Podcasts by Moneystepper Q&A Podcast

Question 95 - Stopping Pension Contributions To Save For A House from 2016-04-14T06:00

Tina asks: "I'm 24 y/o and saving for a house. If I don’t stop contributing to my pension, next tax year I'll be paying 5%, and my employer will match that with 3%. Should I stop my pension contrib...

Question 94 - Investing In Oil Stocks from 2016-04-04T23:00

Ian asks: "I have zero knowledge about investing, but I'm interested in oil stocks. Any idea where to start, and any specific company to invest in?"

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Question 92 - Is The Share Price On Google Finance Right from 2016-03-30T06:00

Danielle asks: "The close price of shares on Google Finance is different to that on the Stock Exchange website. Is the data on Google Finance correct?"

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Question 89 - Debt Advice from 2016-03-23T07:00

Jim asks: "I've got into the habit of paying for things with my credit cards, and need some advice on paying down the debt that I've built up."

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Question 88 - Cancelling A Credit Card from 2016-03-21T07:00

Harry asks: "I have had a Santander 123 credit card for about a year. How negatively it will affect my credit score by cancelling?"

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Question 85 - Tax Implications on Selling To Buy Property from 2016-03-11T07:00

Lynda asks: "I wonder if you could advise me if there would be any tax to pay if we sold a buy to let property and invested money into another property as a buy to let."

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Question 81 - Capital Gains On Sale Of A Garden from 2016-03-02T07:00

Gisele asks: "I read with great interest your article on Capital gains tax and I hope you can give me a clearer idea of my tax liability on a sale of land that is about to go through, and how to in...

Question 80 - How Should I Invest My Money from 2016-02-29T08:00

James asks: "I want to start investing but I am struggling with my next steps. I have £1000 saved already which will act as my emergency fund and I am saving £300 a month into a savings account." Listen

Question 79 - Investing £25 per month from 2016-02-26T08:00

Tony asks: "I want to start investing in a stock & shares ISA but only investing £25 per month and would like to put it into a ETF that is fairly diverse. How should I go about doing that?"
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Q&A 78 - More Capital Gains Tax Questions from 2016-02-12T08:00

Emily asks: "We bought a London property in 2007. We lived in it for 2 years then on and off for a further 2 years.We rented this out from 2010 to the present day. Is there anyway we can avoid payi...

Question 77 - Stuck In A PCP Trap from 2016-02-10T08:00

Shelina asks: "I've got myself caught up in a PCP nightmare. Please can you advise me on what to do as I'm really stuck and it's really stressing me out."

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Question 75 - Where To Put 5k That I Need Next Year from 2016-02-05T07:00

Danielle asks: "I'm planning to move abroad with my partner in just under 2 years, I've just been gifted £5000 and I'm not sure where to put it. I was thinking S&S ISAs but since I'll need to acces...

Question 74 - Capital Gains Tax On Exchange With Partner from 2016-02-03T07:00

Steve asks: "I have a property which the mortgage is in my name and is my sole residence. I have no other properties. I'm intending to exchange some of the property to my partner and they'll take o...

Question 73 - How To Calculate My Equivalent Self-Employed Salary from 2016-02-01T07:00

Grant asks: "My question is how can I calculate all these benefits including the applicable tax and national insurance to ultimately work out my requirements from a freelance salary to match the fi...

Question 72 - What Expenses Can I Offset Against Property from 2016-01-29T07:00

Grant asks: "I'm looking to buy a house and rent out the house I currently own and live in. When I rent the property and fill in my first self-assessment form, what costs and expenses can I offset ...

Question 71 - Are ISAs or Pensions More Tax Efficient from 2016-01-27T07:00

Tony asks: "Where do I start to invest in stocks and shares ISA? Where do I go? How do I go about it? Etc. Aim of the ISA is for long-term savings for my pension. I believe it more tax efficient t...

Question 70 - Asking For A Payrise from 2016-01-25T07:00

Tony asks: I've been thinking for a while that I should get a raise. I have taken on various new roles within my firm and more responsibilities but however not received a raise for them. What/how w...

Question 69 - Mortgages For Self Employed from 2016-01-22T07:00

Alistair asks: "I wish to move from my £210k house to a £305k property. Problem is I own a business and have always lived on the smallest amount I can (around £18k a year). What would you recommend...

Question 68 - Fraudulent Transactions on My Credit Card from 2016-01-20T07:00

Helen asks: "M&S have told me that someone had used my card without my knowledge. I rang up the fraud team and they told me someone made a £300 purchase which I didn't recognise. M&S said they'll c...

Question 67 - Pension Advice from 2016-01-18T07:00

Ian asks: "I’m 25 and I've recently started working with a new employer. I've been given certain options in terms of salary sacrifice. Which would you recommend that I go for?"

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Question 65 - Lump Sum or Drip Feed Investing from 2016-01-13T07:00

Angela asks: "Assuming I had the total amount ready to invest, what are your thoughts on the best strategy for it? Do I invest the full amount at once at the beginning of the tax year or invest in ...

Question 64 - Capital Gains Tax When Gifting To Children from 2016-01-11T07:00

Petula asks: "I bought a flat in 1999 for £46,000 and have rented it out since then. I am considering selling it for around £150,000. Should I live in it for a year so that I'm eligible for PPR rel...

Question 63 - New Landlord Is Trying To Increase Rent Draft from 2016-01-08T07:00

Maria asks: "I'm a tenant in a flat that has just been sold. My lease is until Feb at £x but new owner wants to enforce new rent at £x+70 effective next month (Jan). Is this legit?"

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Question 62 - Getting Your House Valued from 2016-01-06T07:00

Hans asks: “Do you have any tips on the easiest and cheapest way to get your house valued?”

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Question 60 - Can I Buy A House Without Estate Agents from 2016-01-01T07:00

Sally asks: “It goes without saying. Estate agents are ******* *****. Can I deal directly with the seller to buy the house and not deal with the ******* estate agents?”

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Question 55 - Buying A House For The First Time Next Year from 2015-12-21T07:00

Jenny asks: "I'm almost 23, and I'm in a position to buy a house next May. My question is, do you think next May will be a good time to buy a house? Or should I wait until later in 2016 or even May...

Question 54 - Taxes On UK Property When Abroad from 2015-12-18T07:00

Ed asks: "I live abroad, earning and paying tax there. We pay no tax on our income in the UK, and we don't submit a tax return. Should we be paying tax on the earnings for our property in the UK?"<...

Question 53 - Capital Gains Tax On Land from 2015-12-16T07:00

John asks: "A family member is due to sell some land for in excess of £1m. What tax would be payable on this as it has no residential property on it?"

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Question 50 - Repayment or Interest Only from 2015-12-09T07:00

Kryptonite On Twitter asks: “Which is better for property investors... Interest only mortgages or repayment mortgages?”

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Question 49 - Capital Losses On Gifts from 2015-12-07T07:00

Adam asks: "My dad owns a ground floor flat and he is gifting it to me. He bought the property for £150k, it's now worth £160k but needs about £10K spent on it to make it properly habitable. What ...

Question 48 - What Tax Do I Pay On Freelance Work? from 2015-12-04T07:00

Michael asks: "I'm a journalist who is registered with a company on a PAYE tax code, but I do some occasional work outside of it. Do I need to register for assessment on the HMRC site? And when it ...

Question 47 - How Can I Get Out Of My Car Lease? from 2015-12-02T07:00

Mark asks: "I picked up a lovely car a couple of years back at a reasonable monthly rate. Everything was fine until I decided to change my job and it has become apparent that it's just too much of ...

Question 46 - Should I Buy My Brother's Property from 2015-11-30T07:00

Zac asks: "My brother is currently living in a property worth £80k he's renting the property for £425 per month from our cousin. Would it be better for me to have a buy to let mortgage and he pays ...

Question 45 - Advice On My Credit Score from 2015-11-27T07:00

Jessica asks: "Hello, I would like some advice on how good/bad my credit score is for my situation and if there is anything I should do to increase it. I did a credit score check today and I am 2/5...

Question 44 - What Are My Pension Options from 2015-11-25T07:00

Steve asks: "I’m 25 and my employer matches my payments up to 5%. The Pension policy is "Aviva Pensions Mixed Investment (40-85% Shares) S2". Any tips on how I should be managing this better? Any g...

Question 43 - How To Treat DB Pension In Net Worth from 2015-11-23T07:00

Matt asks: "I’m struggling with our DB schemes and how to include those in the net worth calculation. I also have a DC pot from a previous employer where the statement is issued annually. How shou...

Question 42 - Limits on cash, S&S and HTB ISAs from 2015-11-20T07:00

Tony asks: "How do I invest in a stocks and shares ISA and a cash ISA in the same year without breaching the ISA rules? I haven't opened any this year as I'm waiting for the Help to buy ISA."
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Question 41 - Capital Gains Tax On Inherited Property from 2015-11-18T07:00

Bert asks: "My late mother’s house was left to me and my sister in my mothers will. Probate has been granted. To reduce CGT, do I need to register this property in my and my sisters’ names before I...

Question 40 - What Is The Best Short Term Investment from 2015-11-16T07:00

Muhammad on twitter asks: “What is the best short term investment?”

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Question 38 - Should I Buy A New Car On Lease, PCP or HP from 2015-11-11T07:00

Tony asks: "I need advice on the best way to buy a new car. I just can’t figure out what the best way to buy would be - Lease, Hire Purchase or PCP? What would you do in my position?"

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Question 37 - Buying A House To Rent Out from 2015-11-09T07:00

Amy asks: "I'm a graduate who has been working for one year. I've secured a transfer outside of London but I keep my London wage. I will be moving to Birmingham where housing is much more affordabl...

Question 36 - Can I Keep A Payment Made In Error from 2015-11-06T07:00

Johnny asks: "A staff member requested a loan of £500. The loan payment to this staff member was made, however it was accidentally made for £5,000 instead of £500. Is there any piece of legislation...

Question 35 - Am I Overexposed In My Investments from 2015-11-04T07:00

Jenny asks: "I hold £10k of Vanguard FTSE 100 ETF shares (VUKE) and I am buying about £100/month worth and reinvesting the dividends. Am I overexposed to the UK markets? Do I need to diversify my i...

Question 34 - Should I Get a 0% Credit Card from 2015-11-02T07:00

Kerry asks: "I'm thinking about putting my purchases on a 0% credit card and then put the money into a current account earning 3%. Do you think this is a good idea? What are the risks? What are the...

Question 33 - Paying Off Debt After A Breakup from 2015-10-30T07:00

Alison asks: “I currently have a Santander debt in a joint name since a recent break up . However, I've not had anything to do with the account for years and, and I cannot communicate to my other h...

Question 32 - Saving Cash In The Short Term from 2015-10-28T07:00

On Monday, we had a question from Moneystepper Savings Challenge participant Cath about investing more in S&S ISAs. I think that the common guidance on saving for short term goals isn’t the best an...

Question 31 - How Should I Invest in a Stocks & Shares ISA from 2015-10-26T07:00

Cath asks: "Most of my long term investments are in good pensions and in property (my home and a flat that is rented out). I would like to do more investing in funds and make sure I use more of my ...

Question 30 - Should I Get Out Of My Overdraft? from 2015-10-23T12:00

Jane asks: “I have £2000 overdraft and £1500 in credit card debt. I want to consolidate them together to get extra money to help me stay out of overdrafts but don't know the cheapest way? Credit ca...

Question 29 - Help To Buy ISA Questions from 2015-10-21T10:00

James asks: "Can I invest into a Stock&Shares ISA and still use a Help-to-Buy ISA in 1 December 2015 when it comes out? And is there a maximum income for people who want to use the Help-to-Buy ISA?...

Question 28 - Is A £20k Deposit Enough To Buy A House? from 2015-10-19T06:00

Tom asks: "I’m 22 and am looking at buying a flat within my local area for £200k. I have £20k saved and I'm on a £30k salary. Mortgage calculators show me my max loan is £130k. What are some other ...

Question 27 - Can I Benefit From The Right To Buy Scheme? from 2015-10-16T06:00

Abby asks: "I'm 24 and live in a 2 bed flat in South London. I'm starting to wonder if it’s worth taking advantage of the Right To Buy scheme, but it sounds too good to be true. There's got to be s...

Question 26 - What Impact Does Changing Jobs Have On Tax? from 2015-10-14T06:00

Eric asks: “On Monday I will be starting my new job. I'm worried that I have overlooked something with my taxes. Do I need to tell HMRC about my new job? And do I need to inform my bank about it? T...

Question 25 - What Do I Do If I've Been Underpaid? from 2015-10-12T05:30

Anna asks: “Today I checked my payslips and noticed a big difference from my previous payslips. My new salary is 52k and September’s payslip shows £4,333.33pm. However, my old salary was 48k and pa...

Question 24 - Do I Need To Register For VAT? from 2015-10-09T05:00

John asks: "I'm looking into freelance teaching. My costs will be zero, but I’m trying to work out is if I need to include VAT on my invoices or not. I'm not expecting to earn more than a few thous...

Question 23 - Do I Pay Capital Gains Tax If I Don't Pay Income Tax? from 2015-10-07T05:00

Joyce asks: “Hi, I am a non-tax payer as I’m below the income tax thresholds. However, I need to sell my buy to let property, which I’ve never lived in. My profit would be approx. £100.000. What wo...

Question 22 - How Does Quidco Work? from 2015-10-05T05:00

Martyn asks: “I see on Moneystepper that you recommend using cashback sites like Quidco, but I’m not sure how they work? Do they charge me a fee for my cashback? How do they make money?”

Question 21 - What Stops People From Investing? from 2015-10-02T05:00

Monica asks: "I've been trying to convince my younger family members around me to start a regular investment plan into an index fund but it's like trying to talk to a brick wall. What do you think ...

Question 20 - Should I Sell My Appartment To Pay Down My Mortgage from 2015-09-30T05:00

Alex asks: "I own an apartment that is rented out and almost debt-free, and a house that is still pretty high in debt.My plan is to sell the apartment, and use the money to pay off the major amount...

Question 19 - What Happens To My Pension When I Move Jobs? from 2015-09-28T05:00

Wookovski asks: "I'm changing jobs next month. I currently have a pension with my old company. What happens to it when I change jobs. Does the money get transferred in to the new scheme or does it ...

Question 18 - 17 Years Old, Receiving £10k - What To Do from 2015-09-25T05:00

LondonIce asks: "In about a month I'm going to recieve about £10,000 from my parents (I'm 17). Quite honestly, I have no clue what to do with it. Should I invest it? Keep it? I have no clue. What s...

Question 17 - Should I Buy A House If I May Move Soon from 2015-09-23T05:00

Danny asks: "I currently have £40k in savings and which to buy a house. However, my position at work is a little up in the air and come April next year, I may be moving work and location. Is it wor...

Question 16 - Can I Live Without A Credit Card from 2015-09-21T05:00

Steve asks: “Is it possible to live without a credit card? What are the benefits and disadvantages of having one? Does it help with your credit rating?”

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Question 14 - How To Find Cheaper Flights from 2015-09-16T05:00

Graham asks: “I’m trying to get some flights booked, but they are so expensive. I need to book a one-way flight and the cheapest flight is pushing £1,000. How can I find this flight cheaper, and wh...

Question 13 - How Do I Minimise My Capital Gains Tax from 2015-09-14T06:30

Barrie asks: “I've rented out a property for 20 years and it has never been my main residence. I now wish to sell it and purchase another property to rent out. The property I want buy costs more, h...

Question 12 - Can I Sublet My Flat Whilst I'm Away from 2015-09-11T06:30

Cafem asks: “In a few days I will be going to Asia for 5 weeks for an extended holiday. Money is tight at the moment and I'm trying to squeeze as much money for the trip as I can. Can I declare mys...

Question 11 - Best Way To Transfer Money To Europe from 2015-09-09T06:30

Adam asks: “I’m from the UK and I’m spending the next year working in mainland Europe. I’ll be getting paid into an account in Euros, but I’ll want to transfer money to and from the UK whilst I am ...

Question 10 - Mobile Phone Contract Or SIM-Only from 2015-09-07T06:30

Bryony asks: "My contract has just expired on my old mobile phone and I want a new smartphone. I’m thinking about getting an Apple iPhone 5s. Should I get this on my upgrade, or are there any cheap...

Question 9 - Can I Move Out From Home? from 2015-09-04T07:00

David asks: "I'm 19 and my parents are driving me crazy. I only have $2000 in savings, but I need to move out. I also need a car and to pay for my college tuition. Basically, I need a place to live...

Question 8 - Mortgage Affordability Questions from 2015-09-02T06:40

Jenny asks: "I want to buy a house, and I've been living at my parents' to save money. I earn £20k. I've managed to save £30k and want to purchase a property worth £90k. With my income/savings, is ...

Question 7 - Will I Be Able To Rent A Flat? from 2015-08-31T07:00

yesilikeburgers asks: "I've been a student for 2 years in the UK and I’m about to start a job in London in September. I'm looking at renting but I'm unlikely to be approved in terms of references/c...

Question 6 - Which Fixed Rate Mortgage Period Is Best? from 2015-08-28T05:55

Kai asks; "We are first time buyers and about to take out a £327k mortgage over 35 years. We've decided to go with a fixed rate, with a £999 mortgage fee, but we have an option of 2, 3 or 5 years. ...

Question 5 - Do I Pay Tax On Gifts? from 2015-08-26T07:00

Sarah asks: "Do I need to pay income tax on gifts that are made from friends of mine?"

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Question 3 - Is Debt Consolidation Right For Me? from 2015-08-21T06:00

Tom asks: "I was thinking about getting a debt consolidation loan. What do you think?"

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Question 1 - Joining Your Employer's Pension Scheme from 2015-08-17T06:00

Bettiefrombingo asks: "Should I join my employer's pension scheme?"

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