Two months ago, we asked if any listeners had managed to retire early and gain financial independence, in line with the so-called FIRE movement. Plenty of you have hit the goal, judging by the responses we’ve received. Charlene Young shares some of your stories while Dan Coatsworth talks to podcast listener Phill about how he managed to give up work early and live the life he always dreamed of. Dan asks Chris Elliott from Evenlode Global Equity if artificial intelligence is a game-changer for bu...
Jan 04, 2024•39 min•Ep 254•Transcript available on Metacast In our final episode of the year, Danni and Laura look at the impact of that Red Sea turmoil on the oil market and Amazon’s deal with Games Workshop to bring Warhammer to the big screen. We’ll also look at the latest inflation data – and what it might mean for your money in 2024. And the impact that that Bank of England decision last week to hold rates had on the mortgage and housing markets. We’ve also got the first of a new monthly segment from the team at Shares, who will be discussing chip c...
Dec 21, 2023•42 min•Ep 253•Transcript available on Metacast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss the market reaction to the US Fed’s blueprint for interest rate cuts plus a slew of economic data about the state of the UK economy which could be sliding into recession. You can hear about vaccine maker Pfizer which has warned of trouble ahead as it struggles with life after covid, plus there might be two blockbuster IPOs heading London’s way in the form of fashion giant Shein and high street retailer Boots. Dan talks to Will Riley from Guinness Sustainab...
Dec 14, 2023•54 min•Ep 252•Transcript available on Metacast There is a widely held view that US shares are expensive, yet this isn’t true for everything. Dan Coatsworth talks to Rosanna Burcheri from Fidelity American Special Situations fund about how she is still finding plenty of opportunities in companies priced below what she believes is their true value. She talks about FedEx, Alphabet and more. Find out why bitcoin and gold have been moving higher and what Dan makes of GameStop’s latest results. From January 2024, parents in the UK can start applyi...
Dec 07, 2023•36 min•Ep 251•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s podcast we’ll be covering markets news, from Rolls Royce and the impact Black Friday had on stocks to inflation in Europe. We’ve got not one but two fund manager interviews: the first is on the challenging but rewarding small caps market with Tellworth small cap fund manager Paul Marriage. And the second covers the recently-volatile bond market, with Ariel Bezalel from Jupiter Strategic Bond Fund. We’ve also got an update on the energy price cap, as prices will rise again from Jan...
Nov 30, 2023•44 min•Ep 250•Transcript available on Metacast This week’s podcast turns the Autumn Statement into plain English, looking at the key announcements and the ones buried in documents published by the Government. The team talk about how UK economic growth expectations have been downgraded and how it could take longer to hit the Government’s 2% inflation target than previously thought. Dan Coatsworth explores changes to National Insurance tax and how it could put up to £750 extra in someone’s pocket a year. Danni Hewson weighs up the good and bad...
Nov 22, 2023•31 min•Ep 249•Transcript available on Metacast The big news this week is the latest inflation figures which have positive implications for consumers and businesses. The data has already triggered a rally in global stock markets as Dan Coatsworth discusses in this week’s episode. Tom Selby explores the pros and cons of the FIRE movement – financial independence, retire early. He explains the key things to consider if you want to stop working in your 50s or earlier. Laura Suter talks about the growing number of people who are behind with their...
Nov 17, 2023•35 min•Ep 248•Transcript available on Metacast This week Danni and Laura bring you all the implications of that decision from the Bank of England last week to hold interest rates – from the market moves, to what peak interest rates mean for savers and homeowners. They look at how housebuilders are faring and signs of optimism in the UK housing market. Our interview this week is on the same topic – the UK Property market. Property investment trusts have had a tough time of late, but one vehicle is doing much better than the rest and that’s AE...
Nov 10, 2023•46 min•Ep 246•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s Money and Markets podcast Danni Hewson and Dan Coatsworth assess why October has been such a bad month for equities. They discuss the good and bad of recent earnings updates including McDonald’s and Coca-Cola beating expectations and BP disappointing. Get the lowdown on big names in the retail sector. It might be the “golden quarter” now but it’s not all been shiny for online retailer ASOS. Next has raised its profits outlook once again but what does the sale of Missguided to Shei...
Nov 03, 2023•47 min•Ep 245•Transcript available on Metacast Laura Suter and Tom Selby look at what the latest jobs figures mean for the Bank of England’s next interest rate decision, as well as the latest banks to report their results and what it tells us about the state of the savings market. Tom dives into figures on the number of pensioners that will be pushed into paying more income tax. They also look at the latest eye-opening figures on scams. And investment director Ryan Hughes covers a bevvy of investment news, from the fallout in the UK property...
Oct 26, 2023•39 min•Ep 244•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s Money and Markets podcast Danni Hewson and Laura Suter dig into a pile of economic data from wage growth numbers to the volatility on markets following the stalled UK inflation print which saw housebuilders including Barratt Development tumble. Danni checks out earnings updates from big US banks including JP Morgan and Bank of America and a crowd-pleasing turn from Premier Inn-owner Whitbread. Tom Selby is on hand to explain what the latest wage and inflation numbers mean for the ...
Oct 20, 2023•50 min•Ep 243•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s Money and Markets podcast Danni Hewson is joined by Tom Sieber from Shares magazine to discuss another volatile week on the markets. Investors have clearly been shaken by those awful scenes in the Middle East and there are a lot of eyes watching the oil price. Comments from Federal Reserve officials suggesting no further rate hikes are likely to be needed in the US saw markets return to the front foot ahead of the third quarter earnings season. Tom talks through what investors wil...
Oct 12, 2023•44 min•Ep 242•Transcript available on Metacast Laura Suter has some money-making tips in this week’s podcast including where to get more than 6% on cash savings and where to find attractive incentives to switch current account provider. She also talks about the pay rise for anyone in a minimum wage job. Dan Coatsworth explains why global stock markets have taken a wobble following a sell-off in government bonds. He also talks about the latest results from Tesco and why Boohoo is going through a tough patch. Social media networks could soon b...
Oct 04, 2023•44 min•Ep 241•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s Money and Markets podcast Danni Hewson is joined by AJ Bell’s head of retirement policy Tom Selby who brings us up-to-date on rumours around ISA simplification which are reportedly being considered by the Government. The pair assess how markets and currencies have reacted since both the Fed and the Bank of England held interest rates. You can hear about property stocks including British Land and Land Securities which have come under pressure after analysts cut ratings, and how tec...
Sep 28, 2023•42 min•Ep 240•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of the Money & Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson mull over the factors behind a surprise fall in UK headline inflation in spite of rising fuel costs. Dan digs into the surge in profit warnings from UK companies including B&Q owner Kingfisher, fashion retailer Quiz and online alcohol seller Naked Wines. Reports suggest Frasers is about to strike a strategic deal with Chinese retail giant Shein – Dan talks about the speculated move and what it could mean for t...
Sep 22, 2023•55 min•Ep 239•Transcript available on Metacast The price of oil has gone up by more than 25% in two months, creating a new inflationary headwind for consumers and businesses. Dan Coatsworth talks to AJ Bell’s Russ Mould about why the black stuff is suddenly more expensive, what it means for the cost of petrol and why it could have a big impact on central bank interest rate decisions. Laura Suter explains where customers stand if they need to return faulty goods or spend gift vouchers at collapsed retailer Wilko. Dan explores the rise of shop...
Sep 13, 2023•35 min•Ep 238•Transcript available on Metacast We’re back from our summer break! And there is lots of markets news to cover – Danni Hewson has got an update on what happened over the summer and also the latest on Wilko’s collapse, M&S heading back into the FTSE 100 and the surprising company that has become Europe’s most valuable. We’ve also got news out from Barratt Homes that’s hot off the press and gives an insight into the housing market – and Laura Suter will be giving an update on the mortgage market. We’ll be discussing the date f...
Sep 07, 2023•50 min•Ep 237•Transcript available on Metacast This week Danni Hewson and Laura Suter will be diving into all the detail on the news that NatWest’s boss Alison Rose has quit amid the Nigel Farage furore. They’ll also be looking at the big tech companies announcing results, including Microsoft and Alphabet, as well as the first of the big UK banks to report – Lloyds. We’ll be covering the financial impact of those wildfires in Greece, both on holidaymakers and on investors. Laura has got some interesting figures showing that parents are raidi...
Jul 26, 2023•45 min•Ep 236•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson dig through the latest UK inflation data which has delivered a shot of optimism to investors. They mull over how the Bank of England might react to cooling prices, look at which stocks on the market have been benefiting from the change in sentiment and ask if the optimism is really warranted. Higher interest rates have delivered something of a bonanza for many big US banks with Wells Fargo and Bank of America amongs...
Jul 21, 2023•45 min•Ep 235•Transcript available on Metacast Tom Selby considers Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s strategy to boost the average pension pot by £1,000 a year and why the plan has flaws. Laura Suter talks about some remarkable figures on the amount of money in savings accounts that pay no interest and how there has been yet another error made on state pension payments. Dan Coatsworth chats with Dominic Scriven from investment trust Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited about investing in Vietnam. Dan also explains the importance of the latest Bank ...
Jul 14, 2023•41 min•Ep 234•Transcript available on Metacast This week Laura Suter is shedding light on all the government moves aimed at easing the cost of living pressure on our finances, from petrol prices to supermarket bills and savings rates. Danni Hewson brings you the latest markets news, including Tesla’s record delivery, US-China tensions and JD Sports emerging in new markets. Our interview this week is with Nick Greenwood from Migo Opportunities Trust about takeover potential in the renewable energy and infrastructure space, and we’ll also be l...
Jul 06, 2023•45 min•Ep 233•Transcript available on Metacast In the second in a series of bonus podcasts from the Shares magazine team to accompany AJ Bell’s Money & Markets podcast, Tom Sieber, Steve Frazer and Ian Conway take a close look at two stocks enjoying vastly contrasting fortunes of late. The pod discuss the efforts of recently appointed Tufan Erginbilgic to turn around aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce and whether he can back up some big talk with action, after a strong run for the shares at the start of 2023 petered out. Items up for discussi...
Jul 04, 2023•27 min•Ep 232•Transcript available on Metacast Dan Coatsworth chats about retailer Frasers which seems to be playing a long running game of high street Monopoly. He also explains why car insurance premiums are going up. Danni Hewson discusses why tensions in Russia haven’t really moved markets and she explores Boohoo’s spat with Revolution Beauty. Dan chats to fund manager Ben Ritchie about Dunedin Income Trust’s 150th anniversary and how the investment trust has evolved over the years. Also on this week’s show: shares in cruise companies ar...
Jun 29, 2023•50 min•Ep 231•Transcript available on Metacast This week’s podcast explores the market reaction to UK interest rates going up once again. Laura Suter talks to David Hollingworth from mortgage broker L&C about whether someone should fix their mortgage or stay on a variable rate. Dan Coatsworth explores the companies which are starting to feel the pain from higher interest rates including housebuilder Berkeley, builders’ merchant Travis Perkins and car seller Motorpoint. Tom Sieber considers the takeover rumours surrounding Ocado and why some ...
Jun 22, 2023•43 min•Ep 230•Transcript available on Metacast This week Danni Hewson and Laura Suter have got a lot of big Government data that both the Bank of England and homeowners aren’t exactly thrilled by – and we’ll be looking stateside too, to see how the inflation battle is faring there. We’ll be covering the impact that UK data has had on the mortgage market – and it’s not pretty. It’s not just the weather that’s heating up, but also M&A activity in UK companies; from a deal for the biggest mobile phone provider in the UK to Mike Ashley’s latest ...
Jun 16, 2023•47 min•Ep 229•Transcript available on Metacast This week’s podcast chats about the market reaction to Apple’s foray into headsets, why British American Tobacco is not firing on all cylinders, and the well-known name buying a stake in gambling group 888. Dan Coatsworth talks about how you can get more than 5% interest on cash and how that compares with UK stocks. He also speaks with Nigel Newton, CEO of Bloomsbury Publishing, about how the pandemic book boom has not faded away. Danni Hewson explores the big crackdown on crypto exchanges by US...
Jun 09, 2023•45 min•Ep 228•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re going to cover that rollercoaster ride that bond markets have been on, once again, and what it means for your investments and your mortgage. Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis, will be giving an update on those tricky US debt ceiling negotiations, as well as explaining why your pension might be used to inject growth into the UK stock market. On top of that Laura Suter has got an update on the energy price cap and why people have been rushing to use their ISAs. We’re delvin...
Jun 01, 2023•41 min•Ep 227•Transcript available on Metacast In the first in a series of bonus podcasts from the Shares magazine team to accompany AJ Bell’s Money & Markets podcast, Tom Sieber, Steve Frazer and Martin Gamble hold an insightful discussion on two stocks. The trio dig into the problems which have dogged Vodafone and the prospects for new boss Margherita Della Valle of turning things around. Dividends, debt and the machinations of a big new shareholder are all up for discussion as part of an analysis of what’s gone wrong at the FTSE 100 firm....
May 29, 2023•26 min•Ep 226•Transcript available on Metacast On the podcast this week, we’ve got a bevvy of company news, from Facebook being fined to BT cutting jobs for AI and everyone’s pandemic favourite Zoom holding up pretty well. We’ve got a fund manager interview with Julian Cook from T Rowe Price that looks stateside at what’s been happening in markets there so far this year. Also up this week we’ll be chatting about the latest inflation figures and we’ve got some good news for Nationwide customers, who are getting some extra money in their bank ...
May 25, 2023•33 min•Ep 225•Transcript available on Metacast On this week’s podcast, Dan Coatsworth explains why Japanese stocks have been doing so well, with the TOPIX index hitting a 33-year high. He also chats about the negative market reaction to Watches of Switzerland’s latest update and how that news, along with further declines in diamond prices, suggests cracks in the luxury goods market. Danni Hewson discusses bad news from Home Depot and she also considers the big profit target from JD Sports. You can hear about the panic around the US debt ceil...
May 18, 2023•43 min•Ep 224•Transcript available on Metacast 
