Merryn Talks Money

Latest Episodes:

Listen Now: Beak Capitalism from Odd Lots Nov 24, 2024

Show notes

In this limited series, Odd Lots explains some of the thorniest issues facing the US economy through the medium of … chicken. Chicken occupies a unique position in the US diet, but issues facing the poultry industry illustrate wider points about the development of the US economy and the decisions being made about how it's structured and who benefits from it. So why has the chicken industry evolved in the way that it has? What’s been driving the price increases in eggs and meat? And what does it all say about things like inflation, the labor market and the nature of American capitalism?

Check out Beak Capitalism on Odd Lots wherever you get your podcasts.

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How to Make Britain Prosperous Again with Sam Bowman Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

Sam Bowman, founding editor of the online magazine Works in Progress, now part of payment processing platform Stripe, joins to discuss why he thinks Britain has stagnated and the main problems hindering growth. He also offers what he considers simple solutions for tackling those problems.
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The Farmers Are (Rightfully) Angry and UK Inflation Ticks Up Nov 21, 2024

Show notes

In this week's roundup, Merryn and Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek discuss why UK farmers are angry about inheritance tax and what the latest UK inflation data suggests that the Bank of England's caution is justified.
DISCLAIMER: Merryn owns. crap farm. John owns an outrage farm that you can visit on X.
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.
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How Does the UK Pension Drawdown Work? Nov 19, 2024

Show notes

Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek speak with Bloomberg Opinion columnist Stuart Trow, author of “The Bluffer’s Guide to Economics,” about pension drawdown, which is a way to access your pension income when you retire while leaving the rest invested. Trow tackles how it works and offers suggestions on how best to manage it.

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Why AI-Driven Productivity Is a Decade Away in the UK Nov 15, 2024

Show notes

Economist Diane Coyle, currently the Bennett professor of public policy at the University of Cambridge, analyzes artificial intelligence’s potential economic impact—from people’s jobs to their productivity—on this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money.
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Everybody Relax. We're Talking About Crypto. Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

In this week's roundup, Merryn and Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek discuss the latest Bitcoin boom in the wake of Donald J. Trump’s confirmation as President Elect. Is there more room for Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and other cryptocurrencies to rise? What headwinds are in store? And how much Bitcoin do Merryn and John own?
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Is There a Smarter Way to Pay Your Taxes? Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

In this week’s personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money, hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek discuss a listener question about whether setting up a limited liability company is a good strategy to save on taxes in the UK.

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Why Trump’s Victory Is Musk’s ‘Tech-Bro Coup’ Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

On this episode of Merryn Talks Money, we discuss what the Republican’s second term means for the US, the UK and the Tesla CEO. Pippa Malmgren, economist, author and former adviser to Republican President George W. Bush and Helen Thomas, founder and chief executive of BlondeMoney join.
They also discuss what UK-US relations will look like under Trump, how Britain’s exit from the European Union highlights the importance of the “special relationship” and how investors can profit from likely policy changes under the new US government—which includes the case for buying Bitcoin.

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A Dose of Cynicism from John and The Case for Becoming a Barrel Maker Nov 07, 2024

Show notes

In this week's roundup, Merryn and Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek chat about the unsurprising Bank of England decision to cut the UK's key interest rate to 4.75%. And they discuss the increase in the cost of university fees and once again explain why the student loan system is so broken.

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DC and DB Pension Schemes: What They Are and How They Work Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

In this week’s personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money, hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek discuss a listener question about the difference between UK defined benefit and defined contribution pensions.

The listener, Mustafa, said he originally had a defined benefit pension but has since moved over to a defined contribution scheme. He wants more information about each of the pension types and is starting to question the change. Webb and Stepek help him understand the pros and cons of each scheme and make it very clear what they might prefer for their own pensions.

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