Podcast · Business

Merryn Talks Money

New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 31 min
Latest: 7 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026 · 31 minNew

What to Do If Your Mortgage Rate Jumps

John Stepek, senior reporter and author of the Money Distilled newsletter, is joined by Anthony Emmerson, director at London-based mortgage broker Trinity Financial to discuss rising mortgage rates and borrowers facing a jump in repayments, they explain what homeowners can do to soften the blow — from locking in a new deal early to extending their mortgage term or considering a tracker. They also look at opportunities for first-time buyers, falling flat prices and what the government’s proposed Help to Buy scheme could mean for the housing market. See omnystudio.com/listener for…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

5 Oct 2026 · 38 min

How to Outsmart Your Investing Instincts

Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Alex Edmans, author of The Madness of Markets: Why Smart Investors Make Crazy Decisions – And How to Exploit Them , about why even sophisticated investors struggle to overcome the psychological biases that shape their decisions. Markets are driven by humans, and humans are emotional. Edmans explains how understanding the influence of emotion, herd behavior and over-confidence can help investors make better decisions — and potentially achieve better returns. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2 Oct 2026 · 19 min

Markets Wrap: The Triple Lock, Bond Yields and Housing

Fresh off the party conference, the Labour government is promising pension reform, a new approach to social care and yet another scheme to help first-time buyers. Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek ask whether the sums add up, what the bond market is making of it all — and why the latest Help to Buy plan could leave some buyers worse off. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
30 Sep 2026 · 11 min

Physical Gold, Stocks and Retirement: Your Questions Answered

Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek answer some of your questions. They explore the differences between holding physical gold and investing through an ETF, whether or not buying shares actually benefits the company you've invested in, and how best to adjust your retirement investment strategy as you draw closer to the big day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
28 Sep 2026 · 36 min

The Stocks That Could Survive an AI Bust

Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Blue Whale Growth Fund Chief Investment Officer Stephen Yiu about what could derail the artificial intelligence boom — and where investors might look if it does. They discuss whether today’s enthusiasm is masking an earnings bubble, how investors can diversify beyond AI and which emerging technologies and geopolitical risks could reshape the market next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
25 Sep 2026 · 18 min

Is the Stock Market Sending a Warning?

Merryn and John discuss worrying signals from the stock market, the physical constraints facing the AI boom, China’s growing appetite for gold and an unexpected consequence of the data-center buildout. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
23 Sep 2026 · 19 min

Is Buy-to-Let Still a Good Investment?

As the UK's buy-to-let marks its 30th anniversary, we still find ourselves asking: is it worth it? This week, Merryn Somerset Webb and Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons, discuss how it went from accessible investment strategy to heavily taxed and regulated. They explore multiple factors that changed the market and what it now takes to make buy-to-let worthwhile. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
21 Sep 2026 · 31 min

What Career Should You Choose in the AI Age?

Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Daniel Susskind, senior research associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford and a member of the UK government’s expert panel on AI and the future of work. AI is expected to transform the job market, potentially upending many of the traditional educational pathways that have long led students into established professions. As those routes begin to look increasingly uncertain, how should young people prepare for the world of work that awaits them? In his book, What Should My Children Do? , Susskind seeks to answer that…
18 Sep 2026 · 11 min

Can Governments Afford These Interest Rates?

It’s interest-rate week, with central banks around the world making key decisions. Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek discuss what rising rates mean for markets, government debt and your money — and why financial repression and currency devaluation could be coming back into focus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
16 Sep 2026 · 19 min

How to Turn Income Into an Inheritance Tax Break

Merryn Somerset Webb sits down with Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at AJ Bell, to discuss how gifting surplus income can help reduce your inheritance tax bill ahead of changes to the IHT treatment of pensions in April 2027. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
14 Sep 2026 · 35 min

Ed Conway on the Hidden Supply Chains That Run the World

Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Ed Conway, economics and data editor at Sky News and author of Trade World , about the vast and often invisible supply chains behind the things we buy. They discuss whether decades of globalisation have made economies more resilient or dangerously dependent, China’s manufacturing advantage and whether the UK and Europe can rebuild their industrial base without giving up the cheap goods consumers have come to expect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11 Sep 2026 · 27 min

Markets Wrap: Bessent's Big Bet, Bond Yields and the AI Bubble

Britain’s bond yields are the highest in the G7, as renewed inflation pressures collide with rising defense costs and a government reluctant to make politically painful spending choices. This week, John Stepek is joined by Bloomberg macro strategist Simon White to discuss whether markets will ultimately force Britain’s hand, what Scott Bessent’s interventions mean for US Treasuries and the yen, and whether the AI boom is getting closer to a correction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
8 Sep 2026 · 48 min

Live From Fringe: What Adam Smith Can Teach Us About Debt and Power

In this episode of Merryn Talks Money, host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined live at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Adrian Wooldridge, former British ambassador Nick Hopton and Orbis Investment Management Chairman Alec Cutler to ask what Adam Smith can teach us about today's rapidly changing economic order. The panel considers rising government debt, the growing relationship between states and powerful companies, and whether the AI investment boom could follow the same pattern as previous market bubbles. They also discuss what it all means for investors, from the…
4 Sep 2026 · 52 min

Live From Fringe: What Adam Smith Would Say of Bond Market Turmoil

Host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by Interactive Investor CEO Richard Wilson, Anna MacDonald, investment strategy director at Hargreaves Lansdown, and Russell Napier, financial historian and Keeper of the the Library of Mistakes for the second installment of panel discussions at Panmure House during the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The panel discussed the state of global bond markets, how policymakers seem incapable of thinking about second-order consequences and the fiscal constraints facing the UK government. Original Music Composed by Mint Sherbets See omnystudio.com/listener for…
2 Sep 2026 · 38 min

Live from Fringe: What Adam Smith Can Teach Investors About AI and Investing

In this episode of Merryn Talks Money , host Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by Bloomberg senior reporter John Stepek, Schroders Head of Strategic Research Duncan Lamont and Nelsons Chairman and Creative Scotland Chair Robert Wilson for a special roundtable recorded at Panmure House during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Marking 250 years since the publication of The Wealth of Nations , they ask what Adam Smith can teach the world about artificial intelligence, government intervention and investing. The panel discusses whether policymakers interfere too much in markets, why holding too much…
28 Aug 2026 · 10 min

Markets Wrap: Predictions Meet AI Skepticism

Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek discuss the latest Nvidia news in which the company predicted its sales could rise by around 70% in the next fiscal year, beating analysts' expectations. Despite the positive outlook, Nvidia's share-price bump was relatively muted, suggesting investors are becoming more skeptical about artificial intelligence valuations and the financing of the technology boom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
24 Aug 2026 · 38 min

What Happens When Quantum Computing Actually Works?

Merryn Somerset Webb talks to Daniel Doll-Steinberg, Co-Founder & Partner at EdenBase, an investment firm that invests in quantum computing, about why the next great technological leap may arrive sooner than investors expect. They explore how quantum could transform drug discovery, finance and encryption. They also look at how investors can get meaningful exposure to the quantum boom, what “Q-Day” really means for Bitcoin, and why understanding philosophy goes hand-in-hand with understanding quantum. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
21 Aug 2026 · 24 min

Markets Wrap: Higher Yields, Higher Gold

Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek are both back from their holidays and this week unpack the surge in global bond yields and how governments might respond. They also look at a study which suggested that Small Language Models (SLM) could make today’s vast AI data-centre buildout unnecessary, posing a substantial risk to hyperscalers and investors. https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.07885 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
17 Aug 2026 · 31 min

What it Takes to Build a Stagflation-proof Portfolio

Joining Merryn Somerset Webb for this week's episode is Duncan Lamont, Head of Strategic Research at Schroders. Lamont explains how investors can protect their portfolios against stagflation, and how to avoid being too exposed to the AI trade. He also explains why all-time highs might not actually be a sell signal for investors - and how AI-driven job losses might affect US stocks. https://www.schroders.com/en-us/us/institutional/insights/adapting-asset-allocation-to-the-risk-of-stagflation/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
14 Aug 2026 · 48 min

What's Eating Away at Inheritance Money Re-Run

At a Bloomberg.com subscriber event earlier this year, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek spoke with Paula Steele, director at John Lamb Hill Oldridge, about how to pass on an inheritance efficiently — minimise tax, manage the succession process, and avoid unintended effects on beneficiaries’ motivation. This is a re-run of that conversation which first aired March 17th, 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10 Aug 2026 · 31 min

The Capital Cycle Is Turning

What is "capital-cycle" investing and why does it matter for your portfolio? Luke Bridgeman, Senior Partner and Portfolio Manager at Hosking Partners joins Merryn Somerset Webb for a discussion on why supply, not demand, is the key to finding the best investment opportunities. The pair also discuss investing in Japan, energy markets, and why the shipping industry might be easier to break into than you think. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
7 Aug 2026 · 16 min

Markets Wrap: Gold Rallies, AI Briefly Blows Up and the UK Market Still Needs Saving

It's been a tumultuous few weeks for markets, and yet nothing much has changed. Join Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek as they discuss why an AI hedge fund implosion and US intervention in the Japanese yen appear to have merely strengthened market optimism. Meanwhile, the FTSE 250 has hit a new record high, even as the underlying need for practical policy help to save the UK market from extinction becomes ever more urgent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3 Aug 2026 · 38 min

You Are Unhappy Because You Aren't Taking Enough Risk

Have we become too risk-averse? This week John Stepek and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Allison Schrager discuss her new book, Worth the Risk, and why avoiding risk could be holding back both individuals and economies. They explore the challenges of retirement planning, whether homeownership is still a rewarding investment and what history can teach us about navigating the future of AI. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
31 Jul 2026 · 22 min

Markets Wrap: Trouble Ahead For The AI Money Machine?

Large sections of the debt and equity markets now depend on the ongoing growth of a vast AI ecosystem that ranges from chipmakers to hyperscalers to end-consumers. Does this week's drama in the South Korean Kospi market point to a wider problem? On this week's Merryn Talks Money Markets Wrap, Author of the Money Distilled newsletter John Stepek, is joined by Bloomberg's Private Companies Managing Editor, Neil Callanan to talk through the the AI industry's growing reliance on debt, concerns about circular financing, and whether or not any crash here could spill over into the wider financial…
29 Jul 2026 · 12 min

Hot Tips for Saving Money on Summer Vacation (Re-run)

On today's personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money, we're playing an episode that first aired in July 2025 when hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek, shared their top money-saving tips for helping you get the most out of your holiday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
27 Jul 2026 · 37 min

Are We Repeating the Biggest Mistake of 1873?

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Liaquat Ahamed joins Merryn Somerset Webb to discuss 1873: The First Great Depression and the Making of the Modern World , exploring how the first truly global financial crash reshaped economics, politics and society for decades to come. Together, they unpack striking parallels between the railway boom of the 1870s and today's AI investment frenzy, asking whether history is once again rhyming—and what investors should learn before the next bubble bursts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
24 Jul 2026 · 22 min

Markets Wrap: Inflation Means Bad News for Burnham

Even as Britain welcomed a new Prime Minister this week, renewed conflict in the Middle East threatened to remove what little breathing space he may have had, pushing up everything from oil to food prices. This week, John Stepek is joined by Bloomberg macro strategist Simon White to discuss why inflation matters so much for asset prices, what it might mean for the increasingly indebted AI companies, and what it all means for your money. Check out this week's Merryn Talks Money Markets Wrap. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
22 Jul 2026 · 15 min

What the Next Generation Wants From Wealth Managers: Part 2

Here is the second part of our special broadcast on how the next generation of investors is changing the wealth management industry. Merryn Somerset Webb brings together Bloomberg's John Stepek, Bytetree's Charlie Morris and Jean-Damien Marie, Global Head of Investments for Barclay's Private Bank and Wealth Management. Join us in Edinburgh for Fringe Festival! https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-butcher-the-brewer-the-baker-and-merryn-somerset-webb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
20 Jul 2026 · 36 min

Is Asia's AI Boom Creating the Next Investment Bubble?

Asia's AI-fueled market rally has created huge winners — but also growing risks. In this episode, Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Invesco fund manager Fiona Yang about why Korea's AI boom has become increasingly volatile, where she's still finding value in China and India and why the next generation of winners may be the companies using AI rather than building it. Join us in Edinburgh for Fringe Festival! https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-butcher-the-brewer-the-baker-and-merryn-somerset-webb See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
17 Jul 2026 · 26 min

Markets Wrap: SpaceX Returns to Earth, UK Sheds More Stocks

It's been a week of turning points in markets: from Japan's shifting stance on the weak yen, to star fund manager Terry Smith revisiting his "buy and hold" strategy, to incoming British Prime Minister Andy Burnham's apparent last-minute change of heart on chancellor, to SpaceX falling below its IPO price. One thing that didn't change - the UK market keeps shedding stocks. What does it all mean for your money? Merryn and John sum up a hectic week in the Merryn Talks Money Market Wrap. https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-butcher-the-brewer-the-baker-and-merryn-somerset-webb…

About Merryn Talks Money

Merryn Talks Money with Bloomberg senior columnist Merryn Somerset Webb is your key to understanding how markets work – and how you can make them work for you. Every episode features a relaxed but in-depth conversation with a fund manager, a strategist, a Bloomberg expert or just someone Merryn finds particularly interesting in any given week. Listen in for the kind of insights and explanations everyone can use to help them make better saving and investing choices.

Merryn Talks Money is a English business podcast from Bloomberg. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Bloomberg
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 31 min
Latest episode: 7 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1654809850

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