Fifty-eight-year-old Margo has amassed a very healthy retirement fund, in part by buying shares in Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company run by Warren Buffett. When even the ‘Sage of Omaha’ is reducing his exposure to certain US stocks, Margo wonders if it’s time for her to follow his lead and look to invest in other parts of the world. Presenter Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, is joined by not one but two FT columnists: Simon Edelsten, Partner at Goshawk Asset Management, an...
Apr 01, 2025•35 min
Matt started investing at just 22 with the help of his financial adviser father. Now, at 29, and with a wedding on the cards, he’s got an extra reason to be diligent about his money. Some of Matt’s stock picks (such as Glencore) haven’t been performing as he might like. Is it time to leave stock-picking behind, and focus on a more diversified approach? Presenter Claer Barrett is joined by Adam Walkom, the co-founder of Permanent Wealth Partners, and Investors’ Chronicle editor Taha Lokhandwala, ...
Mar 25, 2025•29 min
Forty-nine-year-old Jane has always been careful to squirrel money away, and a recent inheritance has boosted her nest egg to £125,000. But there’s one problem: it’s all in cash. Now, with half an eye on retirement, Jane wants to start investing but is unsure about how to do this. Presenter Claer Barrett hears from experts Emma Sterland, chief financial planning director at Evelyn Partners, and Investors’ Chronicle editor Rosie Carr. Together, they discuss how Jane might make the most of tax-eff...
Mar 18, 2025•33 min
Sixty-seven-year-old Paul invests using index funds. Over the years, his exposure to US tech stocks has helped him build up a sizeable retirement pot — but recent stock market volatility is making him worry. Now that he’s no longer working, Paul wonders if he should diversify into other equity markets, consider buying bonds, or an annuity. But he is finding this is hard to do without looking at the bigger picture of his finances in retirement. Financial Times consumer editor Claer Barrett is joi...
Mar 11, 2025•25 min
Software engineer Stephan has a problem. As an early backer of bitcoin, he has made a lot of paper profit from cryptocurrencies, which now make up about a fifth of his portfolio. But Stephan’s also a big believer in ethical investing, including green investments. Given the energy-intensive nature of bitcoin mining, how could he approach resolving this conflict? Podcast host Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, is joined by FT columnist and personal finance expert Moira O’Neill, and Davi...
Mar 04, 2025•30 min
Twenty-nine-year-old Faye has made some sensible investing decisions and … some more outlandish ones. Should this high-earning City worker, who’s dabbled in everything from cryptocurrency to novelty number plates, get a little bit more serious about how she invests? Presenter Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, is joined by Adam Walkom, co-founder of financial planning firm Permanent Wealth Partners, and Nimesh Shah, CEO of accountancy firm Blick Rothenberg. They speak to Faye about ta...
Mar 04, 2025•30 min
How does one double a sizeable portfolio in under a decade? The short answer is by taking more investment risk - and in today’s episode one of the FT’s most experienced investment columnists weighs up the potential risks. Stuart Kirk has set an ambitious financial goal to hit ahead of his 60th birthday — growing his portfolio from just over £500,000 today to £1mn by 2032. Will he be persuaded to take a punt on flashy US tech stocks, dabble in alternative investments such as private e...
Sep 17, 2024•29 min
‘If you can tell a good story,’ says Morgan Housel, ‘you’ll get people to line up and listen to you.’ In this episode of Money Clinic, Morgan shares some of those stories with host Claer Barrett and challenges us to think differently about our attitude to wealth and wealth creation. This episode is a repeat of a Money Clinic first published in January 2024. More information on Morgan Housel and his books: https://www.morganhousel.com/ Follow Claer on social media @Claerb Presented by ...
Sep 10, 2024•26 min
With a £22bn ‘black hole’ in the public finances, the new chancellor Rachel Reeves has difficult decisions to make ahead of Labour’s autumn Budget next month. How might this hole be plugged, and where might tax rises land? In this episode, Dan Neidle, founder of think-tank Tax Policy Associates and former head of tax at Clifford Chance, considers which tax-raising levers the chancellor might pull on October 30, and puts forward a case for fairer, growth-focused tax policy. For more tips on how t...
Sep 03, 2024•32 min
In an increasingly cashless society, how can parents ensure children learn healthy financial habits? In this episode, host Claer Barrett speaks to Sheila Bair, author of the Money Tales children’s book series and former chair of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, about instilling children with sensible attitudes to money - and reveals details of her next book, How Not to Lose a Million Dollars . For a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones, share your t...
Aug 27, 2024•25 min
When FT columnist Miranda Green lost her father, she expected the grief to be long-lived. What she didn’t expect was that she would still be attempting to settle her father's financial affairs nearly a year later with multiple calls to banks, building societies, insurers and utility companies. In an episode which first aired last September, Miranda tells presenter Claer Barrett about her experiences dealing with inconsiderate call handlers and poor processes in the private sector. Claer pu...
Aug 20, 2024•32 min
Barbie is a big spender and high earner, fast approaching the age of retirement. But after a long and varied career that has seen her build a portfolio of multiple dreamhouses and a low-commitment, long-distance relationship with casual boyfriend Ken, what financial advice should she be looking for? In this Headlinemoney award-winning episode of Money Clinic, first aired in August 2023, presenter Claer Barrett is joined in the studio by wealth manager Christine Ross from Handelsbanken and ...
Aug 13, 2024•25 min
Prenuptial agreements are no longer just for Hollywood power couples such as Jay Z and Beyoncé — they’re on the rise in the UK too. Host Claer Barrett sits down with family lawyer Richard Hogwood from Stewarts Law to discuss the legal status of prenups as well as the recent influx of requests at his firm, and quizzes James Brookner, founder of the online-platform Wenup, on an affordable route to drafting a prenup. Also in the Money Clinic studio are newly weds-to-be Steve and Georgina, who expla...
Aug 06, 2024•27 min
Isabel Berwick, host and editor of the FT’s Working It podcast and newsletter, has spent the last year writing The Future-Proof Career , a book about how to thrive at work, now and in the future. In April, she held a launch event at Daunt Books, where she spoke to Money Clinic’s Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor, about what she learned in the process. This is an edited version of a Working It episode that aired in May. For a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones,...
Jul 30, 2024•36 min
The cost of insurance premiums is rising to record highs, but levels of customer service are falling for customers who end up having to make a claim, according to a new report. The consumer group, Which? has found that almost half of those claiming on home, car or travel insurance policies in the past few years have experienced at least one problem, as the volume of complaints linked to claims handling soars. Host Claer Barrett sits down with Sam Richardson, the deputy editor of Which? Money and...
Jul 23, 2024•25 min
When it comes to growth investing, big US tech stocks are the prime example. However, professional investors are looking to diversify into other areas of global stock markets, seeking out fast-growing companies of the future.This week, Claer sits down with fund manager James Thomson, who has managed the £4bn Rathbone global opportunities fund for 20 years. In this episode, he shares the ingredients for his “special sauce” to investing in growth stocks, his biggest mistakes and the core lessons h...
Jul 16, 2024•26 min
Over the past decade, collectible sneakers have crept to multi-billion dollar market status, but can they really be considered investments? In this episode, presenter Claer Barrett checks in with Unhedged podcast co-host and aspiring sneakerhead Rob Armstrong for his take on these alternative alternative investments, and later hears about the world’s first managed sneaker fund, Always Legit, asking co-founder and COO Howie Schwartz the burning question: are sneakers investable in the long run? F...
Jul 09, 2024•28 min
It’s easy to harbour regrets about poor financial decisions, but this week’s guest has decided to do what many wouldn’t dare: air her mistakes in public on a national tour. Presenter Claer Barrett speaks with comedian Lucy Porter, best known for her appearances on QI, Have I Got News For You and EastEnders, about her biggest money regrets and more, and the many, many laughs along the way. Clip: BBC Catch Lucy on her national tour of No Regrets and listen to her podcast, Fingers on Buzzers ...
Jul 02, 2024•24 min
Regardless of which political party wins the UK general election on July 4, voters fear they will have to pay more taxes. Taxes are the crucial battleground in the run-up to polling day, and experts question whether manifesto pledges can be delivered without raising them. What aspects of our personal finances could be affected - and could a change of leadership potentially be beneficial for investors in UK stocks? In this episode, host Claer Barrett discusses what could happen next wit...
Jun 25, 2024•31 min
Prepare to take a seat on the therapist’s couch and discover what your money habits say about you. In this episode, host Claer Barrett sits down with the UK’s first financial therapist, Vicky Reynal whose new book, Money on Your Mind: The Psychology Behind Your Financial Habits, aims to help people untangle problematic aspects of their relationship with money. They discuss the symbolic nature of money, what can make one person a spender and another a saver, and how equipping yourself with this k...
Jun 18, 2024•26 min
When we talk about the relative value of our investments, PE ratios are never far away from the conversation - but what does this mean, and what exactly goes into this calculation? In the latest episode of our Five Minute Investor miniseries, FT consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges FT investment columnist Stuart Kirk to break down the ‘price’ and ‘earnings’ parts of the equation, and elucidate on other ways the PE ratio is used by investors to benchmark the relative value of different shares...
Jun 11, 2024•8 min
With a string of companies preparing to launch stock market listings on both sides of the Atlantic, investors may be tempted to invest in an IPO. But when companies stage an initial public offering, what are the factors to consider? In our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges Rob Armstrong, co-host of FT’s Unhedged podcast and author of the Unhedged newsletter, to explain why companies go public, and the risks of getting carried away with investing o...
Jun 04, 2024•7 min
Like an interest rate on a savings account, investment yields show us how much income different investments are able to generate. But how are yields calculated, and how can they measure the returns on different types of investments including shares, bonds and property? In our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett asks FT markets columnist and Unhedged co-host Katie Martin to give practical examples of how yields can be used as a benchmark for different ass...
May 28, 2024•7 min
Global stock markets are charging along breaking record after record — but what’s driving this ‘bull market’ and how much longer can it last? Plus, what could it mean for investors if a ‘bear market’ awakens from hibernation? In our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges Rob Armstrong, co-host of FT’s Unhedged podcast and author of the Unhedged newsletter, to explain the factors that drive bull and bear markets, and if individual investors should recon...
May 21, 2024•8 min
‘The two most powerful warriors are patience and time,’ Leo Tolstoy once wrote. But how can this make you a richer investor? The answer is compounding, and in our new miniseries, The Five-Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges Bobby Seagull, the TV star and mathematics teacher, to demonstrate how compounding can power up our long-term investments. Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of The Five-Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get...
May 14, 2024•8 min
Share buybacks have been in the news as Apple announced what would be the largest buyback in US history. But why is the US tech giant purchasing $110bn of its own shares, and cancelling them? In the latest episode of our Five Minute Investor miniseries, FT consumer editor Claer Barrett quizzes FT investment columnist Stuart Kirk on why more and more companies are doing this — and how investors can benefit. Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of the Five Minute Investor, and s...
May 07, 2024•7 min
In the age of the smartphone, it’s never been easier to buy an investment — but how quickly can you sell one, and how might this affect the price? In our new miniseries, The Five Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges investment commentator Justin Urquhart-Stewart to explain why liquidity should be at the forefront of every investor’s mind. Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of the Five Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcast...
Apr 30, 2024•8 min
The Magnificent Seven could make up a much bigger slice of your own portfolio than you realise, but what are these seven stocks, and why are they so dominant? In our new miniseries The Five Minute Investor, consumer editor Claer Barrett challenges FT markets columnist Katie Martin to explain the hype around these gigantic US stocks. Tune in every Tuesday to catch the latest episode of the Five Minute Investor, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer ...
Apr 23, 2024•7 min
‘If I try to put myself back into the shoes of me as a 21-year-old, all I can tell you is this: I was hungry,’ writes Gary Stevenson in his recently released memoir, The Trading Game , which tells the story of how the son of a Post Office worker briefly became the highest-paid trader working on Citi’s bond trading floor at London’s Canary Wharf. He sits down with host Claer Barrett to talk about what he learned about trading and how the wider economy works – and why he’s worried. Find Gary @gary...
Apr 16, 2024•25 min
Introducing Money Clinic’s Five Minute Investor, a miniseries hosted by Claer Barrett, the FT’s consumer editor. In each episode, Claer challenges top financial commentators to break down financial jargon in just five minutes, making you a smarter, and hopefully richer, investor. Tune in every Tuesday, and subscribe to Money Clinic wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like Claer to demystify an investment term, email the team at [email protected] or send Claer a DM on social media — she’s @Cl...
Apr 12, 2024•1 min
