Skint

This week Connie and Mik break down the rumours circulating ahead of the budget. They cover talk of equalising capital gains tax with income tax, changes to the mansion tax threshold, the pension tax free lump sum, and Andy Burnham’s comments on the state pension triple lock. Mik explains which rumours are likely to hold and which ones probably won’t.
With bullet points:
Connie and Mik go through the rumours circulating ahead of this year’s budget.
Why there was talk of equalising capital gains tax with income tax, and why the Chancellor has ruled it out
The mansion tax threshold and the problems with valuing every property over 2 million pounds
Fiscal headroom explained, and why the government needs to raise more tax
Employee National Insurance and why Mik thinks it’s effectively income tax by another name
The state pension triple lock, and what moving to a double lock would actually mean
Rumours around cutting the pension tax free lump sum, and why some people took theirs out early

This week Skint welcomes Sally, who opens up about getting into serious credit card debt after her divorce. What started as one gifted credit card turned into a two year spiral of designer shopping, hidden bags under her desk, and a debt she told nobody about. She talks through what finally made her ask for help, and how she rebuilt her relationship with money from the ground up.

We cover:
How easy credit card offers turned into a two year shopping spiral after her divorce
Hiding the debt from her family and colleagues while working in fashion
The moment she realised she had nowhere left to go
Why asking for help felt like such a relief
The cash envelope system and budgeting habits she built afterwards
Why she now sees getting into debt as the best thing that happened to her

The financial industry loves its jargon, and this episode is here to fix that. Connie and Mik go through the terms you hear all the time but nobody ever really explains.
The Bank of England, the Fed, and why interest rate decisions are kept independent from politicians
The FCA and the difference between financial conduct and financial stability
Passive vs active investing, and what "alpha" and "beta" actually mean
Bull and bear markets explained, and why trying to time the market rarely works
IPOs, private equity, and what really happens when a company like SpaceX floats
EBITDA, dividends, and why some companies pay out and others don't
The FIRE movement, retiring at 40 by saving up to 70% of your salary, and whether it's actually worth it
If you've ever nodded along in a conversation about finance without understanding a word, this one's for you.

Mik was nearly scammed. A scarily professional WhatsApp message asked him to "verify" his card for a holiday booking in Sicily, reference number and all. On this episode of Skint, Connie and Mik break down what happened and the other scams doing the rounds right now.
The fake booking confirmation that had all his details, down to arrival and departure dates
The O2 phone scam where fraudsters order a phone on your account and get you to post it back to them
Why hovering over an email address before clicking anything can save you
A Facebook Marketplace scam that cost a friend £700 for a peloton that never existed
The 17 year old who unknowingly bought fake car insurance and ended up with a criminal record

Buying a house in England is famously one of the most stressful processes in the world — no real commitment from either side until the very last minute, surprise gazumping, and estate agents with zero formal qualifications. In this episode of Skint, Connie and Mik dig into the government's proposed overhaul of the home-buying system.
Sales packs: sellers disclose chain position, covenants, leasehold/freehold status and planning history before a property is even listed
Earlier commitment: moving toward binding agreements sooner in the process, as seen in France and Scotland
Digital property records: what's changing and the security questions still being worked out
Professionalising estate agents: from a non-mandatory code of practice to future qualifications
Stamp duty pain: now over 10% on properties above £1m, and how it's stalled the market and killed off quick property flips
Whether you're buying, selling, or just skint and curious, this one's for you.