Many Happy Returns is a podcast about investing, hosted by Ramin Nakisa (PensionCraft) and Michael Pugh. It covers building wealth through stocks, bonds, ETFs, and other assets, navigating bull markets, bubbles, and crashes. The show aims to boost listeners' knowledge and confidence in investing.
Episodes
Inside an Index Fund: Why “Passive” Is a Misleading Word
Most of us think an index fund simply copies an index, which is why we call it passive. But someone has to decide how to trade every time the index changes. Ramin talks to Dale Brooksbank, Vanguard’s Head of Global Equity for Europe, about the active decisions behind tracking an index.------Get in touch 📧 mhr@pensioncraft.com 🎧 many-happy-returns.captivate.fm --- Join PensionCraft 🌐 Become a membe
Seven Year Itch: The Portfolios That Tempt Us to Switch
We confess which core allocations tempt us to jump ship, and try to work out whether we’re responding to a real change in our lives or just a strategy that’s had a good run. ---Get in touch 📧 mhr@pensioncraft.com 🎧 many-happy-returns.captivate.fm --- Join PensionCraft 🌐 Become a member at pensioncraft.com ▶️ Subscribe on YouTube ---Disclaimer This podcast is for informational and entertainment pur
Canary in the Data Centre: Is Credit Calling Time on AI?
The cost of insuring against Big Tech defaults has hit record highs, as massive data centre spending eats up free cashflow. Further down the AI food chain, markets are pricing in serious odds that CoreWeave defaults, and treating Oracle more like a junk borrower than a tech giant. Is the credit market spotting cracks the stock market has missed? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this epi
Picking Winners: Can Concentration Keep Paying Off? with Stephen Yiu
The Blue Whale Growth Fund has delivered outsized returns since its inception nine years ago. Recently those returns have come from concentrated bets on the picks and shovels behind the AI boom. We talk to Stephen Yiu, Chief Investment Officer, about how he picks stocks, when he decides to sell, and what the recent chip sell-off means for a fund built on AI hardware. --- Thank you to Trading 212 f
Is Now the Time to Bet Big on Small-cap Value?
After a decade in the doghouse, small-cap value has had its best run in years, but almost nobody noticed. So is this a real premium that’s finally paying out, or just a good year for cheap stocks? We ask what actually drives returns and how you can buy them. --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £100. Just create and verify a Trading 2
The High Life: Would You Rather Live in a High or Low-Yield Country?
A Swiss government bond pays half a percent a year. A British one pays more than five. Easy choice, you'd think. But yields can cut both ways. A low yield can mean the world trusts you with its money, or that your economy has stagnated. And high yields can be a sign of a strong economy, or that bond investors are getting nervous. So, low yields or high ones, which would you rather live with? --- T
Cancel Culture: What Happens When AI Agents Do Your Admin?
Many companies make their money from friction — forgotten subscriptions, tricky cancellations, loyalty penalties. Now AI agents promise to do all the tedious admin and save you money. So is this the end of the laziness tax? Are we about to see subscription-based moats collapse? --- Thank you to Lightyear for sponsoring this episode. I opened my 2025/2026 ISA with Lightyear. If you want to try them
Central Bank Dilemma: Would You Vote to Hike Rates?
Three hikes and a hold in eight days, all in answer to the same energy shock. So why did the Fed, the ECB and the Bank of Japan raise rates, while the Bank of England sat tight, despite facing the worst inflation path of the four? So would you vote to hike? --- Thank you to Lightyear for sponsoring this episode. I opened my 2025/2026 ISA with Lightyear. If you want to try them out as well, use PEN
The Madness of Markets, with Alex Edmans
Markets are meant to be efficient, yet somehow they keep producing meme-stock frenzies, CEO vanity projects, and wild booms and busts. We're joined by Alex Edmans — Professor of Finance at London Business School and author of The Madness of Markets — joins us to discuss why even smart investors lose their heads. --- Thank you to Lightyear for sponsoring this episode. I opened my 2025/2026 ISA with
Will AI Hack My Accounts and Steal All My Money?
The Financial Stability Board says frontier AI is the most immediate threat to the financial system — above sovereign debt, private credit and equity valuations. As AI learns to find and exploit vulnerabilities faster than humans can patch them, are our banks about to be hacked? --- Thank you to Lightyear for sponsoring this episode. I opened my 2025/2026 ISA with Lightyear. If you want to try the
Mind Your Step: Before You Build a Bond Ladder
Bond ladders are a great way to feel in control of your money. A neat row of gilts maturing year after year, each one handing back its capital right on schedule. But before you buy your first rung, it's worth asking what the ladder is for, what you’re giving up for that certainty, and whether something simpler would do. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Has a developed market ever defaulte
Zero Sum: Investing in a World Without Growth
Humanity has just fallen below replacement fertility for the first time in history. A new paper challenges everything we thought we knew about population decline and economic growth. So what happens to your portfolio when the pie stops growing? And in the Dumb Question of the Week: Did the Black Death make Europe rich? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional
Defending the Yen: Can Governments Beat Currency Markets?
The Japanese and US governments just spent an estimated $80 billion propping up the yen — and within a fortnight, the market had pocketed half of it. We ask whether politicians can ever actually beat currency traders. And in the Dumb Question of the Week: Why can't the government just pick whatever exchange rate it likes? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractio
Record Profits: The Importance of Beating Earnings
Corporate America has just delivered its best earnings season in years — record beats, record margins, and growth numbers that look almost too good to be true. Which is convenient, because some of them are. Meanwhile, Europe is also delivering the goods. We discuss what's driving the blowout quarter on both sides of the Atlantic. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Why do companies report ev
Senior Management: Who Looks After Your Money When You Can't?
Your ability to manage money declines steadily after sixty. Yet your confidence in that ability doesn't decline at all, so mistakes get made with total conviction and go unnoticed, especially by you. What you can do now to protect your portfolio before you reach old age? And in the Dumb Question of the Week: How do you raise this with your parents without it becoming a fight? --- Thank you to Trad
Beta Noire: Unsolved Mysteries of the Market
Economists have spent half a century building elegant models of how markets work, and the markets have spent half a century ignoring them. We investigate the great unsolved mysteries of investing.And in the Dumb Question of the Week: If nobody can explain why stocks beat bonds, why are we confident they’ll keep doing it?---Thank you to Raisin UK for sponsoring this episode. Receive a £100 welcome
Gilt Complex: Is Britain in Hock to the Bond Market?
Andy Burnham once said Britain had to “get beyond being in hock to the bond market”. That’s easier said than done when gilt yields are 5%, debt interest is running above £100bn a year, and the autumn Budget has no headroom left. Can the UK escape fiscal fatalism? And in the Dumb Question of the Week: What's the oldest bond in the world? And is anyone still getting paid? --- Thank you to Raisin UK
The Declaration of Outperformance: Is America Still Exceptional?
Warren Buffett says “never bet against America”. But plenty of people spent the last eighteen months doing exactly that — betting the dollar would be dethroned and the "Sell America" trade would finally pay off. They're still waiting. We ask whether the United States is still exceptional, or just expensive. And in the Dumb Question of the Week: Is the US the best performing stock market ever? ---
Portfolio Positions: Your Starting XI of Asset Classes
As the World Cup reaches the quarter finals, we name our starting XI of asset classes. From the goalkeeper who does nothing for eighty-nine minutes to the super-sub you should never mistake for a starter. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Does the World Cup affect stock prices? --- Thank you to Raisin UK for sponsoring this episode. Receive a £100 welcome bonus when you register for a Rais
Your Career is a High-Yield Bond (And It’s Probably Junk)
Your "Human Capital" might be the largest asset you own, and it behaves like a bond. Seeing your career as a volatile asset might change how you think about saving, investing, and employment. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Do I need Income Protection Insurance? --- Thank you to Raisin UK for sponsoring this episode. Receive a £100 welcome bonus when you register for a Raisin UK account
Sequence and Sensibility: Is Now a Good Time to Retire?
On paper, now looks like a fine time to retire. Annuity rates are generous, gilts finally pay a real return, and even cash earns its keep. But retire into a richly-valued market and a bad first few years can ravage a pot you can't easily rebuild. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Can you un-retire? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth
How the AI Investment Boom Ends, with Tom Stevenson
The AI boom has all the signs of a bubble. An exciting new technology, stretched valuations, extreme concentration, circular financing, and uncertain cash flows. But how does it all end? Tom Stevenson joins us to game it out: a dot-com-style pop? A slow puncture? Or is this time really different? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £
Paws and Reflect: The Surprising Science of Who Wins at Investing
The best investors aren't necessarily the cleverest, the best-paid, or the most daring. In fact the evidence suggests they're closer to the opposite. We look at the backgrounds and temperaments that may outperform. And in the Dumb Question of the Week: Are cats better stockpickers than fund managers? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to
Reserve Judgment: How To Run a Central Bank
The Powell era is over — a pandemic, two wars, and the worst inflation in four decades. We ask whether JPow did a good job, or just survived it. Now Kevin Warsh inherits the chair. But what actually changes? Beneath the handover lie bigger questions: what a central bank is really for, who it answers to, and whether any of it works the way they claim. --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring thi
Space Oddity: Is the Biggest IPO in History a Problem for Index Funds?
The largest IPO in history is three weeks away. SpaceX is aiming for a valuation of almost $2 trillion despite reporting massive losses. We ask what happens when our beloved index funds are forced to buy the AI giants, whatever the price? And in the Dumb Question of the Week: Why does an IPO need 23 banks? ---Get in touch 📧 mhr@pensioncraft.com 🎧 many-happy-returns.captivate.fm --- Join PensionCra
Rising Yields: Gilty Until Proven Innocent?
With gilt yields at their highest since 1998 — has the bond market finally lost patience with Britain? We ask whether this is really a UK problem, if the Bank of England is pouring petrol on the fire, and whether gilt yields above 5% are a bargain or a trap. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What's the difference between RPI and CPI? ---Get in touch 📧 mhr@pensioncraft.com 🎧 many-happy-retu
Britain's Slow-Motion House Price Crash
For two decades, calling a UK house price crash has been a reliable way to look clever and be wrong. But while nominal prices have barely moved, a slow grind is reshaping affordability, rents and the housebuilding sector. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Are short-term fixed-rate mortgages a problem? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares wo
Making Sense of a Weird Market: Record Highs, Sticky Inflation, and Silent Alarms
Stocks have rallied to record highs while the Iran war is merely paused, oil prices are elevated, and inflation remains sticky. But while equity investors cheer the recovery, is the bond market quietly telling a different story? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is the crack spread? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £1
Do Your Own Research: What Real Investment Research Actually Looks Like
"Do Your Own Research" is one of the most parroted phrases in investing — slapped on every stock tip, TikTok video and crypto tweet. But what does good research actually look like for a retail investor? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Do contrarian investors actually make money? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £100. Jus
Statistical Sleight of Hand: How Good Numbers Hide Bad Investments
The investing world runs on numbers. We look at the statistical tricks that make bad investments look good, mediocre track records look brilliant, and risks disappear entirely. And in the Dumb Question of the Week: What makes a finding 'statistically significant'? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £100. Just create and verify a Tra
Shopping the Drop: Is Anything Actually Cheap?
After weeks of market turmoil, asset prices across the board are lower than they were. But is anything actually cheap yet? We grab our valuation toolkit and go bargain hunting across stocks, bonds, and commodities to find out what's on sale. And in the Dumb Question of the Week: Does valuation tell you anything? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional s
Your Portfolio Wasn't Built for This
Your portfolio was probably designed for falling interest rates and cheap oil. That is no longer the world we live in. Equity indices have minimal energy exposure. Bonds amplify losses during a rising rate environment. And even gold is down 20% from its peak. So what you can actually do when the big asset classes are struggling? And in the Dumb Question of the Week: What is the Bloomberg Aggregate
The War of Unintended Consequences: Oil, Inflation, and Interest Rates
You've seen the oil price soar. But crude is just the start—the Iran conflict is sending shockwaves through natural gas, fertiliser, helium and a host of other commodities we take for granted. What does it all mean for inflation, interest rates, and how you might want to position your portfolio? And in the Dumb Question of the Week: Does the futures curve predict where prices are going in the futu
Damien Talks Money: What Investors Click vs. What They Need
What does popular finance content reveal about everyday investors? Damien Jordan from Damien Talks Money joins us to explore the gap between the videos people click on and the information they actually need. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Has making finance content changed how you invest? --- Thank you to Lightyear for sponsoring this episode. I opened my 2025/2026 ISA with Lightyear. I
Capital Preservation: The Art of Not Losing Money, with Jasmine Yeo from Ruffer
No one likes to lose money. And some funds are designed to deliver a positive return whether markets go up, down, or sideways. Sounds easy. It isn't. We’re joined by Jasmine Yeo, fund manager at Ruffer, to discuss the art of capital preservation. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: If markets usually go up, why spend so much time thinking about what could go wrong? --- Thank you to Lightyear
The Tariffs Are Dead. Long Live the Tariffs.
The US Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs in a landmark 6-3 ruling, and Trump responded by immediately imposing new ones under a different law. We look at what the ruling actually means and whether any of this changes the outlook for investors. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is the "spaghetti bowl" effect? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim
Crypto Winter 2.0: Be Careful What You Wish For?
Bitcoin has had everything going for it: a crypto-friendly president, ETF approval, congressional legislation, institutional adoption, a strategic reserve executive order. And yet the price has halved from its all-time high. So what’s going on? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What happens when it costs more to mine a bitcoin than it’s actually worth? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for spon
Kiss Your SaaS Goodbye: The AI Threat to Software Stocks
A trillion dollars was wiped off software stocks after Anthropic released an AI legal tool. Suddenly the market is asking: if AI agents can do the work, why pay for the software? The "SaaSpocalypse" has dragged everything from Microsoft to Salesforce down double digits, leaving Wall Street split on whether this is an existential risk or a massive overreaction. And in today’s Dumb Question of the W
Gold & Silver Crash: Is Bullion’s Bull Run Over?
After an incredible run, gold and silver just suffered their worst day in over forty years. Gold fell 11%. Silver dropped 30%. So what caused the crash? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Why do we spend billions digging gold out of a hole, just to put it back in a different hole? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £100.
Vanguard Goes Global: Is Home Bias a Mistake?
After a decade of UK underperformance, Vanguard is going global. The UK’s most popular fund range is dialling back the domestic tilt, and launching a purely market-cap weighted alternative. We look at what's changing, whether you need to do anything, and if home bias is actually a mistake. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Why are multi-asset funds limited to stocks and bonds? ---Get in to
Does Europe Have the Financial Firepower to Stand Up to Trump?
President Trump is threatening tariffs on eight NATO allies to force a deal on Greenland. Europe says it isn’t for sale. So what happens when an immovable object meets an unpredictable force? Tit-for-tat counter-tariffs, an untested “trade bazooka,” or the nuclear option: leveraging $8 trillion in US assets. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Can a Treasury auction fail? ---Get in touch 📧 m
Investing in Crazy Times: Should You Carry on as Normal?
The US has captured Venezuela’s president, the White House is openly threatening to invade a NATO ally, and the Fed Chair is under politically-motivated criminal investigation. Apart from that, everything's fine. But should you actually change anything about your portfolio? Or is "carrying on as normal" always the answer? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Is any asset risk-free? ---Get in
Investing vs. Gambling: How to Tell the Difference
Where does investing end and gambling begin? From Premium Bonds to meme stocks to deep-out-of-the-money options, today’s markets are full of bets that look a lot like lottery tickets. The line between rational risk-taking and pure chance has never been blurrier. So what really separates a calculated investment from a coin flip? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Are boring stocks better? --
2026 Watchlist: Trends That Could Shape the Year Ahead
2026 is here, and markets are shifting in surprising ways. From jobless growth to energy gluts, we look at the trends that could shape the global economy over the coming year. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Are we still on track for the Roaring 20s? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £100. Just create and verify a Tr
10 Investing Facts That Can't be True (But Are)
We challenge your assumptions about stocks, property, economic growth and more, with ten facts that seem impossible—but aren't. Stocks beat cash, right? GDP growth helps returns, doesn't it? And war tanks the stock market... right? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What can Christmas Trees teach us about the futures market? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Cla
The Naughty List: Assets That Misbehaved in 2025
Which assets made The Naughty List this year? Some of 2025's most confident calls turned into cautionary tales—from momentum trades that stalled to consensus positions that backfired. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Is any asset immune to interest rates? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £100. Just create and verify
The 2025 Stress Test: The Banks Are Safe... Are You?
The Bank of England has just released the results of its 2025 stress test. In their nightmare scenario, inflation surges, house prices tumble, markets tank… and all seven major UK banks still pass. So the financial system might survive a crash. But would you? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Are British banks too big? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim fr
Devil in the Details: Is the Budget Worse Than Imagined for Investors?
Buried in the Budget’s “boring” fine print is a sweeping overhaul of ISAs, new stealth taxes, and rule changes designed to squeeze anyone living off their assets. So, what’s really changing and what can you do to protect your money? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Is now the time to emigrate? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares wort
The Physics of Financial Markets
Do the hard laws of thermodynamics apply to your money? What can avalanches, boiling water, and quantum mechanics teach us about markets? We explore where physics meets finance—and what it reveals about volatility, crashes and portfolio decay. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What should you study if you want to work in finance? --- Today’s podcast is sponsored by Freetrade, the commissio
How to Pick Your Perfect Portfolio, with Tyler from Portfolio Charts
Designing an investment portfolio that matches your goals is hard. Sticking with it through thick and thin is even harder. Today, we’re delighted to be joined by the creator of Portfolio Charts to consider risk, return, drawdowns and—crucially—your own behaviour, so you can find something that truly fits you. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Does rebalancing improve returns? --- Today’s p
FIRE Drill: Is Financial Independence Still Possible?
You've done the maths. You've cut the lattes. You've maxed the ISA. And you're still decades away from financial freedom. So how are some people retiring in their 30s and 40s while the rest of us are stuck on the hamster wheel? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: How much will I spend in retirement? --- Today’s podcast is sponsored by Freetrade, the commission-free investing platform. N
So You’ve Decided to Time the Market…
You already know you’re not supposed to time the market… and yet here you are, hovering over the “sell” button because everyone’s yelling about a bubble. So where’s the line between reckless market timing and sensible risk management? We discuss the least destructive ways to panic. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What’s the difference between a crash, a correction, and a bear market? ---
Beyond the Gloom: The UK's Hidden Stock Winners, with Ed Croft
The UK stock market has traded at a discount for years. But amid the negative sentiment, some sectors have quietly defied the gloom. We’re joined by Ed Croft (founder of Stockopedia) to dig into what’s working in the UK market, what’s broken, and where the best opportunities might be. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is a value trap, and how do you avoid falling into one? --- Thank y
The Debasement Trade: Faith, Fear, and the Fall of Fiat?
Gold has surged 50% this year, silver even more, while the dollar has slumped 9%. Behind the rally lies a powerful narrative: that mounting government debt is eroding faith in traditional currencies, driving investors toward scarce assets like precious metals and crypto. But is the so-called “debasement trade” a genuine secular shift—or just another momentum-fueled mania waiting to unwind? And in
Closed-Circuit Capitalism: Inside AI’s Trillion-Dollar Money Loop
The AI boom is feeding on itself. Chipmakers, cloud giants, and model makers are increasingly tangled in a web of investments — each funding the other’s growth. Isn’t this what happened in the dot-com bubble? We ask what happens when suppliers start financing their own customers — lending them money to buy their products. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Are bubbles always bad? --- Thank
The Unbalanced Sheet: What Is Your Net Worth, Really?
On paper, your net worth is simple: assets minus liabilities. But what counts as an asset? How do you value things you can’t easily sell? And is the final number even a useful measure of your financial health? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: How much do I need to be rich? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £100. Just
What I’ve Learned: Keeping Your Portfolio (and Yourself) on Track
I’ve helped thousands of people to review their investment portfolios and check whether it’s truly aligned with their goals. Over and over, I see the same concerns, misunderstandings, and blind spots. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: How can you keep yourself accountable? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £100. Just c
Cash on the Sidelines: Are Brits Scared to Invest?
Brits poured more than £100 billion into ISAs last year — yet two-thirds is just sitting in cash. Are we simply risk-averse or are there structural problems discouraging us from investing? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Does cash have zero volatility? --- Thank you to Lightyear for sponsoring this episode. Sign up for a new account on Lightyear and get up to $115 worth of a US frac
Gold is a Terrible Investment (And Why You Should Own It)
Gold is a terrible investment. No earnings, no dividends, and long stretches where you trail stocks and bonds. So why do serious investors still own it? We dig into the myths, the maths, and how an asset with no cash flows can earn its keep in your portfolio. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: If I own a gold fund, can I actually get my hands on the bullion? --- Thank you to Lightyear for s
Stick or Twist: Should You Second Guess the Autumn Budget?
Speculation is swirling about what tax changes the chancellor might unveil in the Autumn Budget. But with the announcement still more than two months away, is it worth paying attention to the rumours? We dig into the policy measures making headlines, and ask: what—if anything—should you be doing now? --- Thank you to Lightyear for sponsoring this episode. Sign up for a new account on Lightyea
Stocks vs. Bonds: Who Wins the Next Decade?
Stocks are expensive, bonds are finally interesting, and suddenly the boring part of your portfolio doesn’t look so boring. With serious forecasters whispering that bonds could beat equities over the next decade, is it time to rethink your portfolio? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Will zero interest rates ever return? --- Thank you to Lightyear for sponsoring this episode. Sign up
The Visible Hand: Is America Abandoning Free-Market Capitalism?
Washington seems to have moved from referee to player—picking winners, slapping tariffs on strategic exports, and even taking golden shares in critical industries. What are the implications for investors when the world’s biggest economy is shaped by backroom deals? And in the Dumb Question of the Week: Did the US government profit from the 2008 bailout? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring
FCA Lifts the Ban: UK Investors Can Buy Crypto ETNs—But Should You?
The ban is over! From 8 October 2025, UK retail investors can buy exchange traded crypto products — potentially in an ISA or SIPP. So why has the FCA made a U-turn? And in the Dumb Question of the Week: Does scarcity make something valuable? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £100. Just create and verify a Trading 212 Invest or
Has Trump Won the Trade War?
Four months after Trump shocked markets with sweeping tariffs, the results are in: new trade deals tilted toward American interests, a resilient economy, and Wall Street's return to record highs. We ask whether Trump has won the trade war. Or if it’s too soon to tell. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Are trade deals about more than tariffs? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this
Can We Still Trust the Economic Data?
Investors and policymakers count on official statistics to stay grounded. But recent blunders in the UK and growing politicisation in the US have shaken trust in the numbers. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is GDP-B? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth up to £100. Just create and verify a Trading 212 Invest or Stocks IS
The Everything Bubble: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
The S&P 500 is pushing dot-com era valuations. Bitcoin’s smashing records. Meme stocks have risen from the dead. And AI start-ups are landing billion-dollar buy-outs. What do you do when a bubble is staring you right in the face? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is a gamma squeeze? --- Thanks to Raisin UK for supporting this episode. Raisin UK is a free, easy-to-use platform
The Unicorn Farm: Betting on AI Startups
Global venture capital firms poured $126 billion into early-stage startups in the first quarter — and almost 60% went into AI companies. We look at where the so-called smart money is placing their bets. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is a unicorn? --- Thanks to Raisin UK for supporting this episode. Raisin UK is a free, easy-to-use platform where you can access savings account
Why Can't I Retire Early?!
The dream of an early retirement is a powerful motivator for many investors. But often it remains just that: a dream. So what’s holding people back? Is it simply a matter of money? Or are there deeper, psychological reasons why people decide to keep working? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Is the state pension like a bond? --- Thanks to Raisin UK for supporting this episode. Raisin
Is the UK Stock Market Dying?
The UK stock market is shrinking. Since 2007, the number of listed companies has fallen by 45%, and those that remain trade at stubbornly low valuations compared to global peers. What’s driving the decline? And can it be stopped? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is the new PISCES private stock market? --- Thanks to Raisin UK for supporting this episode. Raisin UK is a free, easy
Neural Net Worth: What If AI Isn’t a Bubble?
AI stocks are soaring. Valuations are stretched and capital spending is off the charts. To many, it smells like a bubble. But what if it’s not? What happens to markets if AI actually lives up to the hype? How could it reshape business models, transform economic growth, and change the way we invest? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Will index funds still work if the most successful compani
Fragile Ceasefire: Are Markets Complacent?
President Trump announced a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Iran. Markets reacted swiftly: stocks rallied, oil plunged, the dollar and gold slipped. But as investors shrug off geopolitical tensions, are they underestimating the risks? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Can you buy oil? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fractional shares worth
Crash Course: The Scariest Days in Stock Market History
Stock markets tend to go up over time — but every so often, they fall off a cliff. Some crashes are brief and recover quickly, while others shake the financial world to its core. But what can we learn from the scariest days in stock market history? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is a circuit breaker? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. Claim free fraction
Outsmarting the Index: Strategies That (Sometimes) Work for Active Funds
Beating the benchmark is the holy grail of active management — but it’s notoriously difficult and rare. Still, against the odds, a handful of portfolio managers do outperform the index, even if only fleetingly. We explore the tactics funds use to gain an edge. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is the ‘Information Ratio’? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for sponsoring this episode. C
Section 899: America’s Revenge Tax on International Investors
The US is gearing up to turn a trade war into a capital war. Trump’s signature fiscal bill proposes retaliatory levies on investors from countries the US deems to have “unfair” tax regimes. But what exactly counts as an “unfair” tax? How likely is this to become law? And what could it mean for investors holding US assets or doing business in America? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What
ISAs Under Review: Will Cash Savings Get Capped?
Big changes could be coming to ISAs — the tax-free savings wrapper used by 22 million Brits. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing a major review of the ISA market, aiming to nudge savers away from cash and into stocks and shares. Could we soon see a cap on cash ISAs? And if so, how might that reshape the way millions of us save and invest? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What is the ‘co
Know Thyself: How Risk-Tolerant Are You Really?
We all like to think we can handle a little risk – until the market drops 20% and we’re refreshing our portfolio every ten minutes. Understanding your true risk tolerance is one of the most important – and most overlooked – parts of building an investment plan. But what exactly is risk tolerance? Can it be measured? And how should it shape the way you invest? And in today’s Dumb Question of the We
When the Free Lunch Bites Back: Navigating Changing Asset Correlations
Diversification is famously the only free lunch in investing. But when asset correlations shift, that meal might come with an unexpected bill. Economic cycles, inflation surprises, and market crises can all rewrite the rules when you least expect it. And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Can adding an asset with negative expected returns ever be good for your portfolio? --- Thanks to Raisin UK
Buffett Bows Out: Can Berkshire Thrive Without Him?
After six decades at the helm, Warren Buffett has announced he’ll step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway later this year. But as the Oracle of Omaha prepares to hand over the reins, can Berkshire thrive without him? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: Why aren't there more investors like Warren Buffett? --- Thanks to Raisin UK for supporting this episode. Raisin UK is a free, easy-to-use pla
100 Days Down: Making Sense of Trump's Market Shockwaves, with Katie Martin
Trump’s return to the White House is already reshaping the global order — sending shockwaves through financial markets. Asset prices have tumbled, correlations have fractured, and investors are reassessing risk itself. We’re joined by Katie Martin from the Financial Times to help us make sense of the turmoil. Katie writes The Long View column and co-hosts the FT's Unhedged podcast. --- Thank you t
What to Buy in Your ISA In 2025: Is This Year Different?
It’s April—ISA season is here. But what should you buy? Should you stick with a classic index fund, or is there a case for doing something different this year? And if you’re tempted to have a little fun with your investments, how much is too much? And in today’s Dumb Question of the Week: What’s the point of a ‘fun’ portfolio if it’s not going to beat the market? --- Thank you to Trading 212 for s
