The Martin Lewis Podcast

Episodes

• I lost investing, time to retry? | Success: you got me £3k more pension | I bought home at 30, can I fix energy before moving?In our Question Time podcast, Martin tackles a mix of consumer rights, energy-switching dilemmas and investing nerves in this week. He explains why you have fewer rights when buying personalised products, where the line is between a genuinely customised item and something that only looks bespoke, and what protections you still have if things go wrong. Plus, if you're planning a house move, can you take a fixed energy tariff with you or are you forced onto a new deal? Martin unpacks the rules, the pitfalls and what to check before you move. And in our new Your Answers feature, Angela tells us she invested £5,000, saw it fall by £150 almost immediately, panicked and sold. Now she's wondering whether she should get back into investing. Martin put the question to listeners and received more than 3,000 responses. From lessons about staying calm during market dips to hard-earned experiences of investing for the long term, he shares the wisdom that stood out. Finally, a brilliant success story: one caller boosted their pension by £3,000 simply from acting on something they heard on the podcast. Martin explains how it happened, why it could affect many more people, and how to check whether you're due extra pension money too. If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podcast lets you ask Martin absolutely anything and everything (within reason!). So, if you’ve always wanted to know what he likes in his full English breakfast, what his thermostat’s set to, or you have a very complicated question about your finances, email it to MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

  233|47M
• Is it time to ditch your Premium Bonds? | Free Wills | How to lend to friends & familyMartin asks a big question: is it finally time to ditch Premium Bonds? They’re the UK’s most popular single form of savings, with more than £136 billion invested. The prizes are tax-free, they’re backed by the Government, and there’s always the dream of winning big. But despite all that, Martin explains why Premium Bonds are often held by the wrong people. He’ll break down exactly who they work well for, who could do better elsewhere, what the alternatives are, and how to check whether you’re one of the lucky savers owed a share of more than £100 million in unclaimed prizes. In this week’s Tell Us, Martin tackles a financial dilemma that can test even the strongest relationships: lending money to family and friends. Have you done it? Did you charge interest? Did it all work out, or end in disaster? Martin shares listeners’ stories and reveals his top tips on how to lend money in a way that protects both your finances and your relationships. Plus, this week’s Mastermind sees Adrian put his knowledge to the test on what happens to your money when you die. Whether he gets the answers right or not, Martin will explain the key rules everyone should know, including why now is the perfect time to sort out an up-to-date will. With three free or low-cost charity will-writing schemes currently available, Martin explains how you can get your affairs in order and make life much easier for the people you leave behind. And there’s also a chat with Adrian Chiles about a very modern public-transport dilemma: what should you do when someone starts blasting audio from their speakerphone for the whole carriage to hear? Adrian gets Martin to recount the time he decided to confront a fellow passenger, and whether it was a triumph of public etiquette or a journey he came to regret. If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podcast lets you ask Martin absolutely anything and everything (within reason!). So, if you’ve always wanted to know what he likes in his full English breakfast, what his thermostat’s set to, or you have a very complicated question about your finances, email it to MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

  232|58M
• Question Time: What should every teenager know about money? Time of use tariffs: still worth it? Stooze with other 0% finance?In our Question Time podcast, Martin Lewis gives you answers on anything and everything, including: what should every teenager know about money? Martin has important answers that apply to every adult too. Can my son claim back tax he shouldn’t have paid on his summer job? Are time of use tariffs still worth it in these times of energy price volatility? Can you stooze with other 0% finance offers, not just credit cards? We also have a council tax re-banding success, and Martin explains how you could too! Plus, why Question Time will never be the same again. If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podcast lets you ask Martin absolutely anything and everything (within reason!). So, if you’ve always wanted to know if he’s got a sweet tooth, what he’d take with him to a desert island, or you have a very complicated question about your finances, email it to MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

  231|57M
• What’s going to happen to interest rates? And what it means for mortgages, savings & more!What’s next for interest rates and, more importantly, what does it mean for your money? Martin is joined by an economist to look ahead at where rates could be heading over the next year, before a mortgage broker helps turn the forecasts into practical advice. Whether you're saving, borrowing, remortgaging or weighing up your next financial move, they'll explain how changing rates could affect savings accounts, mortgages, loans and more. Plus, in this week’s Tell Us, we hear your stories of the most expensive things you’ve bought and never used. From hairdryers gathering dust to hot tubs that became very pricey garden features, it's a chance to confess those purchases that seemed like a great idea at the time. And finally, Martin may have jumped the shark with this week’s Mastermind. A question about savings unleashes his inner thespian, and let's just say he might have enjoyed the performance a little too much. The real challenge is deciding whether the acting helps explain the answer... or completely distracts Adrian Chiles from it. If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podcast lets you ask Martin absolutely anything and everything (within reason!). So, if you’ve always wanted to know what he likes in his full English breakfast, what his thermostat’s set to, or you have a very complicated question about your finances, email it to MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

  230|1T 9M
• Question Time: My energy’s fixed: refix early to beat hikes? Will our wedding hit our mortgage? How to switch joint savings?In our Question Time podcast, Martin Lewis gives you answers on anything and everything, including: my energy fix ends in December; with huge price rises coming, should I ditch it and refix now? Our wedding coincides with the end of our mortgage fix, will the extra spending cause problems? How do I switch our joint savings account? If two families are travelling together, should we each get family insurance or a group policy? We have a success, where Maddy was mis-sold a data plan and got over a grand back! And Martin shows us the wide range of accents he can do… or at least he tries! If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podcast lets you ask Martin absolutely anything and everything (within reason!). So, if you’ve always wanted to know what he likes in his full English breakfast, what his thermostat’s set to, or you have a very complicated question about your finances, email it to MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

  229|55M
• Mini pod: Is now the time to ban unnecessary Christmas presents? With 100 days to go, Martin’s top tips to ease costs & stressIn this mini ‘100 days to go until the big day’ episode, Martin Lewis gives you his top tips to help you save money and ease the stress around the cost of Christmas, including: bank switches giving you free cash, toy sales, banning unnecessary presents, what’s basket bluff (and how to play it), and loads more! If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podcast lets you ask Martin absolutely anything and everything (within reason!). So, if you’ve always wanted to know his favourite London bus route, how many pets he has, or you have a very complicated question about your finances, email it to MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

  228|28M
• Question Time: Is it time to become a stoozer? I halved my car insurance by timing quotes! Rights if buying secondhand?In our Question Time podcast, Martin Lewis gives you answers on anything and everything, including: if I haven’t filled up my ISA from last year, can I add the remainder now? What rights do I have when I buy goods secondhand if they’re faulty? My bank has done a strange thing; can you work out why? We hear from Fran, who’s become a huge money saving convert, saving thousands, and wants to know if it’s time to step up and become a stoozer (which is where you create a false 0% debt in order to save the cash at high interest). We’ve got a ‘sweet spot’ car insurance success, where Cath halved her costs by getting quotes at just the right time, and Martin tells you how you can too! Plus, has Martin’s wife ever brought home a piece of tech that he just had to go and buy for himself? If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podcast lets you ask Martin absolutely anything and everything (within reason!). So, if you’ve always wanted to know how he likes his eggs cooked, what his dream car is, or you have a very complicated question about your finances, email it to MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

  227|47M
• Should you invest or save for your children? Best funds, best buys, kids pensions and moreThis episode is your complete guide to saving and investing for children. Martin Lewis is joined by an investment specialist to answer everything you've ever wanted to know about putting money aside for under-18s, including whether it's better to save or invest (spoiler: for many children with a long-term horizon, investing may win out), how Junior ISAs and Child Trust Funds work, the best buys currently available, and the key things parents, grandparents and family members need to know before putting money away. They'll also explore investment fund options, whether Premium Bonds are a good choice for children, and even the often-overlooked world of children's pensions. Plus, in this week's Tell Us, Martin hears your stories of the times carefully checking a bill, invoice or statement saved you money. From spotting simple errors to uncovering major overcharges, including one listener who used AI to identify a £1,000 rental discrepancy. Then, Mastermind tackles a question many shoppers have wondered about: what are your legal rights if you buy something and the retailer reduces the price the very next day? Martin explains the rules, the myths, and when you may be able to get money back. And make sure you listen right to the end, as Martin reveals a special tip on an easy way for 13 to 17-year-olds to bag a free £50. If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podcast lets you ask Martin absolutely anything and everything (within reason!). So, if you’ve always wanted to know how many hours a day he spends on his phone, what his go-to karaoke song is, or you have a very complicated question about your finances, email it to MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

  226|1T 11M
• Question Time: Am I short-changing my kids’ savings? How to stop loans for gambling addict? Does Section 75 work with vouchers?In our Question Time podcast, Martin Lewis gives you answers on anything and everything, including: how do I get a PAC code when there's multiple numbers on my account? Will I be protected by Section 75 if I part-pay with vouchers? Should I move savings for my child into an ISA? Is there a service to stop an addict accessing loans and credit cards? We also have a success, where Hannah tells us how she passed Martin’s advice to a friend, and saved her £540 on her mobile and broadband! Plus, Matt asks Martin how he organises his wardrobe. If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podcast lets you ask Martin absolutely anything and everything (within reason!). So, if you’ve always wanted to know how many hours a day he spends on his phone, what his go-to karaoke song is, or you have a very complicated question about your finances, email it to MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

  225|51M
• Time to save for kids’ uni? Time to refix your energy tariff? Plus more back-to-reality issuesIn this week's The Martin Lewis Podcast, it's Back to Life, Back to Reality as Martin returns with a pot pourri of essential September savings and money tips. From a crucial warning for parents of senior school children about the true future cost of university, to how you could be entitled to hundreds of pounds in compensation for delayed or cancelled flights this summer, Martin tackles the money issues that could put cash back in your pocket. He also explains how workers who wear a uniform could be missing out on tax relief, plus plenty more practical ways to save. With the Energy Price Cap rising, Martin breaks down the urgent deals currently available that could help cut your bills. He explains whether now is the right time to fix your tariff and, importantly, what those already on a fixed deal should do next. Spoiler: don't rush into refixing without understanding the pitfalls. Energy is also the focus of this week's Mastermind. In the Tell Us feature, it's all about the "C" word... Christmas. Listeners reveal just how much festive preparation they've already done, with some starting as far back as last November. And finally, ever wondered what Martin sounds like played at double speed? There's only one way to find out...! If you want to ask Martin a question, you now can! His Question Time podcast lets you ask Martin absolutely anything and everything (within reason!). So, if you’ve always wanted to know his favourite paper size, what prescription he has in his glasses, or have a very complicated question about your finances, email it to MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

  224|1T 5M