MoneyWeek Talks

Merryn talks to economic analyst Brian Pellegrini. The psychological importance of the Covid-19 crisis s is huge, he says. But its economic importance is questionable.

Merryn talks to financial strategist and author Russell Napier about the global economy's huge levels of debt, the governmental response to the coronavirus crisis, the threat of inflation and the inevitability of financial repression.

Merryn Somerset Webb talks to financial historian, investment strategist and author Edward Chancellor, and asks: are we doing the right thing, is it going to work and what are the long-term repercussions?

Merryn and John tackle some of the questions sent in by readers - including what they expect to happen to house prices; how much are dividends likely to fall; and is it time to buy a FTSE tracker fund for your ISA?

Merryn talks to Charles Heenan, investment director of Kennox Asset Management. Assets are cheap, he says, but you need to be very, very careful about what you buy – this is not the time for blanket market exposure. Plus, a peek at what's in his portfolio.

Merryn and John, in a downbeat mood after a bad week, talk about the authorities' response to the coronavirus; the panic in the bond market; and look for some bright spots amid the gloom.

John and Merryn talk about the – hopefully temporary – suspension of capitalism as government stimulus takes off in a big way. Plus, how this crisis might play out – will there be a big rebound? And what you should be looking at now.

Merryn and John talk about the market crash in the face of the double whammy of the coronavirus and the collapse of the oil price; the inevitable wave of government action and the increasingly real possibility of "helicopter money"; and what it all means for stocks.

John talks to comedian, author and pop sensation Dominic Frisby about his new book on tax.

The MoneyWeek Podcast returns with another of our speakers from the MoneyWeek Wealth Summit held in November 2019. It's Russell Napier, one of our favourite analysts, who gives his view on the risks facing the global economy, with particular focus on China and the eurozone banking system.

Entrepreneur and investor Jim Mellon outlines the two themes that he thinks could be among the biggest investment stories of the 2020s, taken from his presentation at the 2019 MoneyWeek Wealth Summit in November.

Merryn and John reflect on an election result that has at last brought some resolution to the interminable Brexit saga and demonstrated that Britain is a proper democratic capitalist nation. Plus, house prices, Scottish independence and should Nigel Farage get a peerage?

Merryn and John talk about the prospect of a big post-election spending splurge. whoever ends up in Number Ten; how Japan ended up so cheap, but remains widely shunned by investors; why certain high-yielding old-school stocks are so reviled; and a slight disagreement on Russia.

Merryn and John talk about the Woodford – now Schroders – Patient Capital Trust and whether it is yet investment-worthy; the concept of the totally legit "bezel"; and just what did Neil Woodford do with all his money?

In the fourth episode of her Edinburgh Festival show, Merryn talks about Adam Smith, economics and sustainable capitalism with author and fund manager Tim Price; academic Robert Macintosh; and one of our favourite macro-strategists, Russell Napier.

In her third podcast from the Edinburgh Festival , Merryn talks to John Stepek; Anne Richards, CEO of Fidelity International; and economist and journalist Francis Cairncross. Topics include: why we need to accept that experts will often be wrong; how student debt kills British entrepreneurialism; why Adam Smith would have loathed today’s crony capitalism; and has too much regulation broken banking?

In the second podcast from her sell out Edinburgh show, Merryn talks to investor and guru Jim Mellon; author, comedian and statistician Timandra Harkness, and author, comedian and presenter Simon Evans. Topics include: can you live to 150? Should you nick pills from your diabetic friends? Are monopsonies more dangerous than monopolies? Is social media the best forum for public debate ever? And, if economics is a social science, is it really a science at all?

A performance from Merryn's sell-out Edinburgh show, with guests Willie Watt, Anna Macdonald and Simon Evans. Topics include – was Adam Smith a leftie? Do the downsides of globalisation justify the new protectionism? Should we ban alpha mating to help close the gender pay gap? Did Smith really forecast falling fertility in the developed West? And did he invent the idea of virtue signalling?

Merryn and John talk about the ECB's latest bout of money-printing; bond yields; WeWork's cancelled listing; private equity euphoria and the shrinking of public markets; and the incredible yields on profitable but unpopular oil stocks.

This week, Merryn and John reckon we should forget Trump, Brexit and all the other things that have been generating so much social media hysteria. There's something much more important for investors to thing about - negative interest yields and the battle between inflation and deflation. Plus, central banks' global cryptocurrency, People's QE, and what to buy now.

Merryn and John talk about Boris Johnson; his options for Brexit and whether a fudgy face-saving deal is better or worse than no deal; and what the end of uncertainty will do for the UK's "anti-bubble" markets.

Merryn and John talk about ultra-low yields; peer-to-peer lending and why there is nothing new in finance; and the good news about the slow downward drift in house prices.

Merryn and John talk about currency wars; central-bank dovishness and the consequences for the markets of ultra-low interest rates; more on Poor Neil Woodford and his still-shuttered fund; the trials of socially responsible investing; and a new stock exchange for Scotland.

Merryn and John ask if this really is the start of a new bull market for gold, and whether we should have a student debt jubilee – or perhaps even a universal debt jubilee.

John and Merryn talk about Facebook's new cryptocurrency, Libra, and whether it will be as transformative as its founders hope; the sale of Sotheby's auction house and what it tells us about our hysterical over-the-top markets; plus John's bombshell opinion on the Tory leadership race.

This week, John and Merryn talk - inevitably - about the fallout for investors and the wider wealth management industry from "poor" Neil Woodford's spectacular fall from grace. Plus, a quick plug for Merryn's Edinburgh Festival show.

John and Merryn talk about Brexit, the Tory leadership and the problem with sterling; why the world still isn't ready for bitcoin; why you really should be worried about a Jeremy Corbyn government; and the unintended consequences of US trade tariffs.

Merryn talks to India expert David Cornell, manager of the India Capital Growth Fund, about what's going on in India – currently in the midst of a crucial election – and why you should invest there.

Merryn and John talk about the revolution in the agriculture industry – one of the most interesting sectors around at the moment; plus, should you buy bitcoin; are we going to see a stockmarket "melt-up"; and should we write off student debt?

Merryn and John talk about the EU customs union and why remaining in it is such a bad idea – and discuss some of the EU's other bad ideas, including the undiscussed and unpublicised nanny-tech in your car, and the trouble with the new copyright directive.

Merryn talks to strategist Russell Napier about China and the US; the best and worst of the world's currencies; democracy, sovereignty and the EU; and the power of multinational corporations.

This week, Merryn and John talk about gold, with special guest Alasdair McKinnon, manager of the Scottish Investment Trust, who explains why he's buying gold – and gold miners – now. (For more on gold miners, see this MoneyWeek magazine cover story by Dominic Frisby: https://moneyweek.com/gold-miners-should-regain-their-shine)

Merryn Somerset Webb talks to economist and author Bernard Connolly about how the EU is a protectionist superstate with its roots in the economic relationship between Vichy France and Nazi Germany.

In a rare solo podcast, John Stepek talks about the problems with modern monetary theory (MMT; sometimes called the "magic money tree") – a way for America to fund its "Green New Deal" – and why governments can't be trusted with it.

Merryn talks to best-selling author Anand Girihadas about how the global plutocratic elite has broken the modern world and how economies are rigged to not work for most people; why the EU is “the most important boring thing in the world”; and why a world with fewer billionaires and more millionaires would be a wonderful place.

Merryn talks to Bruce Stout, manager of the Murray International Trust, about his fund, how he sees the world, and what he expects from the next few years. (Apologies from Merryn for the imperfect sound quality – she set off to meet Bruce in such excitement she left the important bits of recording equipment behind.)

John and Merryn talk stockmarket sentiment, profit warnings, and whether all the doom-mongers have it wrong on UK stocks; why many assets are on reasonable valuations right now; plus a little bit of Brexit and a tiny bit of Trump.

In a Brexit-free edition of the MoneyWeek podcast, Merryn and John discuss why there's no such thing as passive investing (and why active fund management does have its uses); ask if we're really moving into a "post-Buffett era of investment"; and explain why fund charges should come down even further.

In MoneyWeek's Christmas podcast, John and Merryn talk about the benefits of charities and charitable giving – and the very good reasons for abolishing the Gift Aid system of tax relief for charities.

In the latest MoneyWeek podcast, Merryn and John talk about Brexit – what happens now, the odds of no deal, a second referendum – and what you can do about it.

Merryn talks to investor and author Jonathan Tepper, whose book – The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition – attempts to explain just what is wrong with capitalism today, and what can be done about it.

Merryn and John continue their discussion on Theresa May's Brexit deal; plus, an explanation of the inverted yield curve (and why it's so important); and why you really should own some gold.

John and Merryn discuss Theresa May's Brexit deal; what might happen next; the chances of an EFTA, EEA or "Norway Plus" deal; and what happens if we end up with no deal at all. Plus, why the notion that the UK is "uninvestable" is preposterous, and indeed how we may soon see an unprecedented investing opportunity.

In a bonus edition of the MoneyWeek Podcast, Merryn and economist Paul Hodges have a wide-ranging chat about the state of the global economy and the key indicators that are now starting to point to just how bad things are. Plus, China, globalisation, the slide in the London prime property market, and a host of other subjects, including demographics, fertility and the oil price.

In this week's podcast, Merryn and John talk about why globalisation is a force for good (but is by no means an unstoppable force); plus the arguments for and against investing in China - as explained in detail in this week's magazine.

John and Merryn look at the crazy deal that could mark the top of the market and how to adjust your portfolio – making some very bold and specific predictions on the way; plus, our fast-rising life expectancy and what that means for you, your wealth and society.

Merryn and John discuss Jordan Peterson and the nature of truth; muse over the state of politics today; and pick some of the best bits out of Philip Hammond's phenomenally dull Budget. Sign up FREE for more from Merryn and John here: moneyweek.com/MM-signup/

MoneyWeek's editor-in-chief, Merryn Somerset Webb, looks ahead to the Budget next week, and asks what exactly might Chancellor Philip Hammond have in store for us.

Merryn and John marvel at how out of touch the political classes are; Italy's debt, the state of the bond markets and a canny bet on the future of the euro; and what art can tell us about where the wider markets are now. Sign up FREE for more from Merryn and John here: https://moneyweek.com/MM-signup/

Merryn and John talk about Amazon's wage increase, the real reasons behind it and how wage inflation – and real inflation – is coming to an economy near you; Theresa May's post-Brexit immigration plans and the implications for the economy; oil's four-year high; and Italy's spendthrift budget and the EU's inevitable next crisis.