We all know pensions are important but most of us rarely engage with them.



Yet, with a little bit of time and effort, you can get your work pension working as hard as possible for you - and at some point in the future you will be very glad you did so.



On this episode of the This is Money podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert talk pensions: why you should start early, the reason that it involves free money, how to invest for a richer retirement many years down the line and much more.



Also on the agenda, what happens if you get stuck in a mortgage with your ex, why is Lee so annoyed at a sneaky insurance tax that swiftly adds up and can M&S;'s sales and share price resurgence continue?



And finally, listen to the end if you want to find out where Lee buys his socks and Georgie gets her underwear.








How to turn your work pension into a moneyspinner and boost your pot

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You can wait a long time for a FTSE 100 record high but for peak-starved British investors this week delivered a bonanza.



Four record highs were racked up by the FTSE 100, with only Wednesday's slight dip spoiling what would have been a perfect run over a week.



The return to new highs on Thursday came as a mega-mining merger bid arrive from BHP for Anglo American - and that was followed swiftly by one of the UK's few tech stars Darktrace announcing it had accepted a bid on Friday.



Are these the catalysts that fund manager Nick Train was talking about when he said it could take a big takeover to shake UK stocks out of their slumber and get the world investing in Footsie companies again?



On this week's podcast, Georgie Frost, Tanya Jefferies and Simon Lambert look and what's moving the UK market, why it is judged to be cheap and whether you should invest.



Plus, the top investment trusts for retirement investing and the latest twist in the state pension top-ups saga.



Should we cut inheritance tax - or at least sort out the mess - as the take soars?



And finally, are you a backseat driver? See if you can pass the test.

Is the FTSE 100 finally having its moment in the sun?

Is there a risk that inflation falls and then spikes again?

Older people received another boost to the state pension this week taking the full rate to over £11,000 a year.



This year's increase of 8.5 per cent was thanks to the triple lock commitment - a guarantee the state pension will rise each year by the higher of CPI, wages or 2.5 per cent.



What does the future hold? While there is plenty of speculation the state pension may become means tested, in reality it could be incredibly hard to implement.



This week, Tanya Jefferies, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Lee Boyce talk state pensions – and how they compare to other countries.



And sticking on the theme, there is another delay for the Government’s new online state pension top-up service. When will it launch?



NS&I; has a four day IT meltdown that makes it a struggle for customers to log-in – and it suggests to one that she may have a ‘time drift.’ What does this bizarre explanation mean?



Crane is on the Case once more, this time Eon is in the firing line after it insisted a part-time dance teacher used £95,000 worth of energy… in a month.



And who on earth would hold an American Express card in their wallet with an APR 704.6 per cent? Lee has the answer.






State pension boosted by 8.5% from this week - will it ever become means tested?

There's a warning for savers who's fixed term deals are coming to an end - don't take your eye off the ball now or risk having your returns wiped out in a matter of months.



A year ago, there was a flurry of savers choosing fixed-rate bonds as they improved drastically. But if you don't act, the chances are it'll rollover into an awful rate.



On this week's This is Money podcast, Helen Crane, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost talk savings, just as we head into a new financial year.



Also on the savings front, NS&I; reveals the rate of the new British Savings Bond - is it worth it? And an Isa millionaire reveals all to This is Money on how he built up a seven-figure pot.



Helen tackles another reader problem – this time, it's a case of the unwanted and unneeded Sim card costing a pensioner couple hundreds of pounds.



And on the utilities front, Lee reveals how Ofcom saved him from a 75 per cent rise in his monthly broadband costs, and why you should check if you're out of contract with your mobile phone.



Mortgage approvals are up - but house prices nudge lower. What's going on? 



Meanwhile, research shows a record third of all homes are being bought by first time buyers – and they make up 89 per cent of buyers in one Berkshire town.



Lastly, entrepreneur Tim Armoo runs the rule over five money-making fads doing the rounds on social media – are any of them worth your time?






Beware fixed-rate savings trap… and secrets from an Isa millionaire

The row over small deposit mortgage is the gift that keeps on giving.



Hot on the heels of the Budget plan that never appeared arrives Yorkshire Building Society's new deal, that's been dubbed a 99 per cent mortgage.



But is it really one of those and does it have any redeeming features?



And if it's cheaper than you rent, is there anything wrong with taking a 99 per cent mortgage?



On this week's This is Money podcast, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert talk tiny deposit mortgages, negative equity and buying vs renting.



Plus, gift card draining scammers, can your pension last retirement, and finally, where are the experts investing their Isa and how can you easily sort yours?

How to turn your work pension into a moneyspinner and boost your pot

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