17. Apps and Financial Technology

Across the series we’ve had the opportunity to hear from so many amazing people, and so in the final episode of the series Kalpana and Bea take a look back over some of their favourite moments of the series. They also discuss the important things that have been brought up that we need to remember going forward, and Kalpana gives her final tips. For help, details of organisations offering information and support with issues discussed, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. You can join the conversation with the hashtag #Money101Pod. You can find Kalpana on Twitter @kalpanafitz and Bea is @beaduncan_. Gemma Godfrey @GCGodfrey, John Webb @askjohnwebb, Dilpreet Bhagrath @Dbhagrath, Katharine Swindells @kathy_swinds, Jenn @jefflebum and Stepchange @stepchange.The host is Bea Duncan. The producer is Renay Richardson. The assistant producers are Bea Duncan and Rez Marino. This is a Broccoli Production for BBC Sounds.

In recent years there has been a huge increase in financial technology, also known as fintech, and financial planning and helping apps. Bea had a chat with Tristan Thomas, Head of Marketing at Monzo. They talked all about the rise in fintech and how we can utilise it to our advantage, such as how it’s changing the way we use money, what features to look out for, and what it could mean for us in the future. We also heard from Gemma Godfrey, former CEO of Moola about what she thinks we need to know about when it comes to our money’s safety. For help, details of organisations offering information and support with issues discussed, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. You can join the conversation with the hashtag #Money101Pod. Kalpana is on Twitter @KalpanaFitz, Gemma is @GCGodfrey, Tristan is @trstnthms and Bea is @beaduncan_. The host is Bea Duncan. The producer is Renay Richardson. The assistant producers are Bea Duncan and Rez Marino. This is a Broccoli Production for BBC Sounds.

None of us really knows what the future will hold, even when it comes to money and finances. However, that doesn’t stop us having a good go at making predictions! Bea sat down with Gemma Godfrey, former CEO of Moola and winner of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s show ‘The Apprentice’, as she put in her two cents about what she thinks is in store for the future of money. They discuss everything from ensuring a safe financial future, the increasing conversation about money and mental health, how long cash might stick around and how we can improve financial education. She even gives her tips on how to be ahead of the curve when it comes to trends in finances.For help, details of organisations offering information and support with issues discussed, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. You can join the conversation with the hashtag #Money101Pod. Gemma is on Twitter @GCGodfrey, Tristan is @trstnthms, Dilpreet is @DBhagrath and Bea is @beaduncan_. The host is Bea Duncan. The producer is Renay Richardson. The assistant producers are Bea Duncan and Rez Marino. This is a Broccoli Production for BBC Sounds.

For many young people, owning a house is an unattainable dream, or one that they aren’t planning to think about for many years. Is it as difficult as it’s made out to be?Bea sits down with Dilpreet Bhagrath, a mortgage expert at online mortgage broker Trussle, who are on a mission to ‘make mortgages fairer’. She walks us through the process of buying a house, from what a mortgage actually is to who to approach for help to how to choose the best mortgage for you. She also explained how the mortgage process might differ for the self employed, and the steps Trussle are taking to try and make the mortgage industry fairer. Bea also heard the experiences of Ally and Ashley, two young people who have managed to do the seemingly impossible and buy property. They explained the methods they used, such as a remote mortgage broker or the Help To Buy scheme, and gave their tips to other young people hoping to follow in their footsteps. For help, details of organisations offering information and support with issues discussed, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. You can join the conversation with the hashtag #Money101Pod. Dilpreet is on Twitter @DBhagrath, Ally is @allymccrae and Bea is @beaduncan_. Ashley can be found on Instagram @moneymedics.The host is Bea Duncan. The producer is Renay Richardson. The assistant producers are Bea Duncan and Rez Marino. This is a Broccoli Production for BBC Sounds.

Where you live is a vital part of your wellbeing and general happiness, but it can very often feel overwhelming and like a drain on your finances. With rising house prices and letting agents and landlords charging excessive fees or fines, it can seem like the wild west out there. Luckily Bea was able to sit down with housing journalist Vicky Spratt. She set up the campaign #MakeRentingFair, which was integral in the passing of the Tenants Fees Act 2019. Vicky explains why this act was so necessary, exactly what the act means for tenants and their wallets, as well as running through some of the problems that can arise while renting. Kalpana explains what a guarantor is and why someone might need one. For help, details of organisations offering information and support with issues discussed, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. You can join the conversation with the hashtag #Money101Pod. Kalpana is on Twitter @KalpanaFitz, Vicky is @Victoria_Spratt, Ally is @AllyMcCrae and Bea is @beaduncan_. The host is Bea Duncan. The producer is Renay Richardson. The assistant producers are Bea Duncan and Rez Marino. This is a Broccoli Production for BBC Sounds.

Bea speaks to a variety of the contributors heard from across the series, including Gemma Godfrey, former CEO of Moola and recent winner of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s show ‘The Apprentice’; Simon, CEO and founder of savings app Chip; Sue Anderson from the debt charity Stepchange, Vicky Spratt, a housing journalist; Katherine Swindells, the former welfare office at The University of Sheffield Students’ Union; Dilpreet Bhagrath, a mortgage expert at Trussle, and recent masters graduate Anna. They talk about a variety of issues that crop up when we think about spending, such as how long cash might stick around, the problems that arise when using contactless or going into an overdraft, and how to save money while renting.Kalpana gives her top tips for curbing impulse spending, and how to go about setting up a budget for yourself.For help, details of organisations offering information and support with issues discussed, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.You can join the conversation with the hashtag #Money101Pod. Kalpana is on Twitter @KalpanaFitz, Gemma is @GCGodfrey, Vicky is @Victoria_Spratt, Dilpreet is @DBhagrath and Bea is @beaduncan_. Information about debt help can be found on @StepChange.The host is Bea Duncan. The producer is Renay Richardson. The assistant producers are Bea Duncan and Rez Marino. This is a Broccoli Production for BBC Sounds.

Debt is an incredibly serious topic, and can affect our lives in so many different ways. Bea chats with two people from the debt charity Stepchange; Head of media Sue Anderson, and Andy Shaw, who is a debt advice coordinator. Sue gives heaps of vital information about exactly what debt is, how it can occur and how we can go about removing the stigma. She also gives some practical advice as to the ways we can begin to tackle debt and go about seeking help. Andy explained how debt can spread to other areas of your life, and what to do if it does. As well as this he laid out exactly what would happen if you approached Stepchange for help with your debt, and the steps you would likely take to start working on your debts. Kalpana clarifies exactly what insolvency and the Ombudsmen are, and what declaring bankruptcy entails. We also revisit the stories of Jen and Elysia from our borrowing episode to hear how debt affected their lives and what they did about it. Debt charity links: ● https://www.stepchange.org ● https://www.nationaldebtline.org ● https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk ● http://www.debtadvicefoundation.org You can join the conversation with the hashtag #Money101Pod. You can get loads more information and help for debt by following @stepchange on Twitter. Kalpana is @kalpanafitz, Jen is @jefflebum, and Bea is @beaduncan_. The host is Bea Duncan. The producer is Renay Richardson. The assistant producers are Bea Duncan and Rez Marino. This is a Broccoli Production for BBC Sounds.

Credit scores are one of those things that everyone has heard of, but nobody quite understands. This is worrying considering how important credit scores are to so many different aspects of our lives. So, to clear up the confusion, Bea sat down with John Webb, Consumer Affairs Executive at Experian. He explains everything you need to know about credit scores, including how they’re calculated, what they mean, and what they’re used for. He even clears up some of the myths such as having no credit score at all, or being blacklisted. Bea also had a chat with Suchandrika who was forced to start caring about her credit score after a problem with a phone bill. For help, details of organisations offering information and support with issues discussed, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.3 credit reference agencies: ● https://www.experian.co.uk ● https://www.transunion.co.uk ● https://www.equifax.co.ukYou can join the conversation with the hashtag #Money101Pod. John is on Twitter @AskJohnWebb and Bea is @beaduncan_.The host is Bea Duncan. The producer is Renay Richardson. The assistant producers are Bea Duncan and Rez Marino. This is a Broccoli Production for BBC Sounds.

From a loan to start a business, or money to fix a car which is vital to your life, when it’s done properly and safely borrowing money can be extremely helpful. However, there are times when borrowing money can cause more problems than it solves.Bea listens to the experiences of Jen and Elysia, who both borrowed money using payday loan lenders and experienced negative consequences because of it. We also hear briefly from Sue Anderson, from the debt charity Stepchange, about whether borrowing money is good. For help, details of organisations offering information and support with issues discussed, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.Debt charity links: ● https://www.stepchange.org ● https://www.nationaldebtline.org ● https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk ● http://www.debtadvicefoundation.org You can join the conversation with the hashtag #Money101Pod. Kalpana is on Twitter @KalpanaFitz, Jen is @Jefflebum and I’m @beaduncan_. The host is Bea Duncan. The producer is Renay Richardson. The assistant producers are Bea Duncan and Rez Marino. This is a Broccoli Production for BBC Sounds.

Long term savings like your pension are one of those things that we know are important, but which many of us haven’t even begun to think about. Well, that’s hopefully going to change after you hear this. Bea talks to Sir Steve Webb, a former government minister for pensions and current Head of Policy at Royal London. He really knows the ins and outs of later life savings, and so takes us through what they are and how we can get some, including explaining auto enrolment pensions. Elemi Atagolo is the CEO and founder of Finley AI, a voice activated financial planning app. He takes us through interest and why it’s so important for our later life savings. Bea also chats to Nick, who is 27 but already is already light years ahead with his later life planning. He explains how he got a grip on things even at such a young age. For help, details of organisations offering information and support with issues discussed, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. You can join the conversation with the hashtag #Money101Pod. Kalpana is on Twitter @KalpanaFitz, Steve is @SteveWebb1 and Bea is @beaduncan_. Nick can be found on Instagram @moneymedics. The host is Bea Duncan. The producer is Renay Richardson. The assistant producers are Bea Duncan and Rez Marino. This is a Broccoli Production for BBC Sounds.