Martin Lewis on what the student loans shake-up could cost you

‘If I try to put myself back into the shoes of me as a 21-year-old, all I can tell you is this: I was hungry,’ writes Gary Stevenson in his recently released memoir, The Trading Game, which tells the story of how the son of a Post Office worker briefly became the highest-paid trader working on Citi’s bond trading floor at London’s Canary Wharf. He sits down with host Claer Barrett to talk about what he learned about trading and how the wider economy works – and why he’s worried.Find Gary @garyseconomics on YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Read Gary Stevenson’s recent FT Magazine profile by Miles Ellingham.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 [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on X, Instagram and TikTok. Want more?Check out Claer’s column, The hunt for good value UK stocks.Listen to more episodes, such as Investment Masterclass: An insider's view of the City of London, Investment masterclass: 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.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Money Clinic’s Five Minute Investor, a miniseries hosted by Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor. In each episode, Claer challenges top financial commentators to break down financial jargon in just five minutes, making you a smarter, and hopefully richer, investor. Tune in every Tuesday, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The main stock index in the UK, the FTSE 100, includes some of the biggest and most profitable multinational companies in the world. But in recent years the index has trailed the US markets and is now considerably cheaper. In this episode of the FT’s Unhedged podcast, introduced by Money Clinic’s Claer Barrett, reporters Ethan Wu and Rob Armstrong ask if investors are overlooking a bargain. Want more?Read Claer Barrett’s latest FT article, The hunt for good value UK stocks. Find Unhedged wherever you get your podcasts, and enjoy a free 30-day trial of the Unhedged newsletter (free for FT Premium subscribers). Follow Ethan Wu (@ethanywu), Robert Armstrong (Katie Martin (@katie_martin_fx) on X. You can email Ethan at [email protected] to more Money Clinic episodes, such as How an ISA millionaire chooses stocks, Investment Masterclass: Nick Train on the case for investing in UK shares, 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/moneycourseIf you would like to be a guest on a future episode of Money Clinic, email us at [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on X, Instagram and TikTok. Unhedged is produced by Jake Harper and edited by Bryant Urstadt. The executive producer is Jacob Goldstein. We had additional help from Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio. Special thanks to Laura Clarke, Alastair Mackie, Gretta Cohn and Natalie Sadler. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deborah Meaden, star of the hit BBC show “Dragons’ Den” is one of the highest-profile investors in the UK, famed for grilling entrepreneurs who want to secure financial backing for their businesses. In this episode of Money Clinic, first aired in October 2023, Deborah speaks to host Claer Barrett about how she goes about picking which companies to invest in, her commitment to green investment choices and her latest book, “Why Money Matters”, which explains money and finance to children. 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/moneycourseIf you would like to be a guest on a future episode of Money Clinic, email us at [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on X, Instagram and TikTok. Want more?Check out Claer’s column, The hunt for good value UK stocks.Listen to more episodes, such as Can ESG investing really change the world?, How can I scale up my side hustle? and more. Links:https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/https://ftflic.com/Clip: BBCPresented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Philippa Goodrich. Our executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With just days to go until the end of the tax year, it’s peak season for British savers and investors to make the most of their £20,000 annual Isa allowance before it renews on April 6. Whether you’re a beginner or a more seasoned investor, this episode clearly explains the tax benefits of Isas, how these work in practice and some common investment strategies. Host Claer Barrett breaks down the different types of Isas with FT Money columnist Moira O’Neill and Timi Merriman-Johnson, the financial educator and content creator better known online as Mr MoneyJar. In the edited highlights from an FT webinar, the panel shares tips about everything from getting started and choosing the right platform to asset allocation and ensuring your Isa portfolio is diversified. 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/moneycourseIf you would like to be a guest on a future episode of Money Clinic, email us at [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Want more?Check out Claer’s column, Why I’m sticking with my passive Isa strategyListen to more episodes, such as How an ISA millionaire chooses stocks, Investment Masterclass: Isa investing is changing, and more. Links:https://www.pimfa.co.uk/https://www.boringmoney.co.uk/https://compareandinvest.co.uk/Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick and Persis Love. 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.

Hot on the heels of a UK Budget announcement that promised to boost the childcare offer for working families, host Claer Barrett marks International Women’s Day by speaking to a panel of experts about the true cost of childcare, and how investing in this “essential infrastructure” could boost the UK economy as well as helping to close the gender pay and gender pensions gap.On the panel are ‘Flex Appeal’ campaigner Anna Whitehouse, known to her social media audience as Mother Pukka, Joeli Brearley, childcare campaigner and founder of the charity ‘Pregnant Then Screwed’, and Maike Currie, who spearheads Hargreaves Lansdown’s ‘Financially Fearless’ female investing campaign. This episode is a recording of an event organised by FLIC, the FT’s financial literacy and inclusion campaign.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/moneycourseFor more on FLIC, see www.ftflic.com If you would like to be a guest on a future episode of Money Clinic, email us at [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.Want more?Check out Claer’s column, What women want their financial future to look like.Listen to more episodes, such as Mind the gap! What women need to know about investing, Childcare in crisis and more.Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick and Persis Love. 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.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered a £10bn tax-cutting Budget, promising to create a “new generation of investors” — but what does he actually have in store for our personal finances? Host Claer Barrett is joined by an expert panel to discuss tax changes coming in April, with higher-earning working parents set to see the biggest boost. Armed with direct guidance from HMRC, Miranda Green, the FT’s deputy opinion editor and Rafe Uddin, FT politics reporter, talk us through changes to child benefit, and whether plans for a new “UK Isa” and a retail offering of NatWest shares this summer will really boost the fortunes of London’s stock market — and of investors. They’re joined by Carl Emmerson, deputy director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, who sets out what people on different salary bands can expect to see from the second cut to national insurance — plus what tax policies the opposition Labour party might be thinking up after Hunt shamelessly borrowed some of its biggest ideas. 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/moneycourseIf you would like to be a guest on a future episode of Money Clinic, email us at [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.Want more?For a full guide to tax changes, read this FT Weekend piece: Will the Budget leave you better off? Listen to more episodes, such as Tax cuts: will they or won’t they?, When is a tax cut not a tax cut? The Autumn Statement digested and more.Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick and Persis Love. 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.

Investors are expecting artificial intelligence to power the next tech revolution - but are they right? Positive numbers from AI chipmaker Nvidia have powered a global stock market rally in recent weeks, with valuations of the so-called Magnificent Seven soaring as AI enters the mainstream. In this episode, Claer sits down with “AI maximalist” Ben Rogoff, lead fund manager of the £3.5bn Polar Capital Technology Trust. With more than 80 per cent of his fund’s underlying investments aimed at capturing future growth from AI, he explains what’s informing his investment strategy and responds to fears of a valuation bubble. He also shares with Money Clinic listeners why “odd” behaviour from tech leaders could be a sign that change is happening faster than markets think.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/moneycourseIf you would like to be a guest on a future episode of Money Clinic, email us at [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.Want more?Check out Claer’s column, Overheard in the newsroom: who will be this year’s Budget winners?Listen to more investor masterclasses, such as What’s in your global tracker fund?, Four ways to beat the market and more.Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick and Persis Love. 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.

Most people know that you need a good credit score to be able to borrow money, but how to start building one is a mystery. First aired in June 2022, in this episode of Money Clinic, host and FT consumer editor Claer Barrett sits down with listener Emma, 22, who has never been in debt before, aside from her student loans. Emma has heard that getting a credit card could increase her chances of taking out a mortgage in the future, but before she applies for one, what does she need to consider? In this episode, Claer gives Emma’s credit score an MOT with help from Katie Watts, a consumer expert at moneysavingexpert.com, and debt adviser Sara Williams, who runs the Debt Camel blog. Together, they explain the hidden world of credit scores, credit files and tips on how to use credit responsibly, as well as offer tips on how to improve your credit score — and why this might be worth doing.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/moneycourseIf you would like to be a guest on a future episode of Money Clinic, email us at [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @ClaerB on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.Want more?Check out Claer’s column, A dating app with credit scores: what’s not to love?Listen to more episodes, such as Credit scores: when a small debt becomes a big problem, Should I pay off my student loan early?, and more. Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick and Persis Love. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This bonus season, will the UK’s top earners invest their payouts tax-efficiently into pensions and Isas, or use them to pay down debts? In this episode, Money Clinic host Claer Barrett and FT communities editor Lucy Warwick-Ching discuss key findings from nearly 3,000 responses to the FT’s annual anonymous bonus survey. They are joined by Nimesh Shah, the tax expert and CEO of advisory firm Blick Rothenberg, and financial planner Adam Walkom, partner at Permanent Wealth Partners and author of Plan For Happy. Even if you’re not lucky enough to receive a bonus this year, learning what other FT readers plan to do with theirs provides some valuable – if enviable – financial insights. Read Claer and Lucy’s full breakdown of this year’s FT readers’ bonus survey, Pay out or doughnut? FT readers’ bonus secretsFor 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/moneycourseFollow Claer on social media @Claerb and contact the Money Clinic team via [email protected] more?Check out Claer’s column, A dating app with credit scores: what’s not to love?Listen to more episodes on bonuses and tax, such as Should I save, spend or invest my bonus?, When is a tax cut not a tax cut? The Autumn Statement digested, and more.Presented by Claer Barrett. Produced by Tamara Kormornick and Persis Love. 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.