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The past half-century has provided a generally well-structured approach to employment and career opportunities, but there's little reliability or predictability today. Increasingly, young people cannot rely on others to sort their lives out for them: they need to take matters into their own hands. Could it be the time for entrepreneurial activity to move from the margins to the centre ground? Background music: 'Any Thing You Can Dream' by The Whole Other.

President Trump has learnt the hard way that he can't just impose tariffs by Executive Order. The U.S. Supreme Court may be beefed up by his own nominees, but they have shown that they do understand the law. We're now beset by uncertainties: on tariffs, refunds, exchange rates and U.S. public debt. The financial markets hate uncertainty, and his 150-day 'Section 122' tariffs won't fend off the risk of financial meltdown unless a long-term solution can be agreed on a cross-party basis. Background music: 'Confliction & Catharsis' by Asher Fulero

There are a host of big issues facing young people, but lowering the voting age to 16 is not one of them. Student debt post-graduation is one of the biggest: as Gavin Williamson says, 'Saddling young people with eye-watering debts before they have even begun their working lives is more than unfair: it amounts to a levy on ambition'. Why can politicians not get out of the mindset of pandering to the elderly at the expense of the young? They need to learn what inter-generational rebalancing means. Background music: 'Something Is Wrong' by Sir Cubworth.

Mike Indian says that Kier Starmer's decision to stay out of the strikes on Iran is wise. There is no sense of an end-game plan. All this is a long way from Trump's first-term rhetoric of "no foreign wars". It is hard to see this as anything but naked aggression. We, however, have built our post-war security under the US nuclear umbrella and our failure to protect our bases merely highlights the cutbacks in our armed forces in the last 15 years or so. If we are smart, perhaps we will use the conflict as a spur to increase our defence budget. Has Starmer's refusal to help harmed the "Special Relationship"? That hasn't really existed since Bush and Blair. Iran will run out of ammunition before the Americans but what happens then? The muted reaction to the Spring Statement shows how quiet things have become on the Rachel Reeves' front. The forecasts for growth have been downgraded but the Chancellor is still on track to meet her tax and spending rules. A surge in inflation as a result of "events" could yet pose her problems.

Russ Mould says that investors can't ignore what is happening in the Gulf, which has seen a jump in volatility and sharp declines in some of the investments that been doing best but which had little downside protection. Despite this, the broader US market is roughly where it was a week before. Oil is up by a fifth, but that is still much less than during other Middle Eastern crises. For investors, though, the important thing is not to panic. If you had good reasons for your investments before, then be patient, seek diversification and value and avoid leveraged situations. Energy stocks like BP and Shell account for 10% of the FTSE by market cap and the market is saying the oil price is about right. Oil service companies could be worth a thought if the conflict lasts longer than expected but the only one the UK has left now is Hunting.

·    Steve Caplin says Apple have come out with a slew of new devices, the only interesting one being a new MacBook at a surprisingly low price. When three AIs simulated war games, they opted for nuclear war 95% of the time. Wearers of Meta's Ray-Ban AI glasses might be disturbed to learn that they are being watched by monitors in Nairobi, including while they have sex. The Tesla Cybercab has no steering wheel or pedals; it also can't actually drive on roads yet. Google spinoff Beam offers high speed internet using light instead of cables. Surrey University has found a way to make batteries without expensive lithium while a Cornish firm thinks lithium will be a by-product of its geothermal power. There's a robot chef that can produce up to 500 dishes, but might take a while to clean afterwards. And a Finnish company is embedding retractable studs in tyres to make snow chains redundant.

James Cameron-Wilson is not a fan of #1 ‘Scream 7’, despite the return of Neve Campbell. He didn't care for the characters, found the film nasty and thought it made no sense. He was more positive about ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’, with Amanda Seyfried giving a career-best performance as the founder of the Shaker movement with an excellent Mancunian accent. It's a bonkers film, being a musical biopic on an enormous visual canvas but it shows what cinema can do and is very memorable. ‘Come See Me In The Good Light’ is an extraordinary documentary – nominated for an Oscar — about a poet with terminal cancer and how they deal with it. It is deeply moving but also full of joy and laughter. It is also one of the most intimate and personal films about a relationship.

How will the Iranian conflict affect your finances? Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce are joined by Helen Crane to discuss the potential impact on your investments and energy bills, and your price-at-the-pumps and mortgage. Also — what did the Chancellor say in the Spring Statement? And, on a lighter note, Lee looks at rates nudging upwards on Cash ISAs. 

The conflict in Iran is on every investor’s mind as stocks seem to sink day after day. But panic is never the right answer, and we discuss what we’re doing (or not doing) in today’s market. Then we deep dive into an unloved company, Disney. Travis Hoium, Emily Flippen, and Lou Whiteman discuss Iran, the market, and what we’re doing now, Broadcom earnings, Disney deep dive, and stocks on our radar. Companies discussed: Stantech (STN), Honeywell (HON), Disney (DIS), Broadcom (AVGO), NVIDIA (NVDA). Host — Travis Hoium; Guests — Emily Flippen, Lou Whiteman.

The market is dropping and oil is up today as the Middle East continues to be on investors’ minds. But is this a panic the market will get over or the kind of action that will push the economy into recession? Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Matt Frankel discuss rising oil prices and today’s market, Target’s ho hum business — and do insider buys really matter? Companies discussed: Target (TGT), SoFi (SOFI), Shift4 (FOUR), ServiceNow (NOW). Host — Travis Hoium; Guests — Lou Whiteman, Matt Frankel.

Coping with high stress/toxic environments can result in carrying heavy emotional baggage rooted in early years' experience, particularly if accompanied by a desire to be accepted or to fit in with a facade/mask to obscure that stress. Adam Cox uses metaphorical images of a deep dark forest, and being weighed down with heavy baggage, in order to re-visit coping strategies from childhood to introduce a more authentic, 'future-pacing' and real version for the listener.

New data from The Royal Kennel Club Census, based on nearly 20,000 UK dog owners, reveals fresh insights into Britain’s dogs ahead of Crufts. With walks averaging 1 hour and 16 minutes, agility owners report more exercise and higher training levels, while classic favourites like tennis balls and meat-based treats still dominate. Britain’s love of dogs remains as strong as ever. Joining Rory McGowan is Charlotte McNamara, Head of the Health and Breeding Department at the Royal Kennel Club, organisers of Crufts, who shares expert insight into the benefits of agility training — from improving focus and confidence to strengthening the bond between owners and their dogs — and explains why structured activity plays such an important role in canine wellbeing.

The dust has settled on the Budget but while we now know what Rachel Reeves plans for our finances, many questions remain. The Budget featured a raft of tax rises — but also left out some moves that were widely rumoured to happen. On this special bonus episode, Simon Lambert is joined by Lisa Caplan, of Charles Stanley Direct, to find out what people are asking after the Budget — and the answers to those important questions

The UK Budget speech and the response from Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch. This includes the 'Point of Order' beforehand from Mel Stride regarding the premature release of the OBR report. This is the unabridged record without comment, and the recording runs for one hour and 31 minutes.

Pensions and inheritance are at the forefront of many people's minds ahead of the Budget. In her last Budget, Rachel Reeves announced she will pull pension pots into the inheritance tax net from April 2027. Meanwhile, there are concerns that pension tax-free lump sums and inheritance tax allowances could fall victim to another raid as the Chancellor tries to balance the books again. In this special episode of the This is Money podcast, Simon Lambert is joined by Lisa Caplan, director of Charles Stanley Direct Advice and Guidance. Lisa spends her days helping customers understand how to protect their wealth, make their pension last in retirement and, importantly, enjoy their hard-earned money. She discusses with Simon the questions people are asking right now about pensions and inheritance tax and her answers.

The world is facing a myriad of Gordian Knots at present — problems so intricate and complex that they need new and very different approaches to solve them. In Greek mythology, it was Alexander the Great who chopped the knot rather than struggling to untie it. If you're facing a raft of complex problems, this episode could help you find novel and creative ways to solve them. So, think of the most challenging things in your life and listen in for inspiration. Maybe Donald Trump should seek Adam Cox's guidance for resolving conflicts across the world, or the UN for dealing with climate change — or Governments across western democracies seeking an answer for intractable debt problems? Image: Wikipedia

For the 500th show, Steve Caplin takes a look back at some of the highlights of ten years of Gadgets & Gizmos. He covers sprayable sleep, cows imitating zebras to ward off mosquitoes, crows collecting cigarette butts, NFTs, self-parking slippers, KFC chicken-tasting nail polish, the first human head transplant, the Skunklock noxious bike lock, Refrigerdating, the robot dog flamethrower, ant populated gin and how to make pain relief pills 10 times more effective.

Berkshire’s cash hoard is approaching “Dr. Evil” levels. Tim Beyers and Dylan Lewis discuss Warren Buffett’s message to investors and Berkshire Hathaway shareholders in his annual letter, Berkshire’s growing cash position and what it might say about his view of the investing opportunities out there, and Apple’s $500Bn commitment to its Advanced Manufacturing Fund, AI development, and R&D efforts. Then, 16 minutes in, American's pharmaceutical options for legally treating mental health issues could expand soon. MindMed is testing the effects of LSD on depression and Anxiety, the company’s CEO Rob Barrow talks Ricky Mulvey through his company's work and the future of psychedelics and mental health. Companies discussed: BRK.A, BRK.B, AAPL, MNMD. Host - Dylan Lewis; Guests - Tim Beyers, Rob Barrow, Ricky Mulvey

James Cameron-Wilson reports on box office -13% but still up on 2024, with ‘Wicked’ becoming last year's most successful film with £59.6m. The musical biopic of Bob Dylan, ‘A Complete Unknown’, with Timothy Chalomet and Edward Norton is the new #1. The tedious and unbelievable ‘Wolf Man’ limps in at #7. James found Netflix's spy thriller ‘Back in Action’, the return from retirement of Cameron Diaz, all very silly and over the top, despite some good stunts. The Oscar nominations were coming out during recording, so James gives his first thoughts on who's in and who's out.

Warren Buffett sends us into the season to be thankful with his philanthropic acts and his poignant words, and gives us all a place to start the conversation with family about money. Asit Sharma and Dylan Lewis discuss NBC’s negotiations to extend their rights to broadcast rights to the Macy’s Day Parade, and why holiday live events are turning into an arms race, the expectations for Black Friday through Cyber Monday, and two predictions on the direction of consumer spend and who will be driving it in future years, and Warren Buffett’s plans for passing his wealth on to his family and philanthropic efforts, and the words of wisdom we should all have in mind as we get together with loved ones this week. Companies discussed: CMCSA, M, NFLX, AMZN, BRK.A, BRK.B. Host - Dylan Lewis; Guests - Asit Sharma

The core of the problem with unclaimed, adult-owned Child Trust Funds (of which there are over £2 billion waiting to be claimed) is with accounts opened by HMRC. That's why The Share Foundation has proposed a 'default withdrawal at 21' process, based on the young person's National Insurance number. Danny Kruger MP took part in the CTF conference in Westminster on Tuesday 5th March, and two weeks later in a Westminster Hall CTF debate, and supported this initiative which could release £1/4 billion each year to help these young and predominantly low-income young adults. Background music: 'Waiting' by Andrew Langdon

The debate on 19th March 2024 was hosted by Sir Jeremy Quin MP to call for the need to simplify family access to Child Trust Funds for disabled young people, and a number of MPs contributed to the debate, including Danny Kruger and Ed Davy. The audio record is provided by Parliament Live, and is an unabridged recording of proceedings, without additional comment. Listeners may notice an adjournment for voting in the House of Commons.

Welcome to a special episode of The Financial Outlook: the investment section of the Managing My Money course. What's the difference between saving and investment? It's all in the risk. We talk about shares, bonds and funds, and which perform best over the long term. The Managing My Money course has 16 sections in total, and is presented by Glen Goodman and Annie Weston. You can enjoy the whole course, produced in association with the Open University via Share Radio's home page. Here's the link to the slides for this episode: https://www.shareradio.co.uk/help-guides/managing-my-money/supporting-slides/mmm-week-5-episode-10-supporting-slides/

“The [Child Trust Fund] scheme has been closed to new entrants for over 12 years. In this time HMRC has been focusing resources on evaluating and improving existing schemes. We will continue to keep the need to evaluate old schemes under review.” So said Andrew Griffith MP, Economic Secretary to HM Treasury in reply to a parliamentary question from John Ashworth MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. But this is not an 'old scheme' — there is currently over £1.7 billion sitting in mature accounts belonging to over 900,000 mainly low-income young adults throughout the UK who don't know anything about their good fortune! Their Child Trust Fund harvest is seeing too little action at present: but it's not too late to get it sorted, and the current focus from the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee will certainly help.
Background music: 'Hopeful Freedom' by Asher Fulero

The huge take-up of ChatGPT over recent weeks has brought the challenge of Artificial Intelligence into sharp relief. As the Chief Executive of its creator, OpenAI, said in one of his blogs, 'Artificial Intelligence will bring unimaginable wealth but, unless something changes, most of us will get none of it. We need a radical solution'. Conventional wisdom sees Universal Basic Income as the way through this dilemma, but this will only bring us more state intermediation and human subservience. We can put forward a better solution, by enabling all to share in the wealth that technology brings and to play their part in its future governance.
Background music: 'Digital Solitude' by Silent Partner

Jonathan Davis, editor of the Investment Trusts Handbook, tells Simon Rose what makes investment trusts special and why investors should consider their merits. He explains the differences to other types of funds, including the premium and discount. He discusses the yields on alternative assets (including renewable energy and even music royalties) and how trusts can continue paying dividends even in bad years. The handbook, from Harriman House, is available in hardbook or free as an ebook (https://tinyurl.com/mt69fc24).

It’s the last episode of Answers (but don’t worry, we’re just moving to Motley Fool Money every Tuesday). We’ll reminisce on our biggest lessons learned over the last seven years and answer your questions, some financial, some festive.

The Talk by the WealthiHer Network, every month on Share Radio: this month we are here to talk about the secrets of some of UK leading female businesses leaders and their journeys within launching their businesses. Tamara Gillan is joined by Charlotte Bobroff, the executive director at J.P. Morgan who has been incremental with working with female founders from female high-powered businesses. She recently curated an event surrounding female high-powered businesses and she will be discussing her findings. Also, we have the pleasure of Daina Speddings, who is an investor at BGF and will share her perspective on the investment journey.

Scrooge has made the deal of his life with Chinese investors and must now quickly return to London on Christmas Eve to close the deal. On the flight back, during a fitful sleep, Scrooge confronts his past and present and learns the future consequences of his miserly life to find the true meaning of Christmas. Proscenium Online Theatre is super excited to be bringing you a whole new season of audio dramas in 2022. Starting off with 'The Girl in the Yellow Dress', a dark romance by South African playwright Craig Higginson, and 'Plunder', an original Hong Kong based thriller by American playwright Alan Olejniczak. In the meantime - sit back, close your eyes and enjoy the Proscenium Online Theatre’s production of 'A Christmas Carol'.

https://www.prosceniumonlinetheatre.com

Join the Sustain:Social panel session on December '21, considering the outlook for investors in the wake of the COP26 in Glasgow. The panel comprises of - Chair: Rodney Hobson Panel: Gervais Williams (Premier Miton Group); Jamie Broderick (Impact Investing Institute); Mohan Gundu (Sustainable Funds Group); Mike Appleby (Liontrust Sustainable Investment team); Gavin Oldham (The Share Foundation / Share Radio).

Food banks are providing a vital role to help people this winter, and the Trussell Trust supports more than 1,200 throughout the United Kingdom. In this special episode of The Bigger Picture, their Chief Executive Emma Revie briefs supporters about their progress, and their plans for the future. If you would like to support the extraordinary work undertaken by this charity, please visit https://trusselltrust.org

Imagine a world in which everyone has a stake in the great tech firms that serve them each day, and where dividends are gradually replacing wages to provide regular income for everyone, as work becomes scarcer as a result of automation? Imagine a world where every young person not only has a small inheritance with which to start their adult life, but also the opportunity to build its value by learning life skills? Simon Rose is taking a well-earned break this week, so we’re taking the opportunity to bring you a talk given Gavin Oldham in August to the leading City of London think-tank Z/Yen.

Click link for slides for presentation

Every child in the UK born between 1 Sept 2002 and 2 Jan 2011 has a Child Trust Fund (CTF). But one child in six has lost contact with the money. Gavin Oldham, Chairman of The Share Foundation – which runs the Junior ISA & Child Trust Fund schemes for children in care for the Department for Education - is trying to re-connect them. He talks through the CTF, how to track an account down, and what a child can and can’t do with the money.

In a new partnership with publishers Harriman House, Share Radio has produced its first audiobook 'Superinvestors', written by Matthew Partridge and read by some of Share Radio's best known presenters. 'Superinvestors' lays bare the investing secrets of legendary investors - from early 20th-century figures such as Benjamin Graham and John Maynard Keynes, through to more modern names such as Anthony Bolton and Warren Buffett.

How you can help young people in care prepare for adult life by supporting The Share Foundation’s ‘Stepladder of Achievement’ programme.

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