Broke: And How to Fix It

You will pay over £1 million in tax across your lifetime. Most people leave school not knowing what National Insurance is, why they pay it, or what they're supposed to get back. And while you're handing over roughly 30% of your earnings before you see a penny, the ultra-wealthy are paying armies of people to make sure they pay as little as possible - legally.This week we're getting into the tax system: how it actually works, who it's working for, and why young people are getting one of the worst deals in it.Joining us is Caitlin Boswell from Tax Justice UK, who breaks it all down in a way nobody ever did in school. We get into why someone on a salary often pays more tax than someone earning the exact same amount through investments, how the tax system is quietly widening the generational wealth gap, and whether the "we're broke as a country" narrative is actually true or a political choice. We also get into the stuff that actually affects your life right now: side hustles, influencer income, the end of the tax year and what a fairer system would even look like.Plus, we've had six episodes of some of the most eye-opening money conversations around, and this week we're revisiting the best bits. From debt and bankruptcy to budgeting, investing and the gender wealth gap - we pull out the moments that hit different and the advice worth hearing twice.

Debt. Most of us have it. Almost none of us talk about it. The average UK adult is carrying around £4,200 in unsecured debt - credit cards, loans, buy-now-pay-later - and for Gen Z, it's even worse. This is the first generation expected to be worse off than their parents, and they're drowning in debt that many of them don't even count as real. This week we're getting into all of it: what debt actually is, what it does to your mental health, and why the taboo is finally starting to crack.First up, chartered accountant turned entrepreneur Fi Titus, founder of Coco Financial, joins us to break down everything young people get wrong about debt, from good debt versus bad debt, to the gender wealth gap, the pension nobody's paying into and why your mindset around money is holding you back more than your income ever will.Then we sit down with Kylie Scarletta, the debt influencer who last year was $27,000 in the red across four credit cards and filed for bankruptcy. Instead of hiding it, she did something nobody expected: she put it all on TikTok. We talk about how the debt built up, the moment she knew it was out of control, what it actually feels like to go to court for bankruptcy, and how she turned one of the most vulnerable moments of her life into a platform and an income stream. Plus Jake Humphrey, broadcaster, entrepreneur and podcast host, shares what he's learned about money through some of the biggest career pivots in British television, from children's TV to Formula 1 to backing himself in business.

Redundancy. A surprise bill. A relationship ending. Life has a habit of blowing up your budget at the worst possible moment.This week we're tackling the side of budgeting nobody talks about: what happens when your income isn't stable, your circumstances keep changing, and every piece of advice you read assumes your life is predictable. Spoiler: it isn't. And your budget doesn't have to pretend it is.We're joined by Ola Majekodunmi, founder of All Things Money, who built a platform helping people take control of their finances without the overwhelm and knows better than most that money management looks very different depending on where you're starting from.Plus, Vix Leyton, consumer finance expert and host of the Spendology podcast, joins us to cut through the noise on budgeting in the real world, the mistakes people keep making, the habits that actually stick, and why most budgeting advice fails the moment life gets messy.

Your bank account has a leak, you just haven't found it yet. From forgotten subscriptions to free trials gone rogue, this week we're exposing the invisible ways your money walks out the door every month.We're joined by Malvee Vaja, financial planner at Rathbones, who tells us exactly where people's money is disappearing to and how to stop it.Then we sit down with Aliett Buttelman, founder of Fazit Beauty, the brain behind the glitter freckles that took over festivals, finish lines and your entire social media feed. Aliett Buttelman tells us how she built a brand from scratch, what happened when Taylor Swift wore their product in a video, and how they turned one viral moment into a $40 million business. Honestly one of the best "how did this even happen" stories we've heard.

In this International Women’s Day special, we dive into the real state of women and money - from the gender wealth gap to why women still invest less than men, and what actually needs to change.We’re joined by TheApprentice star and Cas founder Carrington Saunders, who shares how she got started in business, what she learned about money along the way, and the mindset shift that helped her take control of her finances.Plus, finance content creator Ciara Anne McMahon joins us to break down the practical side of building wealth - from budgeting habits to the biggest financial mistakes people make in their 20s and 30s.We also get into:• Why women often feel less confident talking about money• The biggest barriers stopping women from investing• Practical money habits that build long-term wealth• How to start a business or side hustle with limited cash• Why financial independence matters more than everAnd the big question:Is the financial system still stacked against women — or are we finally closing the gap?If you want to feel more confident with money, start building wealth, or just understand the financial rules no one ever taught us, this episode is for you.

Rent keeps rising. House prices won’t budge. Deposits feel impossible. So… is owning a home just a fantasy now?In this episode, we break down the real state of renting and buying in the UK.We’re joined by Nye Jones from Generation Rent, who explains why so many young people feel trapped renting and what’s actually wrong with the UK housing system. Is it landlords? Lack of supply? Government policy? Or all of the above?Plus, property finance expert Shaz Ahmed joins us to answer the big questions:How much deposit do you really need?What mistakes are young people making without realising?What’s happening with interest rates?And how can you actually improve your chances of buying?We also get into:Practical money tips to get house-readyWhy young people are having a harder time than previous generationsWhether renting is always “dead money”And whether the system is fixable or fundamentally brokenIf you’ve ever thought, “I’ll never be able to buy a house,” this episode is for you.