Merryn Talks Money

StoneX’s Director of Global Macro Strategy Vincent Deluard joins Merryn Talks Money to explain why he thinks economic downturns are going out of style. He also explains why he sees a July Correction, and how MAGA's war on Corporate America will play out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s roundup, Bloomberg UK Wealth Editor at Large Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about the unsurprising UK inflation figures, the latest Bank of America Global Fund Manager Survey and why gold seems to be shining.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Private markets by their very nature lack the same transparency that’s standard in public markets. But Morningstar, a leading provider of independent investment insights and ratings, is conducting more due diligence on private markets to help investors navigate the sector. Morningstar Chief Executive Officer Kunal Kapoor joins host Merryn Somerset Webb on this personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money to tell us more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump’s policies have slowed the economy, making a downturn more likely. But Peter Berezin, chief global investment strategist at BCA Research, says the nation’s yawning deficit is a bigger threat. He joins this week to talk recession odds and strategies for investing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's roundup, Bloomberg UK Wealth Editor at Large Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about the market indifference to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review. They also share strategies for how the government can support the UK equity market: scrap stamp duty, reform ISAs, and nudge pension funds to invest at home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The more than $100 trillion wealth transfer that’s projected to be passed down from older to younger generations over the next quarter century is set to reshape the wealth management industry. And younger investors plan to move their money to new advisors, according to a report by IT services and consulting group Capgemini. On this episode of Merryn Talks Money, the firm’s global banking industry leader, Gareth Wilson, joins host Merryn Somerset Webb to discuss why young people want to make the move and what they should consider when choosing new wealth managers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fidelity International’s Dale Nicholls joins this week’s Merryn Talks Money to discuss the Asian giant as a viable place to park your money. He explains China is now one the most innovative economies in the world. Its research and development spend is up forty-fold since 2000, and you can see the results in its clear leadership in electric vehicles, in battery storage, renewable energy infrastructure and increasingly artificial intelligence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg personal finance and wealth reporter Suzanne Woolley joins Merryn this week to discuss her latest in the "Where to Invest" series. She shares the promising investment areas wealth managers and market strategists highlighted in her story on how best to invest $100,000 in today’s turbulent market.The ideas that emerged range from technology — yes, the Magnificent 7 is in there — to insurance and health-care stocks, high-quality fixed income and publicly traded private equity stocks.Read the story: https://www.bloomberg.com/features/how-to-invest-100k-q3-2025/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economist Felix Martin joins host Merryn Somerset Webb for this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money to discuss the common understanding of, well, money. Specifically, why the typical conception of what constitutes it may be inaccurate. Martin, author of the book Money: The Unauthorized Biography and a former fund manager, says that rather than simply being a token medium of exchange, “money” is in fact “a system of ideas; it is the institution of credits and debts. It is the various technologies which have been developed and deployed for recording credits and debts and for transferring credits and debts from one person or one company to another.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author of the Money Distilled newsletter John Stepek, is joined by Bloomberg Opinion columnist, Marcus Ashworth. Ashworth, covers European markets and was formerly chief markets strategist for Haitong Securities in London. The pair discuss Japan's bond market and what recent market activity means for decision making at the Bank of England. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Your Money, Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by Money Distilled author John Stepek to answer listeners’ burning personal finance questions. Together, they tackle whether commodities still deserve a spot in your portfolio as the global economy teeters between inflation, geopolitical turmoil and policy shifts. With prices climbing and environmental concerns limiting new supply, is this the new normal or a bubble waiting to burst?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think it’s all over for US markets? Think they’re finally going to sink under high valuations, inflated expectations and now a nervous bond market? Maybe think again, says Ed Yardeni of the eponymous firm Yardeni Research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's roundup, Merryn Somerset Webb, speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek, about the latest UK inflation figures, whether there's trouble on the horizon for the bond market and what lessons investors can learn from Australian pension funds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek conclude their mini-series on UK housing with an overview of lesser-known issues that can arise during the home-buying process. The aim of this episode is to help homebuyers learn the things they didn’t know they didn’t know. Webb and Stepek are joined by Anthony Emmerson, director of London mortgage brokers Trinity Financial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarah Ketterer, chief executive of Causeway Capital Management, which has over $55 billion in assets under management. joins this week’s Merryn Talks Money to discuss why stocks have rebounded from last month’s bloodbath, and why the US market’s long-held dominance is nevertheless shifting as investors increasingly seek value beyond its borders—in Europe, Japan and South Korea.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's roundup, Merryn Somerset Webb, speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about new proposals to get pension funds to invest more in the UK, whether ISA allowances should be adjusted and UK Chancellor, Rachel Reeves's current performance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek continue their mini-series on UK housing, with a focus on conveyance. In this context, that means navigating the paperwork and legal requirements involved in the home-buying process, from making an offer to receiving the keys. They speak with Laura Conduit, a specialist property solicitor and partner at Farrer and Co LLP. The trio discuss how to balance price and value when paying for a conveyancer, common stumbling blocks that can derail a sale and why conveyance on a flat can be more expensive than a house. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's roundup, Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about the Bank of England's somewhat surprising decision, the 'Buy the Dip' mentality that still surrounds US markets, and the UK-US trade pact. Research Merryn references: https://www.convexitymaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Convexity-Maven-Chekhovs-Gun.pdfSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Merryn Talks Money UK housing mini-series, hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and Money Distilled author John Stepek delve into the complexities of freehold and leasehold properties with guest Anthony Emmerson, who has worked in the mortgage industry for 20 years and is currently director at Trinity Financial. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The dollar is wobbling. Not everyone is mad for Treasuries anymore. The US is likely headed for recession and it looks like the future of technology might be in China. What’s an investor to do?Move with the times, says Gavekal founding partner and Chief Executive Officer Louis-Vincent Gave. In other words, you don’t have to invest in the US, and in conversation with Merryn this week, he shares his thoughts on the best places to move your money. Gavekal Research: https://research.gavekal.com/article/prejudice-and-china/Erik Prince video Louis mentions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsKtfLRSo2cSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not long ago, it was seen as too slow, too expensive and too controversial to play a major role in the future energy mix. Not anymore. Nick Lawson, chief executive of investment firm Ocean Wall, and Jake Jurewicz, CEO and co-founder of modular reactor startup Blue Energy, join this week’s Merryn Talks Money to explain why they think nuclear power is becoming one of the most compelling long-term energy bets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's roundup, Merryn Somerset Webb, speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about why the Nvidia share price is a magic number, falling UK mortgage rates, buying the dip and covid-level shortages caused by tariffs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“ Going into the property market without a buying agent is a bit like going to court without a lawyer,” says Black Brick Property Solutions founder Camilla Dell. “You’d never dream of representing yourself, and yet when it comes to buying property, which is often one of the most significant and largest financial commitments that somebody will do in their entire lifetimes, people tend to do that without proper representation.” On this episode of the Merryn Talks Money UK housing mini-series, Dell, who has worked in the London property market for more than two decades, joins hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and Money Distilled author John Stepek to explain the importance of a buying agent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Renowned UK value investor Ben Whitmore joins host Merryn Somerset Webb to discuss why he left Jupiter Asset Management, the mission behind Brickwood Asset Management (his new venture) and the focus behind its first fund.Whitmore is zeroing in on buying shares of undervalued UK companies. He tells us which companies, and speaks more generally about the trends he's seeing in the markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's roundup, Merryn Somerset Webb, speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about the recent volatility in the markets, significant increases in gold prices and the role of US President Donald Trump in market shifts and the theoretical versus practical independence of central banks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 of an economy is “some kind of stable state,” Galbraith says. But absolutely nothing else tends to equilibrium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 more sense. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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/listener for privacy information.

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. So find good quality stocks you have faith in and hold them for the very long term—Warren Buffett or Nick Train style.Or maybe don’t. Spencer, the billionaire behind one of the world’s biggest financial brokerage fortune, says the low turnover story is old hat. There has been a change in market structure, he says, and trading costs today are “microscopic” compared with even a few years ago.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 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 privacy information.

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 outlook for gold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ETF and put it into a Stocks Industrials ETF, and that will move things very quickly") and whether Wall Street is losing hope in the 'Trump put.' Disclaimer: Merryn's audio isn't great in this episode but we'll have it fixed by next week. The Johns sound excellent. 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? New research from Kallum Pickering, chief economist at Peel Hunt, suggests there may indeed be a connection. He joins Merryn Somerset Webb and senior reporter John Stepek on Merryn Talks Money to explain that the rise of power-hungry artificial intelligence and the UK’s renewed focus on defense may mean the government should reexamine its energy policies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.