Podcasts about money advice service

Jonathan Hollow is a writer and commentator on consumer education and protection.  His recent book, How to Fund the Life you Want, distills learning on financial education and evidence-based investing into a manual for pensions and investing.  He is a charity trustee and also doing a part time MA in Ancient History.  His former roles include leadership positions in the Money Advice Service and Money and Pensions Service. Our conversation starts with Jonathan's education, which included a spell in Russia during the 1990s, and his extensive experience with writing and the importance of a plain English approach.  We move then to what inspired him to pursue an MA in ancient history and some of the parallels that is is drawing between ancient Rome and its collapse and the scenarios playing out in geo-politics. We move then to the motivation for writing his latest book "How to Fund the Life you Want", and the gap in financial literacy that exists when it comes to savings, investments and pensions.  Some of this he attributes to a low level of engagement by individuals, in part because the area of pensions and investing is just not considered that interesting. He talks about the different sections of the book including the need to be mindful of Sharks and Charlatans as well as the importance of choosing a financial adviser that is evidence based. We also discuss the different experience of women as pensioners and investor and note the wealth gap that persists well into retirement. Jonathan's new book is a collaboration with Robin Powell, who writes the Evidence Based Investor Blog and is featured on the Fiftyfaces Podcast here: https://www.fiftyfaceshub.com/robin-powell-evidence-based-and-value-driven-myth-busting-across-the-investment-landscape/ There is more information about How to Fund the Life you Want here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/how-to-fund-the-life-you-want-9781399404600/

It is hard to believe that we are back for our fourth year of the Fiftyfaces Podcast – and in Series 1 of 2023 we hear about unorthodox beginnings such as the twelve year old who arbitraged the price of chickens when growing up in Uganda, and ended up in a senior role in Bridgewater before starting his own firm. We hear about traditional ones too, about investment instincts honed at the family dinner table, or through seeing the world through an artist's eyes.  We speak with CIOs, business owners, founders, a financial planner, an author, pensions experts, and portfolio managers, and, as always, dive deeper beyond a discussion of their business.  We find out what led them to their current roles, what motivated them, what twists and turns they took along the way.  We hear about how college and high school debate led to a meticulous skill for preparation, thinking on ones feet and performance, and how the study of archaeology lets one take the long view. We hear about passions like dancing in a Chinese dance troupe and what that does for physical and mental resilience - as well as relief, as well as from a guest who plays the viola, and is the strong "middle voice" and ballast both in her chamber music and her career.True to our original mission we discuss the themes and people who are often overlooked by our industry, from sex workers who need financial planning, but may feel judged when they seek it, to the talent pool who may not have achieved a mainstream degree, to the talent pool in the 55+ age group, who experience that "age" has become almost an "acceptable form of discrimination". Join us from Tuesday January 10 for our first Series of 2023. Our guests in series 1 are:Steve Butler  is Chief Executive at Punter Southall Aspire, an investment consulting group.  He was previously the founder of Camradata, a business author and a visiting industry fellow at Oxford Brookes Business School.  He has a particular focus on areas such as #futureofwork, #olderworkers, #inclusiveculture, #intergenerational, and #retirementplanning and writes extensively on the topics on LinkedIN, which is where we met.  He is pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration which is examining the effect of Covid 19 on different generations in the workplace.Vivian Lin Thurston is a Partner and Portfolio Manager at William Blair Investment Management, where she is based in Chicago with a particular focus on Emerging and Developed Markets. She previously covered global consumer stocks in a research role both at William Blair and a series of other financial services firms. She is Chairman of the Board at the Chinese Finance Association of American and a Principal Dancer and Director at the Xilin Dance Company.   Michael Halpern is Founder and President of Westmore Capital Advisors, a multi-strategy investment firm that invests across asset classes focused on early stage/growth capital companies as well as investments in more established companies undergoing substantial transformation.  He was previously Co-Managing Member and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Dorchester Capital Advisors, a fund management firm that invested in hedge funds, private equity funds and secondary hedge fund interests. Prior to that he ran a long/short hedge fund Dorchester Advisors that he founded in 1991. He previously held a serious of roles in financial services in the Los Angeles area and currently holds a number of Board Roles.  Jessical Goedtel is a Financial Planner and Owner at Pavilion Financial Planning in Allentown Pennsylvania.  She works in particular for tech workers and sex workers and I came across her profile when she presented a robust challenge to a popular personal finance book highlighting its lack of female representation in its case studies.Stuart Heatley is Managing Director at Capita Pensions where he is a Business Transformation and Growth Leader.  He previously held a series of similar roles at AON and Scottish Life.  Based in Edinburgh, Stuart is passionate about creating access to the financial services industry for people of all backgrounds, and is a Mentor with MCR Pathways. Dede Eyesan is Founder and CEO of Jenga investment Partners, a firm that invests globally across growth, turnaround and cyclical equity opportunities. This podcast will also appear as a bonus in our Nigerian voices series. Jonathan Hollow is a writer and commentator on consumer education and protection.  His recent book, How to Fund the Life you Want, distills learning on financial education and evidence-based investing into a manual for pensions and investing.  He is a charity trustee and also doing a part time MA in Ancient History.  His former roles include leadership positions in the Money Advice Service and Money and Pensions Service. Sara Bonesteel is Chief Investment Officer- International Insurance at Prudential Financial, located in the NYC area.  She was previously a managing director in Bear Stearns and JP Morgan. She is an Independent Director of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and a Member of the Board of Trustees, Chairman of Investment Committee at The NewarkMuseum of Art among other Board Roles.  She is also trained as a Neuroleadership CoachRichard Okello is CEO and Co-founder at Sango Capital, an investment firm he founded 10 years ago that has a particular focus on investing in Africa.  He previously was a principal at Makena Capital, and prior to that in a series of roles at Bridgewater Associates. Jon Lulu is a senior executive within a real estate investment management platform. He has had a long career in capital raising and real estate in particular.  Prior to his MBA he studied geography as an undergraduate and this is just one of many strands of his unorthodox background that we discuss. So join us from Tuesday January 10 when we kick off Series 1 over the next five weeks.  You can find all of our content on the Fiftyfaces Hub - fiftyfaceshub.com as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. This year we are making our listeners aware that you can support our work on Patreon, which is a platform to support creators and content developers.  Any monthly contribution is appreciated and enables us to continue to amplify voices across the Investment profession and others.  You can support our work here: https://www.patreon.com/fiftyfacespodcast Series 1 of 2023 is brought to you with the kind support of HarbourView Equity Partners, a global investment firm focused on opportunities in the entertainment and media space. Founded by Sherrese Clarke Soares, HarbourView is a long-term investor in content with an industrial platform built to protect, optimize, and enhance the legacy of premium IP. With a vision of becoming a true stakeholder in the global value of content, HarbourView believes creators deserve a seat at the table creatively and economically, owning their narrative and maximizing value for all. https://www.harbourviewequity.com/In celebration of our partnership with HarbourView Equity Partners we have selected a separate piece of music for each of the podcasts in this series.  We hope you enjoy them.  

Jonathan Hollow is a writer and commentator on consumer education and protection.  His recent book, How to Fund the Life you Want, distills learning on financial education and evidence-based investing into a manual for pensions and investing.  He is a charity trustee and also doing a part time MA in Ancient History.  His former roles include leadership positions in the Money Advice Service and Money and Pensions Service. Our conversation starts with Jonathan's education, which included a spell in Russia during the 1990s, and his extensive experience with writing and the importance of a plain English approach.  We move then to what inspired him to pursue an MA in ancient history and some of the parallels that is is drawing between ancient Rome and its collapse and the scenarios playing out in geo-politics. We move then to the motivation for writing his latest book "How to Fund the Life you Want", and the gap in financial literacy that exists when it comes to savings, investments and pensions.  Some of this he attributes to a low level of engagement by individuals, in part because the area of pensions and investing is just not considered that interesting. He talks about the different sections of the book including the need to be mindful of Sharks and Charlatans as well as the importance of choosing a financial adviser that is evidence based. We also discuss the different experience of women as pensioners and investor and note the wealth gap that persists well into retirement. Jonathan's new book is a collaboration with Robin Powell, who writes the Evidence Based Investor Blog and is featured on the Fiftyfaces Podcast here: https://www.fiftyfaceshub.com/robin-powell-evidence-based-and-value-driven-myth-busting-across-the-investment-landscape/ There is more information about How to Fund the Life you Want here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/how-to-fund-the-life-you-want-9781399404600/

This podcast captures the views of some financial services industry commentators on the merits and drawbacks of ESAS (Employee Salary Advance Schemes).Guests on this podcast are:Matt Bland, CEO Co-op Credit Union, UKEmily Trant, head of Impact & Inclusion, WagestreamLindsay Melvin, CEO FlexiwageErik Porter, Wellbeing expertHow a Employee Salary Advance Scheme works:Specialist scheme operators, which are usually unregulated businesses, often provide the product as part of a 'wellbeing package' to help employees with financial management. Some offer employees an app based platform which sits between the employer's payroll operations and the employee's bank account. The employee can then a draw down usually up to half of their accrued or earned wages before their next pay day. The scheme operators usually charge the employee a fee for each drawdown. The employer will then pay the balance of the salary (i.e. net of the advanced payments and the fees for the service) on the next payday. Employees can make multiple drawdowns during each pay cycle and can repeat this again in subsequent periods.For many employees who do not have major debt problems, an ESAS (Employee Salary Advance Scheme) may be helpful where for a variety of reasons they need to quickly access some of their salary early. However, for employees with limited options, there are potential risks. Set out below are ways in which employers and scheme operators could mitigate some of these risks.   Scheme operators could highlight, on the employee section of their websites or where they provide an app, that where the employee has underlying financial problems that a salary advance may not in itself be sufficient to resolve such issues and suggest that they seek financial help from a debt advice charity.Employers, when introducing their staff to such schemes, could similarly highlight the limitations of a salary advance and suggest that if the employee needs debt help or access to more holistic financial advice, they could signpost them to the Money Advice Service website. They could also provide contact details of debt charities, such as Citizens Advice and Stepchange.Bringing the above to the attention of employees may be particularly important where the employer and scheme operator become aware that individual employees are drawing down salary under the scheme on a frequent basis. Employees could be provided with periodic notifications where there is an accumulation of transaction charges.Similarly, scheme providers could develop systems that monitors the pattern of usage of individual employees. Where there is a pattern of repeat use which may be a sign of financial difficulties, then this could trigger alerts that might provide guidance and signpost the employee to organisations that provide free debt advice.The FSA says: The risks for employees and employers are:While the product has benefits, it is important that employees and employers are aware that there may be some risks in using these schemes.Lack of credit regulation. The regulatory and statutory rights and protections, from which borrowers under consumer credit agreements benefit, do not apply, as ESAS usually operate outside of credit regulation. For example, ESAS providers have no obligation to check affordability. Therefore, employees will need to satisfy themselves that they will have enough money on payday to pay other expenses they may incur at that time (for example their mortgage or rent payments), when they receive the balance of their salary. The high-cost short-term credit (HCSTC) pri Talking Credit Unions with Chris Smith is a regular podcast dedicated to informing credit union practitioners, leaders and opinion formers on variety of industry topics. To contact Chris Smith, smithowls@gmail.com

Money is often a taboo topic, but that's why we think it's an important one to discuss. This week we're chatting about how you can create and maintain healthy money habits, because it's often not something you're ever taught which makes navigating those important financial decisions later in life all the more difficult. In the episode we're discussing money habits that work for us (and ones that don't!) as well as small ways to make positive changes to your financial situation regardless of how much money you earn. We can't give financial advice but if you are in a difficult financial situation, there are free professional advice services available that can help you such as Citizens Advice Bureau, The Money Advice Service or gov.uk. We also find Martin Lewis' moneysavingexpert.com really useful.   If you've enjoyed this episode, don't forget to leave us a 5* review so others can discover the podcast! Get In Touch Enjoyed this episode? Great! Let us know your thoughts and don't forget to hit subscribe to never miss an episode. growthinprogresspod@gmail.com / @growthinprogresspod charlottephoebe.com / @charlotte.phoebe helenabradbury.com / @helenabradbury Recommendations Netflix or Channel 4 documentary - Three Identical Strangers 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think - By Brianna Wiest

We may forget we’re not born inherently knowing how to earn, spend, save, or give money. And may not even know how to even go about beginning to have these conversations with our kids. Many parents expect their kids will learn how to properly manage their money at school. But the reality is most kids are not learning how to spend, save, invest, or donate their money at all let alone in a healthy way.This is concerning given that a report by researchers at the University of Cambridge commissioned by the United Kingdom’s Money Advice Service revealed that kids’ money habits are formed by age 7. Age 7!Additionally, a 2017 Parents, Kids, & Money Survey conducted by T. Rowe Price found that parents who discussed financial topics with their kids were more likely (61% vs 41%) to have kids who say they are smart about money.Joining us on the show is Bill Dwight, CEO and founder of FamZoo, a private family banking system designed to help parents teach kids to earn, save, spend, and donate money wisely in a safe, friendly environment.Bill joins us to share how parents can use a variety of tools to not only educate their children when it comes to money habits, he shares how parents can use technology to not only expose your children to real-life experience with money but to spark those crucial money conversations. About FamZooFamZoo isn’t just a convenient prepaid card for families. It’s a hands-on financial education for kids of all ages — preschool through college. Learn more here.About The ShowTo learn more about DebtWave Credit Counseling, visit our website or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.To learn more about the San Diego Financial Literacy Center, visit our website or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show (https://www.sdflc.org/help-sdflc/donate/)

It's no secret that the UK has poor financial education. According to the Money Advice Service, more than 250 organisations across the UK are currently engaged in the task of trying to improve financial capability in the UK. But it is a mammoth task, and in some places a losing battle. Rallying the troops to discuss how to make mums, dads and kids up and down the country better with money is editor Will Robins, who was joined on Zoom by a plethora of enthusiastic participants, all keen to help crack the problem. From tailoring content to different age groups, to engaging with local schools, there is something here for anyone who wants to do more.

This week we sat down with the guys and discussed MONEY IN RELATIONSHIPS. Budgeting, debt, pre-nups and the value of money in relationships. Don't be shy! Get involved in the discussion, drop down to the comments or follow us at: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mavrotalks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mavrotalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mavrotalks/ Website: https://www.mavroworldwide.com/mavrotalks Also, watch the show on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iYrTfyQC40&feature=youtu.be Helpful Links: - Money Saving Expert - https://www.moneysavingexpert.com - Plum (budgeting app) - https://withplum.com - Money Advice Service - https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en -Talking About Money In Relationships - https://www.eharmony.co.uk/dating-advice/relationships/money-matters-talk-money-relationship

Have you had an accident in the last 5 years - even if it wasn't your fault? Ticking that box on a car insurance application can be very costly - even if you weren't to blame. Money Box reporter Dan Whitworth has been investigating why. Around 14,000 investors who put their money into a mini-bond sold by London Capital & Finance are in limbo this week after the Financial Conduct Authority froze the firms assets and banned it from advertising or selling the product. What does this mean for people with money invested? The Chinese economy is flagging after decades of expansion and the latest Bank of England figures show a fall in UK consumer lending. Will 2019 see our personal finances coming under an increasing squeeze? And as the currently un-named Government backed 'Single Financial Guidance Body' comes into being - taking on the roles of The Pensions Advisory Service, Pension Wise and Money Advice Service - we mull over suggestions for what it could be called... Presenter: Paul Lewis Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Richard Vadon

Kirsty Bowman-Vaughan, Deputy Head of Strategy and Innovation at the Money Advice Servic shares her top money money management tips for a good life well lived. I can almost hear the intake of breath as you read this.  Money? Money? We're British we don't talk about money?!?  Well, in this episode we are talking about money.  In fact all of this week (12th-16th November 2018) the Money Advice Service are hosting an event, Talk Money to encourage us to talk more freely about money, debt and financial planning. Kirsty shares her advice and tips to help you get into the best financial shape possible and also gives insights into how we can all encourage the younger generation to become more financially savvy and more comfortable and capable talking about money.

Retirement and pensions can often seem a long way off for many people – we all still need and often worry about money for everyday living so how can we help individuals see the value in saving for the future? With 40% of people indicating that they do not have good control of their money or manage it well (Money Advice Service) it can often feel saving more into a pension is difficult hurdle to overcome. But by using the right techniques, financial wellbeing can reduce the number of under-savers and help people be financially happy today. Read more about how financial wellbeing can lead to higher savings here: [http://www.lgim.com/uk/en/insights/our-thinking/client-solutions/can-better-financial-wellbeing-lead-to-higher-savings.html](http://www.lgim.com/uk/en/insights/our-thinking/client-solutions/can-better-financial-wellbeing-lead-to-higher-savings.html) Stuart Murphy, Head of DC Client Management Simon Chinnery, Head of DC Client Solutions This podcast is intended for investment professionals, and shouldn’t be shared with a non-professional audience. This podcast should not be taken as an invitation to deal in Legal & General investments. Any views expressed during this recording belong to the individuals and are based on market conditions at the time of recording, and do not reflect the views of Legal & General Investment Management. Legal & General Investment Management is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Legal & General Investment Management, One Coleman Street, London, EC2R 5AA. Register in England no. 2091894. All rights reserved. No part of this audio may be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written consent of Legal & General Investment Management.

In this episode of the Maven Money Personal Finance Podcast… Andy dives into the complex world of debt. Are you living beyond your means? Or want to avoid getting in that situation in the first place? This is the episode for you.   Quick Preview of the Podcast:   Understanding and managing credit. Manageable vs unmanageable debt. Encouraging good money behaviour in children. Good debt, bad debt, and good(ish) debt.   Links:   StepChange   Money Advice Service   National Debtline   Citizens Advice   Debt Advice Foundation   How the economic machine works   Add up   Global Rich List   21 Lessons for the 21st Century   Leave a review!     Don't forget to check out the Maven Adviser website for more great content.   So sit back and enjoy unrivalled words of wisdom from Andy Hart - host of the UK’s premier personal finance show.   Is there a topic you’d like Andy to cover? We’d love to hear from you! Contact Andy Hart directly with any comments / feedback on team@mavenadviser.com. Alternatively you can reach out on Twitter @MavenAdviser.   

Today's insights show shines a light on how fintech is making the world a better place. We want to talk about what makes the UK fintech scene so useful for solving real problems that affect the lives of so many people. We’re going to be taking a look at how customer-centricity helps fintechs cater better to their customers to ensure they have access to better services, and the impact financial education can have on financial inclusion and literacy. Fantastic insights are given by fintech experts who are working across the UK to bring fintech to those who need it most: Greg Michel, Fintech Lead at Tech Nation Anish Kapoor, CEO of AccessPay Jonathan Hollow, Head of Financial Capability, Strategy and Innovation at the Money Advice Service. Richard Theo, CEO and founder of Wealthify Stephen Ingledew, CEO of Fintech Scotland Dr Sue Black, OBE Virraj Jatania, CEO and founder of Pockit We hope you enjoyed the show! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode, and follow Fintech Insider on Twitter or Facebook. If you really loved it, please leave us a review, we love reading them! Special Guests: Anish Kapoor, Dr. Sue Black, Gregoire Michel, Jonathan Hollow, Richard Theo, Stephen Ingledew, and Virraj Jatania.

"We just don't like to talk about money" Sarah Murphy is Head of Mental Health UK’s Money Advice Service. She chats to Ellen and Yvette about having too much money, not having enough money and finding ways to talk abut money! Stay in touch with Mentally Yours on Twitter and our private Facebook group.

Today on the show, we're talking about what's in your wallet and all things payment cards. It's the tenth anniversary of contactless payments in the UK, and we're also going to look at the pros and cons of charge charges and reward cards. The first contactless cards in the UK were launched in September 2007, with 111 million in issue in June 2017. During the first half of this year the amount spent using contactless technology (£23.23 billion) almost matched the amount spent in the whole of 2016 (£25 billion). Contactless usage is expected to increase four-fold by 2026. Is this growth in contactless payment a positive thing or is it changing our spending habits, resulting in less conscious decisions about our money? Andy Webb My co-host for this episode is Andy Webb, founder of Be Clever With Your Cash. Andy is a blogger, journalist and trainer on all things money and consumer. Alongside Be Clever With Your Cash, he works two days a week as the senior writer for The Money Advice Service’s blog.  Andy also represents the company as a “money expert” on TV, radio and in print. He’s appeared on BBC Breakfast (BBC One), Rip Off Britain (BBC One), Right on the Money (BBC One), Channel Five News, You and Yours (Radio 4), Newsbeat (Radio 1), Rip Off Britain Food (BBC One) and dozens of local radio stations. You can follow Andy on Twitter @AndyCleverCash. Want to join the Informed Choice Radio squad and co-host a future episode? Find out more here. Personal finance news -Price inflation in the UK has reached its highest level in more than five years. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of price inflation was 2.9% for the twelve months to August, up from 2.6% the previous month. -The Financial Conduct Authority has issued a consumer warning about the dangers of Initial Coin Offerings. This new investing trend is being used by companies who issue digital tokens or coins. - More than half of the country has experienced faster wage growth than house price growth during the past decade. Research from mortgage provider Yorkshire Building Society found that 54% of areas in the UK experienced pay outperforming property prices since 2007, including Edinburgh and Birmingham. - Chancellor of Exchequer Philip Hammond has announced the date of the next Budget. It will take place on Wednesday 22nd November. - Citizens Advice has called for a suspension in the expansion of reforms to the Universal Credit system, due to the risk of pushing families into a spiral of debt. The charity has said that those who rely on Universal Credits are more likely to be struggling with problem debts. Get answers to your personal finance questions Do you have a personal finance or investing question for Martin? Email martin@icfp.co.uk or ask on Twitter @martinbamford. You can call our dedicated podcast voicemail line on 020 8144 2745 with your question or visit www.icradio.co.uk/voicemail to leave an online voice message.

This week on the show, we're talking about how to get Generation Debt back on track. Insurer LV= has published some new research which has found renters among the late-Millennial generation (25-34 years old) are one of the least financially resilient groups in the UK. Based on research conducted with over 9,000 people, the first instalment of LV=’s ‘Income Roulette’ research found that more than half (55%) of 25-34 year olds fall short of the Money Advice Service (MAS) recommended amount of savings to be financially resilient. Resilience can be defined as someone who has 90 days’ worth of outgoings in savings, however the research found that a third (34%) of late-Millennials could only survive for one month or less if they lost their income. These figures are even more pronounced for renters of this age, who make up almost half (45%) of the group. Two-thirds (65%) of 25-34 year olds who rent don’t have the level of savings specified by MAS – almost double the national average (37%) – and 45% could only cope for one month or less without their income. In addition, more than two in five (44%) aren’t confident in their ability to handle a personal financial crisis, again far higher than the UK average (33%). Subscribe in Apple Podcasts | Click to listen now | Right click to download episode Introducing Andy Webb My co-host for this episode is Andy Webb, founder of Be Clever With Your Cash. Andy is a blogger, journalist and trainer on all things money and consumer. Alongside Be Clever With Your Cash, he works two days a week as the senior writer for The Money Advice Service’s blog.  Andy also represents the company as a “money expert” on TV, radio and in print. He's appeared on BBC Breakfast (BBC One), Rip Off Britain (BBC One), Right on the Money (BBC One), Channel Five News, You and Yours (Radio 4), Newsbeat (Radio 1), Rip Off Britain Food (BBC One) and dozens of local radio stations. Personal finance news -Members of the post-war baby boomer generation have enjoyed a massive boost from private and workplace pension income over the past 40 years. New figures from the Office for National Statistics show 80% of retired households received income from a private pension last year. -UK house prices recorded their fourth consecutive month of quarter-on-quarter falls in July. The latest figure from the Halifax reported that average property prices fell by 0.2% between May and July. -Household bills have risen at more than double the rate of price inflation over the past year. The Billflation Index from comparethemarket.com found the average monthly cost of household bills rose by 5.7% to £845 in April 2017, compared to the same month last year. -The Sunday Telegraph has reported that Britain is ready to pay up to €40bn as its 'divorce bill' to leave the European Union. The newspaper cited three unnamed sources who were familiar with the negotiating strategy. -Four in ten care homes have failed inspections, according to new analysis of Care Quality Commission reports. The Daily Mail analysis found 5,300 care homes have been inspected by the regulator this year and 2,000 were found inadequate or in need of improvement.

My guest for this episode of Informed Choice Radio is Michael Fotis. Mike is a man on a mission.  He’s the founder of Smart Money People, a business seeking to deliver real change in financial services by leveraging the power of its unique customer insight. His clients include retail banks, building societies, insurers, alternative finance providers and trade associations. Mike has written about financial services for a number of publications, including The Spectator, The Money Advice Service and ResPublica. He’s spoken at events including the ABI’s Big Data conference. In this episode of Informed Choice Radio, I speak to Mike about whether the boring reputation of financial services results in swerving scrutiny about their customer experience, what the rise in FinTech means for customer service in financial services, if customer reviews can be manipulated by the firms seeking them, and much more. Welcome to Smart Money People with Michael Fotis, in episode 144 of Informed Choice Radio. Some questions I ask -Why do banks have such a poor reputation for customer service and for trust? -Why do you think there’s that disconnect between someone’s individual experience with their bank or insurance company or fund manager, whoever it might be, and a collective reputation of the sector? -How do you work with banks and other financial services companies to improve their reputation or help them improve their reputations? -Talk to me about transparency. What role does that play when we’re trusting a large organisation? -With all of this growth in Fintech do you think that’s going to force the established players to up their game a bit? Thank you for listening! To get new episodes of Informed Choice Radio sent directly to your device as soon as they are published, you can subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Your reviews on iTunes are incredibly helpful and really appreciated. We get notified about each one; please leave a note of your name and website URL so we can mention you in a future episode.

In this episode of Informed Choice Radio, Martin talks about solving the biggest problem with living longer. There is also a roundup of the latest personal finance news and an update from the world of Informed Choice. How to Solve the Biggest Problems With Living Longer Earlier this week Martin gave a presentation at the Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting. This episode includes a re-recording of that presentation. Martin talks about a remarkable French lady and the deal she did with a property lawyer, the state of longevity in the UK today, what is on the cards for the State Pension, how reform of funding adult social care was watered down, and why many older people feel they are second-class citizens. He finishes with five ideas to address the challenges of an ageing population and helping people live well in later life. 1 – Become a Dementia Friend 2 – Become more accessible to older customers 3 – Invest in your old age today 4 – Talk to your kids about the future 5 – Re-rethink retirement Personal finance news update -The Financial Conduct Authority has warned some consumers might not fully understand the new Lifetime ISAs which are due to launch next April. -Unemployment in the UK has fallen to reach an 11-year low, according to new figures. -Early exit penalties for people withdrawing money from their pension pots are set to be capped at 1%. -Teenagers are ill-prepared for the financial realities of adulthood, according to the Money Advice Service. -Grandparents are gearing up to spoil their grandchildren to the tune of £1.4bn this Christmas according to research by Saga Money. Get answers to your personal finance questions Do you have a personal finance or investing question for Martin? Email martin@icfp.co.uk or ask on Twitter @martinbamford. You can call our dedicated podcast voicemail line on 020 8144 2745 with your question or visit www.icradio.co.uk/voicemail to leave an online voice message. Help us spread the word! Thank you for listening to this episode of Informed Choice Radio. Please use the comments section below to share any feedback you have. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it by using the social media buttons on this page. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! Reviews really help us stand out from the crowd and reach more listeners.

My guest for this episode of Informed Choice Radio is Andy Webb. Andy is a personal finance blogger, bargain hunter and journalist, covering all things money and consumer. He is the founder of Be Clever With Your Cash, a website which he launched in February 2014 following a long career with the BBC, including a stint working on The Money Programme. You might recognise Andy’s voice, as he is a regular on television and radio, as a money expert for The Money Advice Service. Andy’s website, Be Clever With Your Cash, gets more than 70,000 visitors a month and has resulted in some fantastic awards for Andy, most recently Best Personal Finance Blog at the 2016 Money Blogger Awards. He was also highly commended for Best Personal Finance Blog at the 2016 Headlinemoney Awards. As you will hear in this episode, Andy is passionate about not wasting cash and wants to help others achieve their dreams. He’s the founder of UK Money Bloggers; a network of personal finance and money saving bloggers who get together to share ideas, experiences and opportunities. In this episode of Informed Choice Radio, I speak to Andy about the growing community of money bloggers in the UK, how people with an interest in personal finance can get started online, and some basic steps to make the most of your money. Welcome to Cash Hacking with Andy Webb, in episode 129 of Informed Choice Radio. Some questions I ask -Why is personal finance blogging growing in the UK, despite the subject failing to capture the imagination of mainstream broadcasters? -How can you be confident the person behind a money blog is legitimate? -What’s topical at the moment in the world of money blogging? -For someone just getting started, what are the basics for making the most of your money? -Which members of the UK Money Bloggers community regularly give the best tips? Subscribe in iTunes | Click to listen now | Right click to download episode Useful links mentioned in this episode –Be Clever With Your Cash –Andy Webb on Twitter –UK Money Bloggers on Twitter Thank you for listening! To get new episodes of Informed Choice Radio sent directly to your device as soon as they are published, you can subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Your reviews on iTunes are incredibly helpful and really appreciated. We get notified about each one; please leave a note of your name and website URL so we can mention you in a future episode. Subscribe in iTunes | Click to listen now | Right click to download episode

Details of how the UK's largest sports retailer Sports Direct pays some of its workers were revealed to MPs this week. The Business Innovation and Skills Committee is looking into working practices at the company. It heard evidence from the Unite union that prepaid debit cards are used to pay some workers from Eastern Europe their wages. They come with a £10 a month fee for workers who are also charged for cash withdrawals and associated texts. Lesley Curwen speaks to Craig James, Chairman of the Prepaid International Forum, a trade association that represents the prepaid card industry. As industry body Energy UK launches a Switch Guarantee which aims to help households change providers in 21 days instead of four to six weeks, Audrey Gallacher, Director of Energy Supply at Energy UK, outlines how they plan to achieve that and Money Box listener Angie shares her switching story. It didn't go to plan... The state pensions of 472,000 British retirees who now live in another EEA country receive a yearly increase. Could that change if the UK votes to leave the EU? We hear from Tom Selby, Senior Analyst with AJ Bell. There's concern from the Financial Services Consumer Panel, which advises the regulator, the FCA, that millions of people will miss out on receiving impartial financial advice after the Money Advice Service closes. MAS was set up in 2010 to provide debt and financial advice. Questions over whether it was delivering value for money were raised in a National Audit Office report. A March 2016 budget announcement confirmed plans to abolish the service and replace it with a smaller advice body. Sue Lewis is Chair of the Financial Services Consumer Panel. Presenter: Lesley Curwen Reporter: Kevin Peachey Producer: Charmaine Cozier Editor: Andrew Smith.

Women and Money with Sarah Pennells talking with Nick Hill from the Money Advice Service, Lara Lipsey from Santander and Emily Leary who blogs at AMummyToo.com about back to school costs, how to effectively plan for September and tips and tricks to cut down the costs.

In this episode of the Informed Choice Podcast, Martin test drives the new BBC cost of care calculator. He talks about the new retirement advice directory from the Money Advice Service and looks at the latest statistics for investment fund inflows for 2014, which show a growing popularity of index tracker funds. Martin also plays a short clip of an interview between Abraham Okusanya and Justin King, about the book Ready, Steady, Retire! Martin gives a short recap of his week so far, the books he is currently reading and what is coming up next week, with a trip to London for the Unbiased Media Awards 2015.