Merryn Talks Money

Latest Episodes:

Forget Everything You Know About Money May 30, 2025

Show notes

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.”

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Japan's Bond Market in Focus May 28, 2025

Show notes

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.

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Should Commodities Still Have a Place in Your Portfolio? May 27, 2025

Show notes

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?

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Ed Yardeni Says It’s Not as Bad as You Think May 23, 2025

Show notes

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.

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A Lesson Learnt from Australian Pension Funds May 21, 2025

Show notes

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.

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Avoiding the Hidden Pitfalls of UK Homebuying May 20, 2025

Show notes

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.

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The Fiscal Shift That Means You Must Own Europe May 16, 2025

Show notes

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.

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Markets Round Up: Private Equity, ISAs, Rachel Reeves May 14, 2025

Show notes

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.

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Navigating the Paperwork of Buying a UK Home May 13, 2025

Show notes

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.

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The UK's Trade Deals: A Turning Point? May 09, 2025

Show notes

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.pdf

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