara we ask whether 5 grams of cocaine is a lot.

The Times Briefing for the Morning of Thursday 15th June

For more on these stories throughout the day tune into Times Radio - on DAB, online, through your smart speaker or on the Times Radio app  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s time to air out some of fast fashion’s dirty laundry. Recently, fast-fashion retailer Shein was in the headlines over a paid influencer trip to one of its factories in China. It’s also facing allegations that range from labor rights abuses to high levels of carbon emissions.

Sustainable-fashion writer Alden Wicker’s new book, “To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick,” documents another gritty side of the industry: the toxic chemicals used to make the clothing many companies sell.

As it turns out, there aren’t many laws in the U.S. to prevent those chemicals from ending up in our clothes.

On the show today, Wicker explains why harmful chemicals are in our clothing, how flight attendants became a breakthrough case for toxic clothing and how more regulation could help ensure safer practices in the fashion industry. Plus, what consumers can do to reduce their exposure.

Then, more on harmful chemicals: A recent study found that a type of “forever chemical” is uncomfortably common in the U.S. water supply. And, the pending merger between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard got a big push forward from a federal judge this week. We’ll get into why the decision is a major blow to the Federal Trade Commission.

Later, a listener shares an adorable cartoon that has Kimberly Adams written all over it. Plus, this week’s answer to the Make Me Smart question comes from Major Jackson, host of “The Slowdown” poetry podcast.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• • “Shein, the fast-fashion giant, hits roadblocks” from The Washington Post

• • “Are your clothes making you sick? The opaque world of chemicals in fashion” from The Guardian

• • “The incredible story of how hatmakers really did ‘go mad’ 300 years ago” from Business Insider

• • “Influencers are under fire for praising working conditions in Shein’s clothing factory despite abuse allegations” from NBC News

• • “Toxic Chemicals in Shein and Other Fast Fashion Clothing” from Insider

• • “What Is Prop 65? And Why Is There a Warning Label on This Thing I Bought?” from The New York Times

• • “How to remove PFAS — aka forever chemicals — from drinking water” from Vox

• • “Tap water study detects PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ across the US” from U.S. Geological Survey

• • “Microsoft Can Close Its $75 Billion Buy of Activision Blizzard, Judge Rules” from The Wall Street Journal

• • ‘“USA Geography” Features Humorous Illustrations Of Each State” from Bored Panda

• • “The Slowdown” podcast from APM

We want to hear your answer to the Make Me Smart question. You can reach us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.