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-100k-q2-2025/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Mar 04, 2025•18 min
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 why he’s so concerned about population decline. Sign up for Merryn's newsletter: https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters...
Feb 28, 2025•42 min
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 Bitcoin and Donald Trump's "gold card" plan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 26, 2025•18 min
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 head of private clients at Henley & Partners, about why expats are deciding to move—and which countries have the best offe...
Feb 26, 2025•22 min
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 , tries to answer on this week’s Merryn Talks Money . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 21, 2025•33 min
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.
Feb 19, 2025•17 min
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.
Feb 18, 2025•15 min
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 also talk about the global investment landscape and how the Gulf region, and particularly the United Arab Emirates, is a good pl...
Feb 14, 2025•49 min
Gold is enjoying a bump after President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on US steel and aluminum imports this week. Merryn speaks with reporter Jack Ryan, who covers mining and precious metals, and gold market veteran Charlie Morris of ByteTree to discuss what’s driving gold’s ascent and what investors can do to make some money out of the moves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 11, 2025•32 min
All investors look for an edge. You only make real money by having “alpha,” as the jargon goes. On this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money , host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by a guest who knows all about the quest for advantage: Bloomberg Indices Quant Researcher Steve Hou. Put simply, Hou’s job is to find what “works” in markets and then find ways to capture it for investors. So what’s he been investigating? Recent topics include how to identify innovative companies and the role of resear...
Feb 07, 2025•38 min
In this week's roundup, senior writer and Money Distilled author John Stepek speaks with Opinion columnist Marcus Ashworth. They discuss what Trump’s tariff threats mean for your money, gold's surge, and why there’s more to equities than just US stocks. Marcus's latest column: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-02-03/trump-tariffs-ecb-dithers-while-euro-economy-flatlines See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 05, 2025•17 min
On this week’s personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money , the conversation revolves around effective financial planning for one’s eventual death. Merryn Somerset Webb sits down with Matthew Hutton, author of Your Last Gift: Getting Your Affairs in Order , to discuss practical advice on how to navigate the inheritance tax, write a will, choose an executor, manage digital assets and ensure one’s heirs avoid delays when it comes to accessing money after your death. LISTENER NOTE: We added in ...
Feb 04, 2025•29 min
In this week's roundup, Merryn speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about Chancellor Rachel Reeves' growth speech this week, and the obstacles she'll likely face getting her ideas across the line. They also discuss whether Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is good news or worrying news for US Big Tech. John says bottom line is remember: there should be more room foruncertainty in stock prices. Investors should never pay for perfect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...
Jan 31, 2025•24 min
Founder and Manager of the Blue Whale Growth Fund Stephen Yiu joins this week to discuss the Big Tech selloff, his outlook for AI and where he’s investing now. Yiu, whose investment fund is backed by billionaire Peter Hargreaves, reduced its stakes in major US technology companies on concern over the costs of AI at the end of 2024. What did he see that other investors didn't? And where does he see opportunities now? Plus, what Stephen is reading now: Lucky Loser : How Donald Trump Squandered His...
Jan 28, 2025•49 min
Panmure Liberum Chief Economist Simon French joins host Merryn Somerset Webb and senior reporter John Stepek to discuss why boosting the UK's growth should start with encouraging North Sea oil and gas production. The book Simon recommends at the end of the interview is called Digital Minimalism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 24, 2025•41 min
In this week's roundup, Merryn speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about what TrumpCoin signals for the US presidency and the crypto industry, where the investment trust showdown stands now that Boaz Weinstein's Saba Capital failed to take control of Herald Investment Trust, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves' conversation with Bloomberg in Davos. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 23, 2025•19 min
Correction One of our brilliant listeners wrote in to point out an inaccuracy in the original podcast. We've removed the inaccuracy, in which the guest said you can roll previous capital gains into a VCT. In fact, while gains made from a VCT can be CGT free, you CANNOT roll over capital gains on other assets you have sold into a VCT. We will also address in the next personal finance episode. On this week’s personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money , host Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Ton...
Jan 21, 2025•21 min
In this week's Merryn Talks Money market roundup, there's only one story on our host's mind. Merryn and Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek talk about US activist investor Boaz Weinstein of Saba Capital and his high-profile attempt to unseat the boards of seven UK-listed investment trusts. Weinstein argues that a combination of weak three-year performance and too much tolerance of wide discounts means investors should welcome Saba's attentions; the boards argue that Saba is self-servin...
Jan 17, 2025•30 min
“We’re not here to make trouble.” So says Boaz Weinstein, founder and chief investment officer of activist investor Saba Capital Management, who joins this episode of the Merryn Talks Money podcast, hosted by senior reporter John Stepek. His claim may come as news to boards of many UK investment trusts. Saba has taken large stakes in seven of them and called extraordinary general meetings. Those gatherings could result in existing boards being swept away and replaced by Saba's favored candidates...
Jan 15, 2025•51 min
Each week on the Merryn Talks Money podcast, we discuss strategies for investing with industry experts. But rarely do we talk about how to get started on that investment journey. On this episode, Holly Mackay, founder and chief executive of Boring Money , joins hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek to do just that. They chat about how to get started in choosing an investment platform, including answering a key question (what is an investment platform?) and looking at the main options availa...
Jan 14, 2025•28 min
Daniel Rasmussen, founder of Verdad Advisers and author of The Humble Investor: How to Find a Winning Edge in a Surprising World, joins Merryn this week. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 10, 2025•46 min
In the first roundup of the year, Merryn speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about anxiety in the markets, sterling and UK gilt prices tumbling, and the fresh pressure facing Rachel Reeves and the Treasury from soaring borrowing costs. Plus, a look at the rollback on ESG measures across companies. Don't forget, sign up to Merryn's newsletter: https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/merryn-talks-money See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 08, 2025•13 min
We bring you another favourite from our episodes this year: Merryn's conversation with Tim Marshall, author of The Future of Geography and a former diplomatic and foreign affairs editor at Sky News . He says there could be a "gold rush" in space. Just as miners in the 19th century ventured into the lawless frontiers of North America, the presence of rare materials on the moon and elsewhere might fuel a race to harness the opportunities of outer space. “This might be one of the most profitable th...
Jan 03, 2025•58 min
For every listener who has written in to say "You must speak to Lyn Alden"--we're reposting our interview for you. So this holiday break, please enjoy investment and macroeconomic analyst Lyn Alden exploring the history and future of money with Merryn. Alden discusses her book Broken Money: Why Our Financial System is Failing Us and How We Can Make it Better. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min
While Merryn and John enjoy a holiday break, we bring you an episode from our colleagues on the Money Stuff podcast team. Hosts Matt Levine and Katie Greifeld spoke earlier this year with John Collison, the co-founder and president of Stripe. Here is their conversation on the financial services business, why payments are hard, what's good about crypto, why IPOs don't matter and how to fly planes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 20, 2024•50 min
In this week's roundup, Merryn speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about the downside that comes with UK wages going up, Guy Hands and military homes, US exuberance reaching critical levels, and why it's important that US activist fund manager Saba Capital has been building up positions in lots of investment trusts. Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer . You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and unlock access to...
Dec 18, 2024•19 min
In this week’s personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money , we discuss what you should stow away for your kids until they turn 18. Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer . You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and unlock access to deep reporting, data and analysis from reporters around the world. Already a subscriber? Connect your account on the Bloomberg channel page in Apple Podcasts to listen ad-free. Sign up to Merryn's newslet...
Dec 17, 2024•29 min
Market historian Russell Napier joins Merryn to explain that economic nationalism will have negative consequences for some nations. They also talk Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer . You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and unlock access to deep reporting, data and analysis from reporters around the world. Already a subscriber? Connect your account on the Bloomberg channel page in Apple Podcasts to l...
Dec 13, 2024•38 min
In this week's roundup, Merryn speaks with Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about the UK stock market's shrinking influence, why pension funds are so keen to invest in private assets, and everyone's favourite: executive pay. Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer . You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and unlock access to deep reporting, data and analysis from reporters around the world. Already a subscriber? Connect your...
Dec 12, 2024•19 min
In this week’s personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money , hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek answer the question: what are the financial benefits of getting married in the UK? Become a Bloomberg.com subscriber using our special intro offer at bloomberg.com/podcastoffer . You’ll get episodes of this podcast ad-free and unlock access to deep reporting, data and analysis from reporters around the world. Already a subscriber? Connect your account on the Bloomberg channel page in Apple ...
Dec 11, 2024•19 min
