Merryn Talks Money What Red Squirrels Reveal About Britain’s Broken Investing Culture
10 snips
Apr 29, 2026 
John Stepek, senior reporter and author of Money Distilled, brings sharp personal finance and investing analysis. He and Merryn dissect why Britons hoard cash instead of investing. They critique a patronizing squirrel campaign, explore regulation and messaging that hide returns, and highlight tax and pension frictions that deter participation.
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Red Squirrel As A Metaphor For Poor Saving Habits
- Red squirrels are used as a metaphor for UK savers who hoard cash but fail to grow wealth through investing.
- Merryn Somerset Webb contrasts their high-saving but low-investing behaviour with 47 charities and declining red squirrel numbers to highlight policy absurdity.
Avoid Letting Cash Savings Be Eaten By Inflation
- Move more cash into equities to avoid inflation eroding savings over time.
- Merryn Somerset Webb cites Bank of England figures: ~£2 trillion in cash savings and average nominal UK cash holdings around £16,000.
Why Britain Lags The US In Investing
- Cultural and historical factors suppress UK individual investing compared with the US.
- Reasons include reliance on defined benefit pensions, past pension scandals, property booms and spectacular returns from house flipping.