Merryn Talks Money
Bloomberg
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 13, 2026 • 11min
Emergency Podcast: Why Britain's Political Turmoil Will End In Crisis
A sharp tour of Britain's current political turmoil and timing. Speculation over leadership changes and who might step forward. How potential new leaders could shift fiscal direction and unsettle gilt markets. Why rising debt, inflation, and yields constrain policy options. A case for a severe shock to force long overdue fiscal reform and reset the country's growth prospects.
16 snips
May 13, 2026 • 25min
The Smartest Move You’re Not Making on Your Mortgage
Anthony Emmerson, Director at Trinity Financial and mortgage specialist, explains what's driven recent rate spikes. He breaks down who was hit and whether buying still beats renting. He highlights landlord exits, compares tracker and fixed choices, and reveals the simple remortgage tactic that can save you thousands.
20 snips
May 11, 2026 • 32min
What If AI’s Biggest Impact Isn’t Jobs, But Minds?
Tom Slater, investment manager and partner at Baillie Gifford who runs the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and writes on tech and investing, discusses AI reshaping how we think. He explores cultural shifts, how AI alters idea transmission and learning, risks of passive reliance, threats to training pathways and inequality, and skills needed to orchestrate AI effectively.
May 8, 2026 • 19min
Melt-Up or Mirage? Markets Ignore Everything but Earnings
Markets are racing higher on blockbuster earnings and AI excitement. The show flags magazine covers as contrarian market signals. Strong S&P profits get historical comparisons to past market cycles. A looming wave of IPOs and record buybacks raises supply and disappointment risks. UK politics, inflation and stubborn gilt yields get linked to policy constraints and future market fragility.
12 snips
May 6, 2026 • 19min
Free Booze to Real Power: Why Shareholder Perks Matter
They dig into how small perks like discounted wine or holiday deals can make investors feel like real owners. They explore reviving in-person meetings and making them social to reconnect people with companies. Practicals on proving ownership, look-through voting, and using perks to boost pension saver engagement are discussed.
46 snips
May 4, 2026 • 25min
Cheap, Unloved, Profitable: The Case for Value Investing Today?
Ian Lance, investment manager at Temple Bar Investment Trust known for disciplined value investing and long-term focus. He explains buying unloved, low-priced companies and holding them through recoveries. He talks about defining cheap by future earnings, avoiding value traps via balance-sheet checks, concentrated portfolios, and why energy, banks and WPP look interesting now.
May 1, 2026 • 30min
Live From The Master Investor Show: Jim Mellon and Stephen Yiu
Stephen Yiu, Blue Whale fund manager focused on bottom-up tech and AI-adjacent stock picking. John Stepek, journalist covering UK macro, debt and policy. Jim Mellon, investor and Burnbrae chair with macro, commodities and AI perspectives. They debate US and UK debt risks, AI data-center demand vs overcapacity, investing in AI infrastructure and suppliers, robotics, demographics and the role of energy and commodities.
10 snips
Apr 29, 2026 • 25min
What Red Squirrels Reveal About Britain’s Broken Investing Culture
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.
Apr 27, 2026 • 39min
Andy Haldane on Britain’s Fiscal Squeeze and Growth Problem
Andy Haldane, former Bank of England chief economist known for fiscal and growth expertise, tackles Britain’s tight public finances and trade-offs on defence, pensions and NHS. He highlights the need to re‑plumb finance so pension capital backs scale‑ups, argues tax and regulatory complexity saps investment, and urges lifelong learning and devolution to unlock growth.
Apr 24, 2026 • 17min
Markets in a Permanent Mini-Crisis: Why Investors Are Waiting, Not Predicting
Discussion of markets stuck in a cycle of geopolitical mini-crises and what that means for investor behavior. Conversation about companies delaying decisions until real-world data arrives and the rise of reactive trading. Contrast between gloomy UK sentiment and surprisingly resilient household finances. Warnings about pension liquidity risks and the perils of private assets.
