Money Clinic with Claer Barrett

Rob has been invited to nine weddings this year and it’s playing havoc with his finances! How can wedding guests approach the subject of money when the costs of travel, accommodation, hen dos, stag dos and suits are all totting up? Presenter Claer Barrett is joined in the studio by Alice Tapper, founder of Go Fund Yourself, and Hamish Shepherd, chief executive of wedding planning app Bridebook. They explore the latest trends in wedding planning, and share stories of the lengths to which people have gone to attend, or get out of, a wedding.If you’d 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 Breen Turner and Simon Panayi, 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.

Barbie is a big spender and high earner, fast approaching the age of retirement. But after a long and varied career that has seen her build a portfolio of multiple dreamhouses and a low-commitment, long-distance relationship with casual boyfriend Ken, what financial advice should she be looking for? Presenter Claer Barrett is joined in the studio by wealth manager Christine Ross from Handelsbanken and FT personal finance columnist Moira O’Neill, who share their tips on everything from prenups to investing.Want more?Annuities look sexy again: should Barbie buy one at 64? 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 Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music.Clips: Warner BrosRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exchange traded funds or ETFs have been growing in popularity recently but as Money Clinic listener Saranya has found, there’s a bewildering array of different types of ETFs to choose from. Presenter Claer Barrett is joined in the studio by Dave Baxter, funds editor at the Investors’ Chronicle, and Lynn Hutchinson, head of ETF and index solutions at investment manager Charles Stanley. They unpick the many different types of ETFs, how to use them to build an investment portfolio and what to look out for in terms of fees.Want more?Top 50 ETFs 2023: The best ETFs to buyIf 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 Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music.This podcast has been corrected from an earlier version which gave the wrong calculation of an OCF charge.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you an insurance addict? Listener Joss thinks he might be and wants to know what type of insurance he really needs and whether he's getting the best possible deal. Presenter Claer Barrett speaks to Dean Dunham, who presents the Friday night ‘Consumer Hour’ show on LBC Radio, and Sam Richardson, deputy editor of Which? Money, the magazine of the consumer campaign group. They share guidance on finding the right insurance cover for your needs, how to look out for overlapping policies and how to request compensation if you believe you have been missold insurance. Find more advice on picking the right insurance on the Which? website.Listen to Dean Dunham’s consumer show every Friday on LBC at 9pm.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 and Laurence Knight. 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.

Algy Hall has four strategies for seeking out stocks that will outperform the index, highlighted in his new book Four Ways to Beat the Market. They are: quality, value, income, and momentum. Each one homes in on a very different kind of company – from the undisputed champion to the comeback kid, and from the slow-but-steady to the on-a-roll. Presenter Claer Barrett gets Algy to explain the thinking behind each strategy. The two also reminisce about their time working together as financial journalists at the Investors' Chronicle, and Algy reveals his unusual polymathic side-gig.Find out more about Algy’s book Four Ways to Beat the Market hereYou can listen to the previous Investment Masterclass with Lord John Lee, which Claer mentions in this week’s episode, here.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 Laurence Knight and Philippa Goodrich. 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 government has just extended the deadline to April 2025 for people to top up their National Insurance contributions. For many people approaching retirement, especially women, it offers a fantastic opportunity for them to increase their state pension by thousands of pounds by paying in only a few extra hundred. As you can imagine, the demand is huge, and has jammed the government pensions hotline. Money Clinic host Claer Barrett speaks to Sir Steve Webb, the former pensions minister and now a partner at consultancy Lane Clark & Peacock. He fields questions from FT readers and listeners about who should apply (and who should not), how to apply, and what kind of a deal to expect.The episode features a clip from the Martin Lewis Podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live.Want more?Deadline to plug UK state pension gap extended until April 2025Find out more about voluntary National Insurance contributionsSee your State Pension forecast and find any gaps in your National Insurance recordCheck your State Pension ageIf you live or plan to retire abroad, click here for the the UK’s International Pension CentreIf 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, and Claer’s guest Sir Steve Webb is @stevewebb1Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Laurence Knight. 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 13th interest rate rise in a row has piled on the pain for many homeowners. Money Clinic host Claer Barrett has assembled a team of experts to talk through the options for managing the hit on overstretched wallets. Sarah Pennells, consumer finance specialist at Royal London, Adrian Anderson of mortgage brokers Anderson and Harris, and the FT’s Chris Giles offer analysis, strategies and solutions. Want more?Banks must play fair as mortgage rates riseQ&A: What should I do about my mortgage?For details on the latest government support for mortgage holders see hereMentioned by Claer in the podcast: https://debtcamel.co.ukIf 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 @ClaerbPresented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Philippa Goodrich. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Simon Panayi, 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.

There’s a live debate in the UK over whether regulation of crypto trading should come under the scope of financial services or be treated like gambling. The FT’s digital assets correspondent Scott Chipolina and our producer Persis Love report from Castle Craig in Scotland, a rehab centre where people are being treated for crypto addiction. Plus presenter Claer Barrett and Scott Chipolina discuss what different regulation would mean for crypto investors.If you’ve been affected by a crypto or gambling addiction, reach out to GamCare for help.Want more?‘There needs to be a health warning’: How crypto trading can lead to addiction by Scott Chipolina and Oliver BarnesDon’t treat crypto like gambling – even if it’s largely pointless by Helen ThomasOur weekly Crypto newsletter, written by Scott, is designed to keep you informed and up to date on all the developments in this fast-moving space. This newsletter is for Premium subscribers, who can sign up here. To upgrade from Standard to Premium, click here.If you’d 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. 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.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lord John Lee of Trafford was the first person in the UK to reach £1mn invested in his stocks and shares ISA. He has a clear strategy based around choosing UK smallcap companies that pay dividends. He tells presenter Claer Barrett why this is his investment strategy and how he chooses stocks.Want more?My Isa has suffered - but I’m still a firm believer‘I’m 22 and I earn more than my parents’What should I do with my cash savings?Click here for tickets to the Investor's Chronicle Future of Private Investing event on Thursday June 15 where you can hear John Lee, Claer Barrett and many others talking about the big stories in the world of investing. 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.

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 Active management is a sham — no wonder my returns are suspectSectors make sense for investors, not themesIf 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.

Brooke Masters, the FT's US financial editor, speaks to Anne Ackerley, managing director of the Retirement Group at BlackRock, one of the world’s largest investment companies. Anne spends her days thinking about how to make good retirement plans accessible to more people. Lately, that has included focusing on one particular problem: the differences between men and women when it comes to retirement planning. Anne tells Brooke about the challenges faced not just by women but also gig economy workers and others who have non-standard employment patterns.If you would like to talk to the FT’s consumer editor Claer Barrett 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 @ClaerbFollow Brooke Masters on Twitter @brookeamastersPresented by Brooke Masters. Produced by Zach St Louis. The 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.

With inflation running higher than the interest rates provided by most banks, cash accounts can rapidly lose value. What does that mean for emergency savings funds? Brooke Masters, the FT’s US financial editor, speaks to investing columnist Moira O'Neill, and Georgia Lee Hussey, founder of wealth management company Modernist Financial, about how much savings to have in cash and where to keep it - both in the UK and the US.Want more?Keep up with the latest from Brooke on FT.com and follow her on Twitter @brookeamastershttps://www.ft.com/brooke-masters?segmentId=09d1c097-c0ef-7dd1-2d95-bfc6eb43e74eCheck out Moira’a latest column herehttps://www.ft.com/content/e04ddbf1-bf9c-490c-94ac-657743d55c25?segmentId=09d1c097-c0ef-7dd1-2d95-bfc6eb43e74eFor more from Georgia, check out the Modernist Financial websiteIf you’d 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. Presented 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. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bank of England has lifted its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.5 per cent, the 12th consecutive rise since December 2021. 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.NB: This episode is a repeat of a Money Clinic that ran on March 28th this year, days after the last Bank of England rate rise.Want more?Read Claer’s column about mortgage rates hereCheck out a related, previous episode of 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. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s getting harder to keep up with the cost of essentials such as water, energy and internet. FT reporter Leah Quinn speaks to 26-year-old renter Conor, who explains what he has been paying over the past few months and which bills are starting to add up. Host Claer Barrett is on hand with tips and advice on everything from whether you should get a water metre installed to whether energy bills will go down later this year.Useful links:How to get a smart metreFind out if you’re entitled to the new government energy scheme Money Saving Expert guide to council tax bandsOfcom social tariffs and speedsIf you’d 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 Presented 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. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does sorting out your personal finances fill you with anxiety and trepidation? What can you learn from your money mistakes? Money Clinic host Claer Barrett, and Isabel Berwick, host of the FT’s work and careers podcast, Working It, answer listeners’ questions in this special episode, taken from a webinar made in conjunction with the FT’s financial literacy charity, FLIC.Want more?The first lesson for female financial education? Money is powerHow to ask for a pay rise - and when to give oneIsa season this year is a stampedeFind out more about FLIC here You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @ClaerbFollow Isabel Berwick on LinkedInFT subscriber? Sign up for the weekly Working It newsletter with one click here. We cover all things workplace and management — plus exclusive reporting on trends, tips and what’s coming next. What do you like (or not)? What topics should we tackle? Email the team at workingit@ft.com or Isabel directly at isabel.berwick@ft.comIf you’d 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 Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Persis Love and Audrey Tinline. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Jake Fielding and 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 do you know if you need a financial adviser, how do you go about finding one and how do you know you’re getting value for money? Presenter Claer Barrett guides 22-year-old Laureen, who works for a bank, through the many forms of professional financial advice, and sources expert tips from Financial Times columnist Moira O’Neill and Sally Hickey, chief reporter at FT Adviser, our specialist publication for financial advisers. Want more?Clear’s latest column: The dash for cash savings is a new experience for many UK customersMoira’s recent column: Isas: time to take cover from taxFollow Sally @hickles and Moira @moiraoneill on Twitter. You can follow Claer on Twitter and Instagram @ClaerbIf you’d 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 Presented 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.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aligning our love lives and our financial lives is not always easy. Presenter Claer Barrett sources advice from Dr Nicola Sharp-Jeffs, founder of Surviving Economic Abuse, Tobi Asare from My Bump Pay, and Davinia Tomlinson, founder of Rainchq and author of Cash is Queen, on everything from talking about money in a relationship, the single tax, spotting the signs of financial abuse and planning for a baby. This episode is taken from a recording of an event Claer hosted in partnership with FLIC, the FT’s financial literacy charity.Want more?Flying solo with your finances: managing money as a single personMind the gap! What women need to know about investingChildcare in the UK: ‘Dysfunctional, unaffordable, inaccessible’‘I was a victim of financial abuse’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 Jake Fielding and 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.

Simran Kaur thinks the stock market is a lot more straightforward than it is made out to be. The 26-year-old is the founder of Girls That Invest, an investing community and podcast that she set up with her best friend Sonya Gupthan when they realised that, as women of colour, there were not many people who looked like them in the financial world.Presenter Claer Barrett sources her tips on getting started as an investor, how to balance your portfolio and when to have a portfolio review.Check out the Girls That Invest website here 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.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does the global monetary system work and what should investors bear in mind about it? Professional investor Rob Dix had been investing for years before he set out to understand the mechanisms behind his money. Why do we have inflation? Why do central banks increase interest rates? Will this monetary system last? Dix shares his view on the financial world with presenter Claer Barrett, plus she asks what rules he follows with his own investments.Rob Dix is author of The Price of Money: How to Prosper in a Financial World that’s Rigged Against YouWe'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 can have 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. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.