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The Money & Markets podcast brings you the latest personal finance and stock market insights to help you manage your investment portfolio.
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To contact us visit ajbell.co.uk
For legal info visit ajbell.co.uk/disclosures.
374 Episodes
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Charlene Young and Danni Hewson are your hosts in a week where gold and silver continue to take centre stage, with new data highlighting gold’s status as the ultimate safe haven over the last decade (04:15). Danni runs though the latest business and travel news, including pub business rate relief, Boeing picks up its aircraft deliveries, higher fares at Ryanair and the impact of US storms on airlines (09:15). Attention then turns to the US Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision and why President Trump’s upcoming pick for the next Fed chair could be just as market-moving (21:15).
In Pensions Corner, we are joined by AJ Bell’s Rachel Vahey to discuss changes to when you can access your own pensions and claim, the state pension plus the latest on the government’s review of WASPI compensation (25:00). Charlene brings you updates on NS&I cutting savings rates again (32:30), and reveals new stats on what really happens when Junior ISA holders turn 18 (35:20).
This episode of the AJ Money & Markets podcast explores the world of shares, pensions, property, wills, and much more.
Dan Coatsworth examines how financial markets have reacted to Donald Trump’s threats to take over Greenland. Gold is closing in on $5,000 per ounce as investors seek assets that have historically protected people in tough times. [03:21]
We’ve just had the second FTSE 100 takeover bid of 2026, and we’re only weeks into the new year. Dan talks about the bid for Beazley, and the downside if it disappears from the UK stock market. [07:16]
When the pensions lifetime allowance was abolished in 2024, it created a myth that age 75 no longer matters in the world of pensions. Charlene Young explains why 75 is still incredibly important. [08:53]
Discover how much first-time buyers need for a 10% deposit on a home in different parts of the country, and what the latest inflation figures mean for the direction of interest rates and mortgages in 2026. [14:08]
It’s important to have a will so your assets go to the people of your choice when you die, but lawyers are now saying certain wills might be invalid. Charlene reveals all. [19:08]
AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould talks to Dan about what buy, hold, sell ratings on shares really mean, how they’re created, and which UK stocks have the most or least of certain types of ratings. [25:13]
Finally, Danni Hewson talks to James Flintoft from AJ Bell’s investments team about how AJ Bell funds performed last year and his thoughts on the year ahead. [35:14]
In this deep dive episode, Laith Khalaf and Tom Sieber dig into the world of cautious investing, and ask how you can invest if you’re afraid of stockmarket crashes.
Laith and Tom debate the merits of cautious investing and how bad a market crash can be for your wealth. [00:09]
Laith talks to Stefani Williams, a financial adviser with Holden and Partners, about how she assesses her clients’ risk profiles. [8:50]
Laith and Tom discuss tips for cautious investors. [19:25]
Tom catches up with Alastair Laing, the manager of the Capital Gearing Trust. [40:40]
Laith and Tom talk about other risks, like holding too much cash and hitting retirement without enough money. [55:50]
On this week’s AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Charlene Young and Laura Suter take a detailed look at the stories shaping markets and personal finance. Tom Sieber joins the show to explain why global markets, including Japan’s Nikkei and gold, are hitting record highs [03:55]. And shares the latest results from Whitbread. [01:00] We then explore the Scottish Budget announcements, discussing the changes that matter for investors in Scotland and how they could have wider implications across the UK. [11:52] Next, we cover the latest cash ISA rumours and what potential changes could mean for savers. [16:57]
Dan Coatsworth speaks with Christopher Hart from Boston Partners about why financial markets have remained calm despite political uncertainty, and why he sees more opportunities in the UK and Europe than in the US. [22:16] Finally, we look at Britain’s Rightmove browsing habit, exploring why so many of us enjoy looking at properties online even when we aren’t planning to move, and what it tells us about the housing and mortgage market. [34:27]
On this week’s episode of the AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss what’s powering markets, including the FTSE 100, to record highs [3:00]. They consider what US action in Venezuela might mean for markets, and particularly US oil companies like Chevron and the global oil price [7:15]. They discuss at which sectors that did particularly well in 2025 like gold, silver [15:00] , defence stocks like Rheinmetall and BAE Systems [17:00] and Nvidia’s AI domination as it unveils self-driving tech. [19:30]
Whilst London’s blue chip broke records the IPO pipeline in the UK was patchy, Dan considers what did well [23:30] and Danni explains why it could be the year of the “Mega IPO” with three massive US tech companies reportedly gearing up for a stock market listing, but can Open AI, Anthropic and Space X all successfully get IPOs over the line in 2026? [27:45] Next has set the bar high for UK retailers but as Claire’s Accessories collapses into administration there are fears about the health of the high street. [32:00] Plus, credit card spending surges, Alyx Wood from Kernow Asset Management digs into the spending power of over 50s [41:30] and thousands of people file their tax return whilst digesting the Christmas turkey. [51:20]
We’re kicking off the New Year with the latest bonus episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets all about investment trusts. To kick things off, Hannah Williford speaks to QuotedData’s James Carthew about a merger proposal gone wrong. [02:28]
Dan dives into the tech world with Mike Seidenberg from Allianz Technology Trust to scope out what 2026 might hold and how the industry is evolving in China. [17:40]
AJ Bell’s Martin Gamble and Tom Sieber pick apart the Aurora UK Alpha Investment Trust and its Warren Buffett-inspired strategy, which has a particular stock picking process. [37:21]
Finally, Hannah speaks with Shavar Halberstadt from Winterflood Research about the private equity sector. It’s gained a lot of attention this year, but is it relevant for the average investor? [50:10]
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, discover problems on the high street for one well-known retailer [01:33], and why the UK cinema industry is hoping for a last-minute flurry of bookings in 2025 [03:15].
Dan Coatsworth considers what the latest UK economic data is telling us [05:11], and Tom Sieber chats about UK property market trends, planning reforms and what could be in store for real estate in 2026 [08:48].
The pod team explore how financial markets behaved in 2025 [14:31]. Dan chats with AJ Bell’s managing director for the investments divisions, Ryan Hughes, about what he thought of the year [17:10].
Dan and Tom run through the winners and losers on the UK and US stock markets over the past 12 months. They chat about Fresnillo, Lloyds, Applovin, WPP, Auto Trader and more.
While markets have generally done well in 2025, the podcast always has its eye on the future and there’s quite a few people approaching 2026 with a sense of dread. With that in mind, the podcast spoke to Charlotte Yonge from the Trojan Fund and Personal Assets Trust about how she runs an investment strategy with protection at the heart of it [45:34].
Finally, Dan talks to AJ Bell chief executive Michael Summersgill about what’s needed to get more people saving and investing for the future [56:08].
In this week’s AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Charlene Young and Laura Suter are joined by AJ Bell’s markets expert Martin Gamble to unpack the biggest stories affecting investors. First, they look at Nvidia’s latest moves on chip sales to China [01:22] and the escalating bidding war for Warner Brothers [03:10]. Martin also highlights the top stories in this month’s Shares magazine [05:43].
Switching to personal finance, Charlene and Laura explain the changes to cash ISAs announced in the Budget [07:28], and Laura dives into new AJ Bell data revealing the nation’s “secret spending” habits [15:17].
Finally, we bring you the next batch of Investival interviews: Dan Coatsworth talks to Russ Mould about the good, the bad and the ugly of 2025 markets and what he expects for 2026 [19:28], and Alex Wright from Fidelity Special Values on the UK market’s strong performance, the banking sector, and a surprising investment in a sofa seller [25:22].
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss the ongoing fallout from last week’s Budget including the resignation of the head of the OBR. [2:00]
They discuss the OECD’s judgement of the impact tax and spending will have on the UK economy over the next few years. The pair also chat about a new warning about AI and how a bubble bursting could have a significant impact on global growth. [10:55]
The Bank of England has proposed the biggest rule change for UK banks since the financial crash. [17:15]
A zero-tariff deal has been struck between the UK and US on pharmaceuticals but what’s in the small print and what might it mean for companies like GSK and AstraZeneca? [19:30]
Luxury goods maker Prada has bagged itself a Black Friday bargain, picking up Versace at a fraction of what its previous owner paid for it. [25:00]
Plus, the latest on Netflix bid speculation for Warner Bros Discovery [26:45] and not one but two guest interviews: John Lamb from Capital Group with interesting thoughts on where interest rates might go in Europe [31:53] and friend of the pod, Ben Rogoff from Polar Capital Technology Trust on Google’s AI breakthrough. [36:30]
2We’re back with December’s episode of the investment trust show, an AJ Bell Money & Markets bonus episode. This month, Tom Sieber discuss some interesting manager changes on Murray Income Trust and Crystal Amber. [02:14]
Dan Coatsworth talks to Fundsmith’s Terry Smith about proposed changes to Smithson Investment Trust [09:45] and reveals more names being targeted by activist investor Saba [15:55].
Hannah Williford chats to Ashley Thomas from Winterflood about some potential changes that could hurt the renewable energy sector. [19:05]
The gold has had a brilliant year, so Dan talks to commodities expert Evy Hambro from the BlackRock World Mining Trust about the prospects for the shiny metal in 2026 and why he is so bullish on copper. They also talk about takeover activity involving big mining companies and whether China is still as important as it was for commodities demand. [32:58]
Finally, lots of people are asking what they should think about if financial markets go through a difficult period. Hannah spoke to Nick Britton from the Association of Investment Companies about a particular group of investment trusts that aim to preserve investors’ wealth, and which have historically seen increased investor interest when markets fall. They discuss Capital Gearing Trust, Personal Assets Trust and Ruffer Investment Company. [51:19]
AJ Bell experts Charlene Young and Dan Coatsworth react to Rachel Reeves’ autumn Budget in this special edition of the Money & Markets podcast.
Financial markets were initially taken by surprise after the OBR report was leaked ahead of the chancellor’s speech, and Dan explains why gilts and equities moved in a certain way. He also dives into the reasons why banking and gambling shares saw big moves. [31:24]
There was big news for anyone who uses salary sacrifice to make pension contributions. Charlene explains how the system will change from 2029. [07:35]
The taxman is going to take a bigger chunk of your dividends, savings and property income under new rules. Dan also explains how higher property income taxes might lead to higher rent on flats or houses. [10:35]
The podcast team explore the changes in store for Cash ISAs [13:00] and why we might see the Lifetime ISA morph into something else. [14:30]
Are you lucky enough to have a home worth more than £2 million? Brace yourself for higher taxes. [16:45]
Dan argues that a stamp duty holding on shares in newly listed companies doesn’t go far enough. [20:45]. He also explores the extra pressures being piled on small businesses.
Charlene reveals some good news from the Budget around energy bills, rail fares and more. [23:53]. She finishes up with important news on frozen allowances [25:50].
Worried about the state of the stock market and the potential for a crash? You’re not alone as Dan Coatsworth discusses in this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast. He looks at what’s happening in the UK and US markets, and why investors have reacted in a certain way. [01:35]
Fundsmith chief executive Terry Smith is on the show to give his thoughts on the plethora of market worries. [08:04]
Charlene Young explains why the economy and the markets are not the same thing. Especially in the context of recent poor growth figures, the unemployment rate creeping up, yet the FTSE 100 recently hitting new record highs. [11:48]
Dan has good news for people worried if their money is protected in the event of a bank or investment platform going bust. [14:41]
There is a lot of talk about home insurance becoming much more expensive in recent years, so Charlene and Dan explore the reasons why premiums have shot up. [20:23]
Anticipation around the Budget is causing jitters in the UK property market, as the pod team discuss. [25:36]
Finally, we’re debuting a new series celebrating interesting companies on the UK stock market. Our first guest is Ronnie George, chief executive of Volution, a ventilation products group which has made twice as much money for shareholders over the past year than a fund tracking the US stock market. [28:17]
Sign up to the free AJ Bell Budget webinar on 27 November 2025 at 1pm GMT: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6453427819562096725
The battle between active and passive managers has been going in earnest for over a decade now, and the passive machines are winning. In this Deep Dive, Laith Khalaf and Dan Coatsworth explore the active and passive fund landscape, and ask if there is a way back for active fund managers.
Dan and Laith discuss why passive funds have become so popular and share some stats on fund flows and figures from AJ Bell’s Manager versus Machine report, which pits active and passive funds against each other. [01:01]
Laith catches up with Craig Baker who chairs the investment committee for Alliance Witan, one of the biggest investment trusts in the UK, to find out why they have chosen a distinctive active investment strategy and how it’s been performing. [22:28]
Paul Angel, Head of Investment Research at AJ Bell joins Dan and Laith to talk about how to pick active and passive funds. [34:05]
Paul, Dan and Laith discuss whether the rise of passive funds is bad for the stockmarket and consider the future of active management. [48:17]
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast, Laura Suter delivers some good news on pension tax free cash after it’s reported that the Chancellor won’t alter allowances at the Budget. [2:10] But with a merry-go-round of speculation every year impacting savers’ decisions, AJ Bell is calling for the government to take seriously its calls for a pension tax lock.
As the FTSE 100 breaks more records and edges closer to the psychologically important 10,000 mark, Danni Hewson digs into what’s behind this latest run of good form. Spoiler: it’s not all good news. [4:40]
An anticipated end to the US government shutdown has helped offset renewed nerves about an AI bubble after Softbank sold its entire stake of Nvidia. [9:32] And former Tesco boss Dave Lewis will be hoping every little can help him turn around the fortunes of drinks maker Diageo. [13:30]
Tom Sieber joins the team to talk about changes to AJ Bell’s Shares magazine [16:30] With talk about potential changes to the cash ISA limit to try and get more of us to move away from cash savings and into investing, Laura’s been crunching the numbers to find out exactly how investing in cash or stocks and shares compares over time [21:30].
Plus HMRC has been clamping down on benefits fraud – but they’ve not always been getting things right. [28:30] And our guest interview this week is a catch up with Ayush Abhijeet, Investment Director at Ashoka India Equity, who explains why returns have been a bit lacklustre over the past year and why that creates an opportunity for investors. [30:30]
On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson discuss the Chancellor’s unusual pre-Budget speech. They assess how markets reacted to hints, but not confirmation, that taxes could rise. [1:50] The pair also discuss which taxes could go up and what that might mean for your pocket. [9:35]
How much sparkle did Marks & Spencer lose from this year’ cyberattack? Find out as Danni and Dan unpick its latest results [12:45].
Dan considers why high street retailer Primark might finally be spun out from its parent company. [17:45] He also explains why companies split and talks through some key examples of the past 20 years. [21:25]
Danni considers Kimberly Clark’s bid for under-fire Tylenol maker Kenvue, the consumer goods company spun out from Johnson & Johnson just a few years ago. [25:06]
Plus, Michael Burry, the trader who inspired the film The Big Short is betting on an AI bubble [29:10]. We also take a different look at big tech – not AI but robotics – with Dan chatting to Simon Edelsten, manager of the Goshawk Global fund, about factory automation and why it’s hot news again. [32:55]
We’re back with November’s episode of the investment trust show, an AJ Bell Money & Markets bonus episode. This month, Dan Coatsworth and Hannah Williford dive into a dilemma facing the Manchester & London Investment Trust. [01:14]
They chat about the pros and cons of portfolio concentration, and whether it is working for names such as Finsbury Growth & Income and Pershing Square Holdings. [04:39]
Renewable energy and infrastructure trusts typically have generous dividends, but their share price performance has been patchy. Hannah talks to QuotedData’s James Carthew about the challenges and whether there’s a brighter future. [16:48]
Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust is among the companies trying to bounce back, and Tom Seiber speaks with the trust’s manager David Bird on why it has pivoted to a new strategy. [28:41]
Finally, Hannah speaks with CVC Income and Growth manager Pieter Staelens about an income strategy that’s been a bit more successful in recent years, and why it’s worked. [43:28]
In this week’s episode, Tom Sieber and Danni Hewson digest the latest market developments from both sides of the Atlantic, with AJ Bell shares and markets writer Martin Gamble also on hand to cover the US earnings season, the newest member of the $4 trillion club and the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut rates [01:04].
Tom discusses the record highs for the FTSE 100 and there's chat about results from Next and UK banks and the little-known company which is among the top risers on the UK’s flagship index this year. Plus, a look at shop price inflation and the Renters’ Rights Bill. [09:33]
Elon Musk’s pay package and how the job cuts at Amazon connect to the AI story are also on the agenda this week. [24:11]
Danni Hewson speaks to Stuart O’Reilly at the Royal Mint on gold prices, whether it might be too late to get exposure, what’s driven the precious metal higher in 2025 and the different investment options. [32:57]
The AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast team give you the latest insights on issues affecting your personal finances, investments and pensions.
Dan Coatsworth explains why there has just been a brief shock on the markets around fears of a new banking crisis. [2:10]. You can also hear why Unilever won’t be splitting off its ice cream arm in mid-November as previously planned. [4:05]
Dan and Charlene dissect the latest UK inflation data and explain why it was treated with widespread celebration. The inflation figure strengthens the argument for interest rate cuts and gives people in retirement clarity on how much the state pension will pay from next April, as September’s inflation result is used in the calculation. [8:25]
The government has issued a white paper that points to changes around the costs of going to university, and the funding methods available. [14:02]
Tom Sieber talks about the latest property market trends [17:14], while Dan tunes into the latest results from Netflix [26:10 ].
Charlene has some worrying statistics about pensioners being hit by tax on savings accounts. [21:05]
To round things off, we conclude our conversations with various experts on what could happen if there is an AI bubble and that bubble bursts. Danni Hewson caught up with Julian Bishop from Brunner Investment Trust [32:02] while Dan talks to Marcel Stötzel from Fidelity European. [40:54]
In this week’s episode, Charlene Young and Laith Khalaf discuss the latest global economic forecasts from the IMF. The UK growth forecast has been increased slightly, but inflation looks like it will remain stubborn. Laith breaks down what this means for investors, plus the latest on US–China trade tensions and gold hitting another record high. [01:00]
With warnings about a potential AI bubble, Dan Coatsworth speaks to Russ Mould, AJ Bell investment director, about why markets keep rising despite correction fears [12:24] — and Ben Rogoff from Polar Capital Technology Trust shares why he still believes the AI revolution has room to run. [26:13]
Charlene explains the worrying 150% rise in scams targeting pensioners and the simple steps to stay safe ahead of this winter’s payments and tax return season. [36:45]
Danni Hewson catches up with James Flintoft, head of investment solutions at AJ Bell, for a look back at another volatile quarter and how the AJ Bell funds have been performing. [40:09]
The AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast celebrates its 7th anniversary with a bumper episode all about stocks, investing, wealth and more.
Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson chew over B&M’s recent woes, and plans by the new boss to get back to basics to win back customers. [2:05]
They also discuss fresh AI fever and the mega deals which are making the sector increasingly interconnected. You can hear about the latest tie-up between OpenAI and AMD, and how it fits in with other activity involving Nvidia. [8:30]
Sales of electric vehicles in the UK hit a record high in September with Chinese carmaker BYD enjoying an 880% jump so can Tesla’s new pricing structure win back motorists? Dan gives his thoughts. [14:10]
Danni has the latest on the UK motor finance scandal and how affected motorists might claim for compensation. [20:00]
Mike Glenister discusses a new petition from AJ Bell that calls for the government to stop meddling with the pension system. [25:30]
Alex Wright, Fund Manager of Fidelity Special Values, explains where he is finding opportunities on the UK stock market. [29:30]
Do you use delivery apps to order groceries? Danni has some bad news you need to hear. [46:30]
Finally, Dan talks to entrepreneur Charles Skinner about why some people call him the king of acquisitions. [52:37]
Sign AJ Bell’s petition to encourage the government to stop meddling with the pensions system https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/740486
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I cannot agree with Tom Selby about the benefits of pensions. Firstly, being able to pass on your pension pot tax-free if you die before the age of 75 is not really advantageous. Only a tiny percentage of people die before they are 75 in the UK. So the vast majority of people will be passing on a major asset that then gets taxed. Secondly, his suggestion that people exhaust all their other assets before taking their pension assets is nonsense for most people. What people should do is build maximum ISA balances , even if that means drawing from their pension. The ISA allows people to build up large tax-free incomes, which combined with a State Pension of £10.6k means people can then enjoy a high level of tax-free income in retirement. And if they need cash quickly they can take if from the ISA without any tax considerations. For these reasons I think the comments made by Tom are not correct for most people in the UK.
This subject keeps coming up in Britain repeatedly. In the very early 1980s exactly the same approach was being suggested. I visited a number of schools to meet with the "school leavers" groups, and handed specimens of wage slips. Nobody knew where any of the figures came from. Over 3 lessons I taught them about gross & net pay, income tax, national insurance & pension deductions, and how to check if the deductions were correct. It didn't take long. This is the kind of integrated mathematics that should be incorporated into the curriculum....yet here we are more than 40 years later still talking about youngsters & poor mathematics skills.
It's great news that there are new rules on crypto advertising. But this podcast didn't mention any regulatory body that in the UK that investigates crypto scams and preferably has a track record in recovering monies for those scammed. Can you do a segment on this please?
it was really good to hear a sensible discussion on social care costs for rhe elderly. great podcast
the volume on all AJB podcasts seem to be very low. settings are to max but I still miss so much. no issues with other podcasts, please look at production. Or am I alone on this?