Merryn Talks Money

On this week's markets roundup, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek dive into the surging precious metals market — from gold’s decades-long shine to silver’s sudden rally — and what the “debasement trade” says about global confidence in fiat currencies. They unpack investor psychology, fiscal risks facing the UK, and why even major institutions are rethinking t...

John Stepek, senior reporter and author of the Money Distilled newsletter, is joined by pensions expert Tom McPhail to talk about pension protection. It's no secret that UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves is looking for ways to raise cash to balance the nation's books in the upcoming November budget. Stepek and McPhail discuss ways to keep your pension protected and keep more of your money. See omny...

Gold’s on a tear — and host Merryn Somerset Webb asks Dominic Frisby, investor and author of the investment newsletter  The Flying Frisby  and a new book The Secret History of Gold why. They dig into central-bank buying, de-dollarization, and the metal’s timeless allure, from Roman coins to modern ETFs, plus the case for $7k gold and the pivotal $50 line in silver. Prac...

In this week's markets round up, hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek discuss the news that London has slipped out of the world’s top 20 initial public offering markets as the third quarter ends, overtaken by Mexico and Singapore. Meanwhile, US tech stocks surge despite bubble worries, and Japan’s market hits fresh highs with renewed investor enthusiasm. Become a Bloomberg.com su...

This week, host Merryn Somerset Webb and senior reporter John Stepek examine the policy signals coming out of the Labour Party conference—and what they could mean for your finances. They break down why a standalone wealth tax looks unlikely, the risks of lowering the VAT threshold for small businesses, and the political realities shaping pension reform. Plus, they consider whether proposals...

Roger Lee, head of equity strategy at Cavendish, joins Merryn Somerset Webb to explain why he thinks the UK’s worsening public finances could morph from “slowly, then suddenly” into a fiscal event, and what that means for the Labour government, Britain’s international standing and investors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kindbody, one of the largest fertility companies in the US, sought to disrupt egg freezing and IVF by combining spa vibes with Silicon Valley efficiency. The startup raised millions, opened dozens of clinics, and became a billion-dollar unicorn. But its ambition came with consequences. In IVF Disrupted: The Kindbody Story, reporter Jackie Davalos takes listeners beyond Kindbody’s millennial-...

In this week’s Markets Wrap, hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek weigh Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s bond-market remarks against fiscal reality, unpack financial services group Gavekal’s so-called “Turkish Portfolio” of equities, and consider gold’s role as a hedge in an increasingly crowded market. As always, questions and comments welcome at m...

In lieu of a personal finance episode this week, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek host a mailbag session answering listener questions on pensions, taxation, absolute return funds, and the risks around UK debt. They clarify common misconceptions, discuss practical investment considerations, and explore how policy decisions could shape the financial outlook. As always, send thoughts to merr...

Is US exceptionalism over? Pictet Asset Management's Chief Strategist Luca Paolini joins host Merryn Somerset Webb to explain why the world is entering an “age of convergence.” They cover why America’s market dominance may fade, where Europe and China are heading, what AI hype really means and why it might be time to rethink bonds, gold and diversification. See omnystudio.com/lis...

In this week's market wrap, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek unpack Next’s half-year report to reveal what falling vacancies, rising applications, and higher labor costs say about jobs, productivity, and AI. They also break down the Bank of England’s rate hold, the Fed’s cut, and what diverging policies mean for growth, inflation, and investors. https://www.nextplc.co.uk/~/me...

Merryn Somerset Webb sits down with  Mark Wood, Chairman of Everest Funeral Concierge, Chair of PensionBee, and former CEO off Prudential UK and AXA, to discuss how sweeping pension reforms could transform the way UK earners save and draw down their pensions. Update: We wanted to add clarification to a point made in the show. In the interview, it was suggested that taking your 25% tax-free lump su...

These days, UK energy policies arguably seem more ideological than anything else. But that doesn’t seem to be working, so perhaps it’s time for it to be practical instead? With that in mind we invited Dieter Helm, a professor of economic policy at the University of Oxford, to join this week’s Merryn Talks Money podcast. He discusses how the UK, which consistently ranks among...

In this week's markets roundup, host Merryn Somerset Webb, editor-at-large for Bloomberg UK Wealth, sits down with Noor Al Ali from Bloomberg Markets Live to unpack gold’s remarkable rally and its implications for global markets.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

September signals the end of summer in the UK and the start of the school year. Gearing up to start university can be a daunting time for many young people, often catapulted into a situation of continuous firsts—first time living away, first time having to cook all their own meals and the first time having to manage their own money.  On this personal finance episode of Merryn Talks Mone...

We'll be back next week with more Merryn Talks Mone y interviews, but for now we bring you an interesting conversation from the Odd Lots team.  These days, everyone is talking about high interest rates across the rich, developed world, while warning of eventual fiscal disaster. But we may have gotten an early glimpse of this anxiety in October 2022, when then-UK Prime Minister Liz Truss unvei...

In this news round up episode of Merryn Talks Money , host Merryn Somerset Webb has returned from her holiday and is joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Marcus Ashworth. The pair discuss why the IMF won't be bailing out the UK anytime soon, gold's stellar performance, soaring high gilt market yields and the whether the stamp duty regime is all that complicated.  See omnystudio.com/listener...

On the final panel at this year's Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, host Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Richard Wilson, chief executive of one of the UK’s largest investment platforms, Interactive Investor, Anna MacDonald, investment manager at Aubrey Capital, and journalist and author Alex Massie. The episode is taped in front of an audience at Adam Smith’s final remaining home, Panmure...

In this episode of  Merryn Talks Money , host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by Bloomberg senior reporter John Stepek, author Dominic Frisby and Interactive Investor Chief Executive Officer Richard Wilson for a roundtable discussion at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The conversation takes place at Panmure House, the last home of economist and philosopher Adam Smith.  The p...

Could Scottish philosopher and economist Adam Smith make sense of the economic world that exists today? In this episode of  Merryn Talks Money , Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Alec Cutler, portfolio manager of the Orbis Global Balanced and Cautious funds, Tom Slater, manager of Scottish Mortgage and Bloomberg senior reporter John Stepek about how portions of Smith’s bestsellers The Th...

Daniel Rasmussen, founder of Verdad Advisers and author of  The Humble Investor: How to Find a Winning Edge in a Surprising World, joins Merryn.  They discuss his book, why all forecasts are wrong (and why we need them anyway), the case for selling US tech and buying small caps, whether we’re in an artificial intelligence bubble, and Japanese equities. This is a replay of a convers...

John Stepek, Bloomberg senior reporter and author of the Money Distilled newsletter is joined by Opinion columnist Marcus Ashworth to discuss the unexpected good news about the UK economy, why we’re currently in a buyers market when it comes to housing and why the Bank of England needs to continue to hold its nerve.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s no tradeoff between net zero and growth in the UK. That’s the conventional wisdom and the position of the current government. But what if it’s the decline in available electricity that’s causing productivity, GDP and living standards to stagnate?  Research from Kallum Pickering, chief economist at Peel Hunt, suggests there may indeed be a connection. He joins M...

Whilst usual host Merryn Somerset Webb is still out on holiday, John Stepek is joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Marcus Ashworth to discuss America's tariff war vs Switzerland, the latest UK fiscal blackhole estimates and Rachel Reeves' job security.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s Merryn Talks Money, host Merryn Somerset Webb sits down with Euronext CEO, Stéphane Boujnah to explore the reasoning behind the sense that investors are starting to look away from the US and towards Europe for opportunties. They discuss a range of topics from evolving market conditions, investor sentiment and the growing uncertainty surrounding US economic stability. Th...