Merryn Talks Money

In this episode of the Merryn Talks Money  UK housing mini-series, hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and Money Distilled author John Stepek are joined by Paula Higgins, founder and chief executive of HomeOwners Alliance, to tackle the question: are new-build properties a wise choice?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek, continue on with part 3 of their UK housing mini-series, they help answer a listener question on the pros and cons of buying a shared ownership property in the UK. They are joined by Ray Boulger, of independent mortgage brokers, John Charcol.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(This interview was recorded before the market chaos of this week.) On this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money , Merryn Somerset Webb sits down with economist James Galbraith, who says there’s a problem with economists. The problem, he says, is that almost all of them are working with the wrong models. They look at economics in terms of equilibrium, as though the natural destination...

In this week's roundup, Merryn Somerset Webb, speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about trade wars, the end to American exceptionalism and President Donald Trump might actually be winning.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-04-09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-basis-trade-spooking-markets   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s installment of Merryn Talks Your Money , hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and Money Distilled author John Stepek continue their UK housing mini-series. On this episode, they question the value-add of mortgage brokers when buying a home in Britain. How essential are they?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It wasn’t long ago that China was considered “uninvestable” and that the “exceptional” US market was the only game in town. That’s not the case anymore. According to Edward Cole, Man Group’s head of multi-strategy equities, nothing is permanently exceptional or uninvestable. Once you accept that premise, the great rotation currently underway makes a lot mo...

In this week's roundup, Merryn Somerset Webb, speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about how US tariffs have highlighted a benefit of Brexit and why they believe the minimum wage is too high.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're kicking off our special series on how to navigate the UK housing market. Professor Yolande Barnes at University College London joins host Merryn Somerset Webb to discuss the market as a whole: what’s the outlook for home prices, what’s the best strategy when purchasing your first property and why the UK is at risk of an oversupply in houses.    See omnystudio.com/listen...

Alyx Wood, chief investment officer of UK-focused hedge fund Kernow Asset Management, joins Merryn this week. We discuss his contrarian approach to investing, where he is short, where he is long, and why he's decided to focus on UK equities.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's roundup, Merryn speaks with  Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about Chancellor Rachel Reeves's Spring Statement. They discuss what it means for your money, and why despite the Chancellor’s cuts and tweaks, the UK’s fiscal head room remains inadequate.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg personal finance reporter Suzanne Woolley is back on Merryn Talks Your Money . She discusses her latest in the 'Where to Invest' series, where four investment experts share suggestions on where they'd put $1 million right now. Ideas include European stocks, multifamily housing and art.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK billionaire Michael Spencer joins Merryn this week to explain why he’s betting big on Nutshell Asset Management’s trading strategy. There isn’t much everyone agrees on in markets. But one thing you rarely hear an argument against is the importance of trading as little as possible. The higher your turnover, the higher your costs go and the worse your overall performance will be...

In this week's roundup, Merryn speaks with  Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about Chancellor Rachel Reeves's upcoming fiscal event and what it could mean for your finances.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money , hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek discuss a selection of reader questions. Among them are why pension planning could be different between men and women, what to consider when choosing an Individual Savings Account in the UK and why dying broke might not be such a bad idea.  See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Troy Asset Management founder Sebastian Lyon joins Merryn this week to talk strategies for protecting your capital in these crazy markets. They also discuss how the low interest-rate environment hit the UK investment trust industry hard, and the way he sees it rebounding, as well as American exceptionalism and why there are good reasons to be cautious about investing in the US, and his outloo...

The great John Authers, senior markets editor and Opinion columnist at Bloomberg, joins Merryn and John Stepek for this week's roundup. He talks about his time in Frankfurt, explaining "the biggest turning point for German economic policy at least since reunification, and possibly much longer." He also points out why German companies look like good value ( "take 10 percent out of your Mag7 ET...

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?  New research from Kallum Pickering, chief economist at Peel Hunt, suggests there may indeed be a con...

Merryn speaks with Bloomberg personal finance and wealth reporter Suzanne Woolley about the latest instalment in her "Where to Invest" series. They discuss where four money managers said they’d put a $100,000 stake right now. Opportunities mentioned include stocks outside the US, tech and a holiday house in Greece.  Read the story here: https://www.bloomberg.com/features/how-to-invest-1...

Merryn Somerset Webb interviews GMO co-founder and notorious caller of market bubbles Jeremy Grantham. Grantham, who also serves as the firm’s long-term investment strategist, leans in to his more than five decades of investing experience to explain the current “super bubble” in the markets. He comments on when we’ll see a correction, the fate of the green transition and wh...

In this week's roundup, Merryn speaks with  Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about the souring mood on America’s equity market, particularly megacap tech.  In case you missed it (or were on holiday like John), the seven behemoths that powered a 54% surge in US stocks over two years tumbled into a collective correction Tuesday. They also discuss the latest moves in Bitc...

Want a different passport? Wish you lived somewhere with a better tax policy or even better weather? With enough money, it is possible. It’s called citizenship by investment, a process of gaining permanent residency by purchasing property or investing in the economy. On this week’s episode of  Merryn Talks Money , host Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Dominic Volek, group hea...

Every decade has its story for investors. The 1970s were all about gold. The 1980s were all about Japan. In the 1990s it was the Internet. In the 2000s, we all shoveled money into China and emerging markets. And in the 2010s, we had eyes for nothing but software and American exceptionalism. So what’s next? That’s the question Jawad Mian, founder and managing editor of Stray Reflections...

In this week's roundup, Merryn speaks with  Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about why the inflation reading was so surprising, why it's more important than ever to protect your savings, and why the cost of energy is such a hot topic globally.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money , hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and Bloomberg  Money Distilled author John Stepek turn their attention to cash Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and how the rules around them may soon change--and why that means you should think about how much cash you've got saved.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would philosopher and political economist Adam Smith think of Donald Trump’s love of tariffs? What would he make of the Republican president’s approach to taxes and deregulation? On this episode of  Merryn Talks Money , recorded last week in Dubai, a special panel joins host Merryn Somerset Webb to try and answer those questions using Smith’s texts as a guide. They...