Share Sounds from This is Money related to Personal Finance - Savings

The slashing of the cash ISA was considered a nailed on certainty in next week's Mansion House speech, but now it seems Rachel Reeves has had a change of heart. So, has the cash ISA allowance been saved for good, or is this just a victory for now — before the axe falls in the Budget? Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce discuss what next for the cash ISA and whether there was any merit in plans to cut the allowance. Plus, why has Nvidia become the world's first $4 trillion company, is it still worth investing in and have you got any chance of finding the next stock market superstar before it takes off? Should you combine your finances with your partner's and reveal all to them? And finally, it's the polarising question of our times: are you for or against Ring and other video doorbells?

Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce consider how your money has been impacted by the first 12 months of the Labour Government: the good, the bad and the ugly. It's now looking almost inevitable that the limits on Cash ISA investment will be cut, and the team look ahead to the prospect of more tax rises on the way. Meanwhile, the IFS plans to sort out the state pension, and they discuss a key question for those looking to move home: what's putting people off buying your house?

The nation's favourite savings product has just got a little less generous. The prize rate on NS&I's supremely popular Premium Bonds will be slashed from 3.8% to 3.6% from the August draw — the fifth cut since March 2024. Helen Crane, Tanya Jefferies and Georgie Frost discuss why Premium Bonds are the Marmite of the savings world, and ask whether the latest cut will prompt devotees to jump ship. We also look at where else they could stash their rainy day fund - and keep the tax-free benefits. Elsewhere, the team ask why a Lloyds Bank customer was turned away from the counter when they asked to withdraw £600 in cash - and told they could only do it at the machine outside. We also hear from a reader who has a moral dilemma. They are having £40,000 of work done on their home, and the builder has asked them to pay in cash. It seems there may be some creative accounting at work — but our reader hasn't been told that in so many words, and it could of course be perfectly above board. Could they get in trouble if it does turn out the builder is evading tax? Will the bank ask questions? And can you even take out that much money in one go? Next, Tanya discusses the latest number crunching which reveals that opting out of your work pension in your twenties, even for five years, could leave you £40,000 poorer at retirement. With younger people's budgets stretched in many directions, paying into a pension isn't always a priority. So how can they ensure they save enough for a comfortable retirement, and is it possible to make up for lost time? Finally, we look at what most people would spend the money on if they received an inheritance — or at least, what they say they would spend it on.

Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert go back to basics in this episode, steering clear of all the heaviness in the news. They set out some thoughts to help with reviewing your finances: to name some of the areas they cover — budgeting, savings, investing, tax, and Wills.

Nationwide hands out its £100 'fairer share' payment for the third year running, while Selfridges encourages new customers with a range of perks. Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Helen Crane discuss these, and Simon then looks at what £10,000 invested in Nvidia shares at various points in the past would be worth today. Finally, the team discuss a contentious question: 'Is my wife putting off buyers?'

Amid Donald Trump's tariff madness, there may be a silver lining for British investors. With American exceptionalism swiftly being replaced with American erraticism, the UK is attracting the eye of international investors. They see the FTSE — and its European counterparts — as a relative bastion of sanity and somewhere that a rules-based trading system can ride out the storm away from a US government seemingly intent on tearing up the rulebook and throwing the pieces in the air to see where they land. But this isn't the first occasion that investors have heard the siren call of a revived UK stockmarket, only to have their hopes dashed on the rocks, so will it be different this time? Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss whether UK shares will be a tariff winner — and where else investors can turn to make a profit. Plus, how much should you have in savings at different ages and are NS&I's new bonds or Cash ISA table-topping rates from savings apps a way to get there. And finally, a question from a reader who asks what they can do about a neighbour who borrowed their lawnmower and broke it... and what our consumer rights lawyer's answer reveals about Georgie. Please tell us what you think about the This is Money programme: we're running a listener survey, to get your thoughts on what you like and what we can improve. Here's the link: https://ex-plorsurvey.com/survey/selfserve/550/g517/250305?list=14#?

For years, two-year fixes were the mortgage of choice for most homeowners — but borrowers piled into five-year deals in 2022 and 2023 in a bid to lock in super-low rates. Now, UK Finance figures show shorter fixed deals are once again back in vogue. Does that mean people think rates are heading down — and what do you need to think about when choosing yours? This is Money's Helen Crane and Georgie Frost discuss. Elsewhere in the property market, TSB data reveals that the average first-time buyer is now past their 30th birthday in all but one region of Britain. Perhaps more surprisingly, though, the amount people borrowed from family to get on the property ladder went down last year. The team ask why that is, and tips for saving a house deposit. Donald Trump's tariffs have continued to dominate the headlines this week, causing a whirlwind on the global markets. Is this going to bring down savings rates for good, and what can people do with their money instead? On the bright side, though, it means there might be a very short window in which you can buy a cheap TV.

Markets around the world have slumped, the dollar weakened and fears mount of a global recession, after Donald Trump announced huge 'reciprocal' tariffs on over one hundred countries. The UK appears to have got off lightly, attracting just the baseline 10% tariff - but even that will wipe out the Chancellor's beloved headroom and leaves the door wide open for tax rises in the Autumn. How else could it hit us here? From pensions, investments, mortgages and energy bills, Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce try to unpick a crazy few days in the geo-political arena. As ISA providers continue to battle it out to win new customers ahead of the end of the tax year, we've seen some chunky deals. A quartet of savings apps have all boosted rates repeatedly in the last week, with the top Cash ISA rate of 5.9%, up from 5.28% just a week ago. The catch? These bonus boosts only last three months, so how good is the rate you're really getting over the whole year? And are these deals worth it? And, on the topic of ISAs, Simon has his very, very last minute tips on filling your allowance before it's too late.

Rachel Reeves is back to where she started after the Spring Statement, with her £9.9billion of budget headroom restored but at what cost? The Chancellor was true to her word and didn't turn last week's economic update into a second Budget, with no tax changes coming in. But a wave of spending cuts was announced, along with growth forecasts going both down and up. We also got the Office for Budget Responsibility's update on what Reeves' Autumn Budget tax rises will cost us, a threat to Cash ISAs and no reprieve for home buyers on stamp duty. In this episode, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert dive into the Spring Statement to explain why it happened, what it means, and tackle the question of whether taxes are going to have to rise again in autumn. They look at the very important assumption being made by the OBR, which if it turns out to be wrong could mean there is a £48billion black hole in the sums. And is the entire thing a charade anyway and damaging to our future prospects? Simon explains why he thinks so. Finally, campaigners like Gary Stevenson claim that this could all be solved with a wealth tax — is that where we will eventually end up?

Rachel Reeves is due to deliver her Spring Statement next week, and it's probably safe to say this isn't the position she wanted to be in. After an Autumn Budget that raised spending and hiked taxes while locking the Chancellor in with a new fiscal rule, Reeves would have hoped to arrive in March with better news on the economy. Instead, Labour's not-a-tax-on-working-people national insurance hike on employers has backfired, at the same time as the growth forecasts have taken a downturn and borrowing costs have risen. So, what will the Chancellor do next week? Will she tweak her own fiscal rule, raise taxes again or cut spending in unprotected areas that are already suffering? As Rachel Reeves finds herself between a rock and a hard place, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert look at what could happen. Plus, what does the Bank of England holding rates and the potential future path mean for your savings and mortgage? What should you do to sort your ISA and pension now? Can you really give away £1 million a year and dodge inheritance tax? And finally, the question that anyone like Simon who racks up the odd foreign traffic infraction needs answered: if you get a holiday parking fine, do you have to pay it?