AJ Bell Money & Markets

The Autumn Budget is out, but what does it really mean for your money? Sarah Coles and Dan Coatsworth cut through the noise and explain the key announcements affecting savers, investors, pensioners and your personal finances, including what has changed, who wins and loses, and what you need to know now.

They discuss big changes to ISAs, what’s happening with the economy, the outlook for interest rates, and much more.

00:00 Start
01:33 Cash ISA changes scrapped
03:42 A new ISA for first-time buyers
07:03 The catches with the new first-time buyer ISA
09:13 A new incentive to start investing
11:46 Tax changes for state pensioners
13:29 Savings and property income face higher tax
14:49 What about dividend tax?
18:53 Cost of living: energy bills and fuel duty
23:37 What the Budget could mean for savers and banks
25:22 Frozen income tax thresholds and fiscal drag
26:12 Pensions and inheritance tax: no change

Join AJ Bell’s experts live for a free Budget Q&A webinar the day after the Chancellor’s Budget, Thursday 29 October at 12:30

https://ajbellplc.registration.goldcast.io/webinar/f6d51892-eb95-4159-9c1e-59709b32991d

On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Sarah Coles and Dan Coatsworth look at the growing problem of lost pension pots and explain how to track down forgotten retirement savings. We also discuss the billions of pounds sitting in unclaimed Premium Bonds, and Child Trust Funds gathering dust. Importantly, Sarah explains ways to check whether some of that money belongs to you. 

The team reveal six tax tips that could save people up to £8,500 ahead of the Budget and discuss what Chancellor John Healey might have in store for investors, savers and taxpayers. From pension tax breaks and income tax thresholds to ISAs, stamp duty and the state pension tax dilemma, Sarah and Dan run through the key areas to watch. 

You can hear from interview with Sonia Bainbridge from Invesco on what it will take to get more people investing. The pod also discusses another week of cyber-attacks, an IMF inflation warning, AI stock weakness. James Flintoft reveals the AJ Bell investment team’s view on the recent bond market selloff. 

Finally, hear about activist pressure at Whitbread, unusually low CEO turnover among FTSE 100 companies, and an important court case involving a romance scam.

Time stamps:  
[01:10] Lost pension pots, unclaimed Premium Bonds and forgotten Child Trust Funds 
[09:21] Six tax tips that could save people up to £8,500 
[15:24] Autumn Budget preview: what could change for your money? 
[30:10] Sonia Bainbridge from Invesco on how to get more people investing 
[42:31] Cyber-attacks, inflation risks and AJ Bell’s James Flintoft on bond market volatility 
[58:33] AI stock wobble 
[01:01:03] Premier Inn owner Whitbread targeted by activist investor 
[01:03:16] Where’s all the CEO changes among FTSE 100 companies? 
[01:05:30] Romance scam

ASOS has been hit by a damaging cyberattack, reviving concerns about the threat facing UK retailers after incidents at Co-op and Marks & Spencer. This episode examines what happened, how ASOS could be affected and what might come next. We also explain why five-year fixed mortgage rates have reached 6% and what worried borrowers can do. Plus, we explore takeover talk involving Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, BT’s acquisition of TalkTalk, Jaguar’s electric vehicle rethink, record highs for the S&P 500, moves in oil and bond markets, SpaceX’s AI chip plans and the buzz around Meta’s Muse AI model.

We also talk to fund manager David Harrison from Rathbones about whether investors who rank sustainability highly can ever back AI companies given the water and energy usage involved.

Timestamps 

[01:51] Oil prices, bond yields, a record high for the S&P 500 and SpaceX’s AI chip plans 

[03:57] Meta’s Muse AI model, the buzz around it and the risks for the wider business 

[09:01] Paramount and Warner Bros, BT’s takeover of TalkTalk and competition concerns 

[14:55] Why a possible Sainsbury’s and Morrisons deal has revived talk of UK supermarket mergers 

[18:11] The ASOS cyberattack and comparisons with Co-op and Marks & Spencer 

[23:00] Five-year fixed mortgage rates hit 6% and what borrowers can do 

[25:56] The headline announcements from the Conservative Party conference 

[29:51] Eve Maddock-Jones speaks to David Harrison from Rathbones on AI and sustainability

[39:14] Jaguar’s electric vehicle rethink and the challenges facing carmakers’ EV strategies

Are the warning lights flashing for a new cost of living crisis? In this week's AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Sarah Coles and Dan Coatsworth examine the biggest threats facing household finances, from rising oil prices and inflation to mortgage costs and Budget tax rumours.

They explain the key signals everyone should be watching, explore the winners and losers from changing consumer spending habits, and discuss what potential tax changes could mean for investors.

Plus: the Hyrox fitness boom, supermarket wars, capital gains tax (CGT) speculation, and a surprising ISA trend that could leave many families exposed later in life.

Subscribe for weekly insights on investing, markets, pensions, tax and personal finance. The podcast that gives you practical tips and valuable insight.

01:41 Are we heading for a new cost of living crisis?

03:32 The key indicators to watch: inflation, wages and energy bills, and where we stand now

13:39 Hyrox: Dan talks to Ruby Bollington on the fitness craze attracting big-money investors

22:34 Retail sales, M&S on trend, and how supermarkets are fighting for customers

31:20 A different way to invest in the weekly food shop: Interview with Supermarket Income REIT boss Rob Abraham

41:16 Budget rumours: property taxes, holiday lets and CGT changes

49:29 The biggest Budget fears among UK households

52:43 The ISA trend that could put family finances at risk

In this special episode of the Deep Dive podcast, Tom is joined by AJ Bell’s head of public policy Rachel Vahey and head of technical Charlene Young to answer listeners’ most pressing pension questions. They discuss why it can pay to start saving even when retirement feels distant, how tax relief works for higher earners, what inheritance tax changes could mean for SIPPs, and whether ISAs can offer extra flexibility. The episode also covers pension access age changes, state pension entitlement, pensions dashboards, retirement living standards and why age 75 matters for retirement planning. 

01:05 – Is it worth paying into a pension when retirement feels a long way off?

04:18 – Salary sacrifice and making pension contributions work harder

08:14 – SIPPs, ISAs and planning ahead for inheritance tax changes from 2027

12:33 – Taking tax-free cash gradually and using Stocks and Shares ISAs

15:14 – Pension access age: what happens if you take money at 55 before April 2028?

20:25 – Why 35 years of National Insurance does not always guarantee the full new state pension

27:50 – Pension tax relief for additional-rate taxpayers: what is automatic and what must be claimed?

33:14 – Pensions dashboards: what they are, when they might arrive and what savers could see

41:03 – Retirement living standards and how much people may need in later life

43:12 – Why age 75 matters for pensions and tax planning

48:01 – The pension questions Rachel and Charlene think more people should ask