logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
14m 47s

The Economy: 8. Pensions

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Why is it so hard to save for retirement? Will future generations even get a pension? Why is the pension age rising and what is the state pension age? Tim Harford explains the problem an aging population is causing for the state pension and explores the gender pension gap. Economic historian Victoria Bateman tells the story of the very first pensions in the UK.

Everything you need to know about the economy and what it means for you. This podcast will cut through the jargon to bring you clarity and ensure you finally understand all those complicated terms and phrases you hear on the news. Inflation, GDP, Interest rates, and bonds, Tim Harford and friends explain them all. We’ll ensure you understand what’s going on today, why your shopping is getting more expensive or why your pay doesn’t cover your bills. We’ll also bring you surprising histories, from the war hungry Kings who have shaped how things are counted today to the greedy merchants flooding Spain with Silver coins. So if your eyes usually glaze over when someone says ‘cutting taxes stimulates growth’, fear no more, we’ve got you covered.

Guest: Dr. Rajiv Prabhakar, The Open University

Producer: Phoebe Keane

Researcher: Drew Hyndman

Editor: Clare Fordham

Theme music: Don’t Fret, Beats Fresh Music

A BBC Long Form Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

Up next
Nov 2022
The Economy: 9. International Trade and Currency Markets
The reason we can eat pineapples and sell aeroplane parts. But why might the value of the pound fall and what does that mean if it does? Tim Harford explains who wins and who loses if the pound is cheap against the dollar and economic historian Victoria Bateman tells the story of ... Show More
14m 42s
Nov 2022
The Economy: 7. Jobs and Unemployment
What happens when lots of people lose their jobs? Why might wages be low even though everyone who wants a job, has one? What do we mean by employment and unemployment and what does 'economic inactivity' mean? What is productivity and how does it relate to you and your job? Tim Ha ... Show More
14 m
Nov 2022
The Economy: 6. Recessions
What is a recession and what causes a recession? Whether something suddenly makes you poorer or just makes you worry about becoming poorer, when you cut your spending in the shops, this affects other people and ripples through the economy. Tim Harford explains the role a governme ... Show More
14 m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 19
What's Happening In Financial Markets Right Now (Fed, BoE & Geopolitics)
Markets have stayed calm so far this week, but central banks and geopolitics were anything but. Anthony and Piers break down the Fed’s muted meeting, the revised growth and inflation forecasts, and the hidden signals in the dot plot. Over in the UK, a dovish shift at the Bank of ... Show More
37m 51s
Apr 2024
Neil Shearing: What the Consensus Is Missing About the Current Economy
Our guest this week is Neil Shearing. Neil is group chief economist at Capital Economics, a London-based research firm. He is also an associate fellow at Chatham House, an International Affairs think tank. In his Capital Economics role, Neil manages a team of economists and is a ... Show More
44m 41s
May 19
How should central banks respond to US tariffs?
US tariffs have sent financial markets into a frenzy in recent weeks, but how much should central bankers be taking trade into account when setting monetary policy? To find out, Soumaya Keynes sits down with Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Swati Dhingra – one of ... Show More
26m 58s
Jul 2023
Mind Games: How Confidence Shapes our Financial Markets, with Economist Peter Atwater
#452: Peter Atwater, an economics professor at The College of William and Mary and author of “The Confidence Map,” joins us to discuss how confidence shapes our financial markets.He explains how The Hunger Games relates to the Lehman Brothers collapse. He describes why you should ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 20
EU pushes a UK-style trade deal with the US
Russia’s war-time economy is slowing down, and the EU is negotiating a trade deal with the US to keep some tariffs in place. Plus, the Bank of England votes to hold interest rates steady, and a UN official describes violence at aid distribution sites in Gaza. Mentioned in this po ... Show More
12m 7s
Sep 2024
Will the Fed go big? Gold hits new records amid rate cut speculation
Markets are abuzz with speculation that the Federal Reserve may deliver a larger-than-expected 50 basis-point rate cut next week. As a result, yields have tumbled, and gold prices have surged to new record highs. Meanwhile, equity markets continue their winning streak, with the S ... Show More
11m 43s
Apr 23
Will tariffs lead to a recession?
The Trump administration’s tariff moves are turning US trade policy on its head — and fueling concerns about the US economic outlook. So will tariffs send the US into a recession? And, if so, what might that recession look like? Economist and Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, Goldman ... Show More
25m 40s
Apr 18
Mark Dow: Tariffs, Trade, and Trump - [Making Markets, EP.59]
My guest today for the second time is Mark Dow. Mark is one of my favourite thinkers on Macro, and his experience at the IMF, the US Treasury, and Wall Street gives him a truly unique perspective for the current moment. As we went through one of the biggest market and policy uphe ... Show More
53m 20s
Sep 2024
Markets riding the ‘Fed wave’
Stocks across the globe moved higher yesterday following the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut, with both the Dow and S&P 500 seeing new all-time highs. Meanwhile, other major central banks – including those in England, Norway, Turkey, Japan and China – opted to keep their key ... Show More
11m 1s
May 2020
Dollar Dilemmas & Central Banks Gone Wild: The Best Of The Breakdown April/May 2020
Highlights from some of the most interesting conversations on The Breakdown from the last two months.  4/1 - Peter Zeihan on why the world we’ve known for 30 years is changing forever 4/6 - Emerson Spartz on a moment of punctuated equilibrium  4/17 - Jared Dillian on the politica ... Show More
32m 24s