The Bank of England raised its key base rate to 4.25 per cent last week, its highest level in 14 years. But if interest rates are going up, why are some mortgage lenders putting their rates down? Presenter Claer Barrett is joined in the studio by Chris Giles, the FT’s economics editor and Andrew Montlake, chief executive of Mortgage Broker Coreco. They explain how the uncertain outlook for base rates is affecting mortgages, the pros and cons of fixed rate and variable rate mortgages and what mortgage rates are available at the moment.Want more?Read Claer’s latest column about mortgage rates hereCheck out last week’s Money Clinic: Interest rates, bank crises and your moneyWe'd love to hear from you. Please help us by filling in our listener survey at ft.com/moneyclinicsurvey. It will take you about 10 minutes to complete and you will be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds! If you would like to talk to Claer about a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help. You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @ClaerbPresented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Jake Fielding and Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Clips: BloombergRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does a week of turmoil in the banking sector - with the collapse of California’s Silicon Valley Bank and the Swiss state-backed rescue of Credit Suisse - tell us about what central banks will do next with interest rates? And what does it all mean for your money and investments? Host Claer Barrett hears from Financial Times markets editor Katie Martin, and author of the FT’s Unhedged newsletter Ethan Wu. Want more?Are banks on the edge of another 2008-style precipice?Central banks announce dollar liquidity measures to ease banking crisisBanking turmoil intensifies the need for better Federal Reserve policymakingWe'd love to hear from you. Please help us by filling in our listener survey at ft.com/moneyclinicsurvey. It will take you about 10 minutes to complete and you will be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds!If you would like to talk to Claer about a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help.  You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Clips: BBC, CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, ABC News Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What should you be thinking about for your finances when you are just about to enter the adult world? In today’s episode Claer Barrett meets four sixth-form students Demi, Patrick, Lucinda and Loisse-Lhana, who are trying to figure out how to manage their money as they get ready to leave school. Claer answers their questions about investing, saving and how to budget so that your earnings last the month.Want more?What They Don't Teach You About Money: Habits to Get You Unstuck and on the Road to Financial Freedom by Claer Barrett is in bookshops from March 16.Got questions for Claer? Join the FT Live webinar on April 21 where she’ll be discussing her book. Read Claer’s latest column The first lesson for female financial education? Money is powerThanks to Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School and Nationwide Building Society.If you would like to talk to Claer on a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help.  Say hello on social media: You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner and Jake Fielding, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Divorce inquiries tend to peak in the first few months of a new year, so in this episode presenter Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, sources expert advice on how to manage your costs and finances through a legal separation. Listeners Jane and Tina recount their stories - and what they wished they had known at the start of the process - and Claer speaks to Brett Frankle from the law firm Withers as well as financial planner Tamsin Caine of Smart Divorce about how to ensure your finances survive a divorce.Links to organisations mentioned in the episode:https://resolution.org.uk/https://www.judiciary.uk/family-justice-council/If you would like to talk to Claer about a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help.  You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s called the ‘cash stuffing’ or ‘cash envelope’ method: separating your money into different envelopes of cash to control your spending. Host Claer Barrett speaks to ‘cash stuffer’ Euphemia Senna, better known on TikTok as She’s On a Budget, about the pros and cons of budgeting this way (and the digital equivalent). She also goes inside the Bank of England, the UK’s central bank, to speak to its chief cashier Sarah John about why there are record levels of banknotes in circulation. Is there any evidence that people are turning their back on digital payments and that cash stuffing is on the rise amid the cost of living crisis?If you would like to talk to Claer about a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help.  You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former asset manager Stuart Kirk writes about investing for FT Weekend in a column where he shares both his investment successes and failures with readers. He tells host Claer Barrett what he’s investing in now, how he chooses stocks, why he isn’t keen on funds that follow a particular theme and what he thinks needs to change in the world of ESG or sustainable investing.Want more?Being honest about my portfolio’s performance https://www.ft.com/content/91e59c79-1275-49c3-986c-f1c6778ecfa5Sectors make sense for investors, not themes https://www.ft.com/content/19a0a68f-c3fd-4267-96a7-f2698b38b19eIf you would like to talk to Claer on a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help.  Say hello on social media: You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Pitt, chief executive of First Direct, the UK’s first ever telephone bank, tells presenter Claer Barrett why banks should be doing more to help customers through the cost of living crisis, and shares his own tips on saving and investing.We'd love to hear from you. Please help us by filling in our listener survey at ft.com/moneyclinicsurvey. It will take you around 10 minutes to complete and you will be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort earbuds! If you would like to talk to Claer about a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help.  You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bank of England has raised its key interest rate to 4 per cent, the highest level the UK has seen since the 2008 financial crisis. Presenter Claer Barrett is joined by Helen Saxon, deputy editor of Money Saving Expert, James Pickford, deputy editor of FT Money, and Katie Martin, the FT’s markets editor, to discuss how you can best navigate those higher rates with your savings, mortgages and investments.We'd love to hear from you. Please help us by filling in our listener survey at ft.com/moneyclinicsurvey. It will take you around 10 minutes to complete and you will be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds!If you would like to talk to Claer about a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help.  You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One in six women in the UK has experienced financial abuse in a relationship. That’s according to charity Surviving Economic Abuse. Anyone can become a victim, as Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, found out. She tells presenter Claer Barrett about her experience of surviving an economically abusive relationship. Claer also hears from another victim, Francesca, and sources advice on recognising and escaping financial abuse from Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs OBE, founder and CEO of Surviving Economic AbuseUseful links:The Surviving Economic Abuse website is packed with useful resources, helplines you can call and information on what to do if you or someone you know is in a financially abusive relationship.For domestic abuse, you can call the freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247. If you are in immediate danger, please call the police on 999. For mental health support, you can speak to the Samaritans on 116 123.We'd love to hear from you. Please help us by filling in our listener survey at ft.com/moneyclinicsurvey. It will take you around 10 minutes to complete and you will be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds! If you would like to talk to Claer on a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help.  Say hello on social media: You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best of Money Clinic: Against the backdrop of market turbulence, investors Jonathan Hollow and Robin Powell explain why they believe investing in broad-based index funds is the cheapest way to increase long-term wealth. This investment masterclass breaks investing down into six simple steps, with tips for those just getting started and those further along their investment journey.If you would like to be a future guest on Money Clinic, email the team via money@ft.com or send Claer a DM on social media - she’s @Claerb on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. How to Fund the Life You Want: What everyone needs to know about savings, pensions and investments by Robin Powell and Jonathan Hollow is out now.Want more?Why do we still bother with active funds? https://www.ft.com/content/c2e9abd0-0edd-4805-b1ab-d55b661c24dePassive investing has increased US stock volatility, study finds https://www.ft.com/content/818f9e83-52a8-4170-a148-80f9d9139809We'd love to hear from you. What do you like (or not)? What topics should we tackle? Please help us by filling in our listener survey at ft.com/moneyclinicsurvey  It will take you around 10 minutes to complete and you will be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds!*Your personal information will be processed in accordance with the FT's privacy policy. If you have any queries about the survey please let us know at customer.research@ft.com.Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor MusicRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thirty-year-old Henrietta wants to start investing but has found herself lost in the small print of stocks and shares ISAs. How to choose the right one? Which fee structure is right for the amount she is investing? And should she go for passive or active investing? Presenter Claer Barrett is joined in the studio by FT personal finance and investing columnists Moira O’Neill and Jason Butler to discuss everything new investors need to know about opening a stocks and shares ISA.Want more?For more about passive vs active investing, listen to Money Clinic investment masterclass The cheapest way to investStill sorting out your new year’s finances? Check out Claer’s column Five financial new years resolutions for 2023You can follow Moira @moironeill on Twitter, and check out her column Where to park a lump sum if you’ve got a bit of money you are looking to put somewhere. Jason’s Twitter is @jbthewealthman, and his latest column Are you heading for a financial car crash? is available on FT.comMoney Clinic would like to hear from you. If you have an episode idea or want to get in touch, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTokPresented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to invest when you’re cash-strapped? What to do if you think your landlord is unfairly demanding more rent? Could moving out of the city save money? Host Claer Barrett and a panel of personal finance experts field questions at the ‘Young, Gifted and Broke: how to navigate the cost of living crisis’ event, organised by the FT Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign. With expert tips on renting, investing and budgeting from Margot de Broglie, founder of Your Juno app, Dan Wilson Craw, deputy director at Generation Rent, Timi Merriman-Johnson aka Mr MoneyJar, and Jason Butler, FT columnist and former financial advisor.For more free money-mastering resources, check out FT Flic or watch the full recording back here.Money Clinic would like to hear from you. If you have an episode idea or want to get in touch, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The past 12 months have not been kind to investors — but will the going get rougher or smoother in the year ahead? Presenter Claer Barrett hears from three of the FT’s most experienced investment writers who pass on tips on how to handle volatility, what’s driving change in the markets and where they think the best opportunities could lie in 2023. With Rob Armstrong, the FT’s US financial correspondent and author of the Unhedged newsletter, Stuart Kirk, the FT’s new Skin in the Game columnist, and Rosie Carr, editor of Investors Chronicle.Please note that Money Clinic is a general discussion around financial topics and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you’ll need to find an independent financial advisor. If you would like to talk to Claer on a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help.  Say hello on social media: You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The new year is a perfect time to rethink and reorganise your financial affairs but where should you start? Host Claer Barrett is joined by Iona Bain of Young Money blog, financial educator Timi Merriman-Johnson, aka Mr Money Jar, and Sara Williams of the Debt Camel. They discuss their own new year’s resolutions, whether it’s worth overpaying on your mortgage as interest rates are set to rise, and why paying more into your pension could be a good idea. Plus, advice on how to keep to your new year’s financial goals.Money Clinic is keen to hear from listeners and readers. If you would like to get in touch, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does one of the UK’s most popular comedians handle his money and investments? In a repeat of one of Money Clinic’s most popular episodes, host Claer Barrett interviews Joe Lycett, the consumer campaigner and TV comedian. Joe shares his own personal money story - including his charity shop thrifting, ESG investments and money rules - and explains why he campaigns on consumer issues.If you would like to talk to Claer on a future episode, please email the Money Clinic team at money@ft.com with a short description of your problem, and how you would like us to help.  Say hello on social media: You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb You can follow Joe Lycett on Twitter and Instagram @JoeLycett and FT Money on Twitter @FTMoneyPresented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than a million crypto investors around the world stand to be wiped out by the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Presenter Claer Barrett is joined by Scott Chipolina, the FT’s digital assets correspondent, and Rob Armstrong, the FT’s US financial commentator, to discuss what the collapse means for the future of crypto. What should people still holding crypto investments do? Will crypto recover? What role should regulators play? And is there a way of keeping your crypto investments safe?Want more?Bahamas reels from FTX collapse: ‘Crypto was going to be our way out’More from Scott Chipolina and the FT’s cryptofinance newsletterMore from from Rob Armstrong on crypto regulation: The SEC should not touch cryptoMore from Rob Armstrong and his Unhedged newsletterMoney Clinic is keen to hear from listeners and readers. If you would like to get in touch, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Clips: BBC, CBSRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With more than 10mn people in the UK set to file their tax returns by January 31, are you dreading the annual nightmare - or have you already got it licked? This week presenter Claer Barrett revisits Money Clinic’s tax return guide from last year, with guests Jacquetta Brown, tax specialist at HMRC, and chartered accountant Deborah Edwards, who runs the money mentoring programme Raised Up Finance. They discuss how much extra income you need to earn before you have to submit a return, how apps can make the whole process easier, and whether it pays to get an accountant. Plus, how freelancers can legitimately reduce their bills by claiming tax-deductible expenses, or negotiate extra time to pay. If you would like to be a guest on the show, email the podcast team money@ft.com or follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @Claerb.You can follow Deborah on Instagram @raisedup.finance Want more?For more about using salary sacrifice to legitimately reduce your tax bills, check out this free-to-read FT piece from Claer: https://www.ft.com/content/ff8021b9-7847-4ef5-9f20-abb2ea2d6d93And if you’re looking for more tips about running a freelance business, this free-to-read piece has plenty of them: https://www.ft.com/content/3462f359-8a1d-4a1e-9098-a14bded3f00dTo check out the HMRC YouTube channel, click hereRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thirty-year-old Brooke struggles with a shopping addiction and feels as if no one is taking it seriously. With thousands of dollars of credit card debt spent at thrift stores and bargain clothes sales, shopping is an obsession that leaves her both mentally and financially exhausted. Presenter Claer Barrett speaks to financial therapist Amanda Clayman, and addiction specialist Pamela Roberts about why people get addicted to shopping, and what they can do to break the cycle. You can find Amanda Clayman through her website or follow her on Instagram. Pamela Roberts works for addiction and recovery hospital the Priory Group, and her personal website is here.Pamela has recommended the following resources for anyone struggling with a shopping addiction:Counselling Directory UKAddiction Counselling Psychology TodayAddiction ProfessionalsSpenders Anonymous Spent: Break the Buying Obsession and Discover Your True Worth by Sally PalaianMoney Clinic is keen to hear from listeners and readers. If you would like to get in touch, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Budget Statement spelled out gloomy times ahead for the UK economy, but what does it mean for your money? Host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, is joined by political editor George Parker and Chris Giles, economics editor, to discuss taxes, energy bills, mortgages rates and why this Budget will squeeze the finances of lower and middle earners. Plus, why were young people left out of the new Budget plans?Money Clinic is keen to hear from listeners and readers. If you would like to get in touch, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Want more?Votes for rents as Autumn Statement squeezes younger workersJeremy Hunt offers no jam today and none tomorrowThe FT’s quick guide to the autumn statementA dismal outlook for the UK economyPresented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should you overpay on your student loan to try and beat rising interest rates? Or are you better off putting your hard-earned salary towards other things? Presenter Claer Barrett hears from recent graduate James who is struggling with these very questions, and speaks to Ben Waltmann, research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Ben explains how student loan repayments work and what the statistics tell us about repayments. Plus, FT columnist and former financial adviser Jason Butler gives his view on how graduates should approach their loans as part of a long-term financial plan.Money Clinic is keen to hear from listeners and readers. If you would like to get in touch, please email us at money@FT.com or DM Claer on social media. She is @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Want more?Student loans: should the bank of mum and dad step in?Don’t raise more hurdles to university entranceEconomic distress lifts stigma of discussing money troublesPresented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Philippa Goodrich. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner and Jan Sigsworth, with original music from Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.