Radio & Podcasts

Alvin Hall's Generations of Money

BBC Radio 4

Four part series, July-August 2010

Program 1: MORE INFO
Program 2: MORE INFO
Program 3: MORE INFO
Program 4: MORE INFO

It's estimated the so-called 'baby boomer' generation, born in the twenty years after the Second World War, have amassed half of all the UK's housing wealth worth over 3 trillion pounds. The generation who grew up being told they had 'never had it so good' stand accused of making sure their children won't be able to say the same for themselves. Today's young families face a vastly different economic outlook to that which faced their parents. Although the under 40s account for half the population, estimates are that they own only 15% of the UK's total financial assets. Financial guru Alvin Hall offers his unique brand of advice on what people need to do for themselves and their families in this more challenging economic context.

Over the series, Alvin Hall will meet people from different generations, from young couples through to the over 75s. He'll explore the varying financial pressures placed on different age groups and reveal how each generation is linked to the other. From the baby-boomer father determined to help his children clear their student debts even at the expense of his own retirement, to the young couple who can't afford to buy a home because the inheritance they expected hasn't materialized - Alvin Hall exposes how generational loyalties can get in the way of financial common sense.

The series will explore the economic themes that will dominate the agenda in the coming years. How prepared are today's younger workers for the effects of a burgeoning ageing population on the economy and welfare system? How realistic are they about the prospects for their own retirement? What role will families have to play in this changing environment for personal finance? Alvin Hall helps four different generations plan for an uncertain future in this new series.