AJ Bell Money & Markets

Charlene Young and Danni Hewson are your hosts this week, delving into the latest money and markets news. The US government has shut down for the first time since 2018, with Republicans and Democrats locked in a blame game over spending. Danni runs through what this means for markets, the economy, and workers facing unpaid shifts until Washington can agree on a deal. [01:33]

Back in the UK, it’s Labour Party conference week, Charlene and Danni discuss Rachel Reeves’ big speech and the market reaction. We also discuss revised GDP figures, and why households are saving more as economic uncertainty lingers. [06:53]

In company news, the CEO of GSK is stepping down, Exxon announces job cuts as part of a restructure, and Greggs serves up a mixed trading update after a summer sales wobble.[12:12]

Our guest interview this week is with Jacqueline Broers, Joint Portfolio Manager of the Utilico Emerging Markets Trust, which specialises in infrastructure and investment in emerging markets and has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. [20:59]. Finishing with personal finance, Charlene will outline what you should think about before accessing your pension tax-free cash and how to check if someone you know is missing out on the £1.5 billion in unclaimed child trust funds. [32:43]

The AJ Bell team talk markets, stocks, Lifetime ISAs, insurance, property and investing in this episode of the Money & Markets podcast.

Find out why Nvidia is investing billions of dollars in two companies. [1:00]. Dan Coatsworth reveals the key reason why shares in B&Q-owner Kingfisher went wild, and it’s not down to a new DIY boom. [3:28]

 Greggs is opening a pub – is that bad news for Wetherspoons or just a marketing trick? Dan gives his thoughts. [5:30]

 Consumer research group Which? says enough is enough with regards to how home and travel insurance providers are treating customers. Charlene Young explores this ‘super-compliant’ and what you can do if your insurer has treated you unfairly. [8:15]

 The new intake of university students is settling into their new life, but there is a big cost of higher education. Dan chats about a growing trend for parents to help reduce the burden of debt on their children. [12:35]

Have you always dreamed of owning a bungalow? You’re not alone. Charlene talks about a shortage of bungalows in the UK and why both older and younger people want more of them built. [20:10

New figures reinforce widespread calls to reform the Lifetime ISA. Charlene explains all. [24:42]

Our special guest is Isaac Thong, portfolio manager of the Aberdeen Asian Income Fund. Danni Hewson talks to Isaac about why more investors are looking at this part of the world. [29:25]

It’s three years since the Truss/Kwarteng mini-budget which sent the bond market into meltdown. In this Deep Dive we’ll be looking into the nitty gritty of bonds while also discussing the big picture and asking why UK bond yields are so high, and what effect that may have on the budget in November.

(02:10) Laith and Danni are joined by Ian Aylward, head of investment partnerships at AJ Bell, to discuss what bonds are and what factors affect prices.

(17:39) Laith talks to Rupert Harrison, senior adviser at PIMCO and formerly Chief of Staff to George Osborne when he was Chancellor. Rupert gives his views on what is driving higher UK government borrowing costs and what the bond market wants from Rachel Reeves in the forthcoming budget.

 

(41:52) Ian, Laith and Danni talk about why people invest in bonds, and discuss the bond funds that are available to investors.

 

(53:13) Laith talks to Alex Ralph, fund manager of the Nedgroup Global Strategic Bond fund, about how she picks bonds and how she sees the market right now.

In this week’s AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, we look at the latest interest rate moves in the UK and US and what they mean for markets, savers and borrowers [01:25]. Also in markets news we’ll take a look at the US-UK investment story, and dip into news that Alphabet has joined the $3 trillion club [07:50] and Trump and TikTok deal that means it stays in the US [10:14]. We then turn to the state pension triple lock, as the latest wage figures play a crucial role in setting next year’s increase [13:09]. 

Sticking with pensions, Charlene Young and Laura Suter discuss a new move from the taxman on pension tax relief and what it could mean for those claiming extra relief [17:45]. Charlene also delves into new AJ Bell research on how people’s expectations for retirement compare with the reality of what retirees actually spend [21:55]. 

Later in the show, Dan Coatsworth speaks with Ben Preston from Orbis Global Equity Fund about why he has less invested in the US than a typical global fund, why he’s backing the UK, and his investment in Nintendo [28:20]. Dan also interviews Daniel Avigad from Lansdowne European Special Situations Fund about whether investors have missed the boat on Europe’s strong stock market performance and why the owner of Ray-Ban is catching his attention [39:04]. 

On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast Dan Coatsworth and Danni Hewson are joined by AJ Bell’s pension guru Rachel Vahey ahead of pension awareness week.

They discuss a new advert fronted by former Eastender star Ross Kemp which hopes to persuade people to engage with their pension in the same way they engage with their physical fitness. Rachel shares some top tips to make sure your pension is fighting fit. [01:33]

In markets news, Dan digs into Anglo American’s gigantic bid to take over Canadian copper miner Teck Resources [19:46]. Danni discusses why it’s a tricky time for UK retailers like Dunelm and Primark [23:00]. As Tesla’s share of the US electric vehicle market falls to an eight-year low, the pair assess Elon Musk’s proposed $1 trillion pay deal. [27:51]

Find out how geopolitical instability is affecting markets [33:00] and learn how investors reacted to a judge temporarily halting Donald Trump’s firing of Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook ahead of next week’s US interest rate decision [35:06]. Dan also discusses the companies going in and out of the UK’s top stock market indices. [39:15]

This week’s special guest is George Bennett, chief executive of Rainbow Rare Earths who discusses how his company hopes to take advantage of demand for minerals crucial to technology we use daily. [41:42]

The AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast is back after the summer break, with Charlene Young and Danni Hewson unpacking the big stories shaping markets and personal finance. We kick off in the UK, where inflation has jumped again, and a reshuffle in the Prime Minister’s economic team has sparked fresh Budget rumours – including a possible bank windfall tax that sent shares sliding [11:20].

Across the pond, all eyes are on the Federal Reserve [15:20], while Donald Trump’s tariffs face a legal challenge that could reset trade dynamics.

We then dive into a timely interview: Danni speaks with Marcus Jennings, fixed income strategist at Schroders, about why UK gilt yields have jumped to 30-year highs and what that means for borrowers, investors and the government’s finances [22:40].

In company news, we cover Nestlé’s search for a new CEO, BYD’s profit stumble[37:00], and Alibaba’s AI push – with Nvidia back in the spotlight as AI momentum shows no sign of cooling. Finally, Charlene looks at the back-to-school squeeze on family finances and explains how the September extension of free childcare hours could help parents – and who misses out. [46:20]

In this week’s Money and Markets podcast, Tom Sieber and Charlene Young discuss the latest twist in the tariffs saga as the US and Japan announce a deal and explore the early results from the US earnings season, with updates from JPMorgan, Citi, Coca-Cola and Netflix [04:04].  

They also look ahead to what investors can expect from the big tech names due to report next week, including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and Meta [10:12]. 

They also discuss a major proposal from the London Stock Exchange to introduce 24-hour trading and what that could mean for retail investors [12:20] and there’s boardroom news at BP as the energy giant appoints a new chair [14:04]. 

Back in the UK, the government has announced the final proposals around pensions and inheritance tax [16:08], and the State Pension age is also under review again [24:02]. 

This week’s episode also features two interviews: Martin Gamble speaks to Jacopo di Nardo from Latitude Investment Management about Diageo and the impact of the recent CEO departure [27:27], and Dan Coatsworth talks to Schroder Asia Pacific portfolio manager Abbas Barkhordar about the vibe in Asia around those US tariffs [40:44]. 

Finally, with summer holidays in full swing, Tom and Charlene look at a story involving Ryanair, oversized luggage, and a rather inventive employee bonus scheme [51:47]. 

Note: The podcast is taking a short summer break and will return in early September. 

In this week’s AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast, Laith Khalaf and Tom Selby dive into what’s been moving in markets, from the FTSE hitting 9,000 (01:17) to Bitcoin hitting a record high [04:10].

We’ll also be talking through the latest inflation figures to come out of the UK and US and what that might mean for interest rates [11:25].

The Chancellor has delivered her annual Mansion House speech to the city, and there were a lot of big changes announced. Laith and Tom discuss ISAs [14:52], boosting retail investing and changes to the banking and mortgage market [29:42].

Finally we have an interview with Lynda Shillaw, CEO of the property development company, the Harworth Group, about trends in the sector and Harworth’s promotion to the FTSE 250 [34:20].

In this week’s AJ Bell Money and Markets podcast, Charlene Young and Danni Hewson dive into the latest financial news, from Trump’s latest tariff manoeuvres [02:00] to Elon Musk’s surprise announcement of a new US political party and what that could mean for Tesla [08:47]. They explore how markets are responding to these unpredictable headlines, including the impact on copper prices [06:00] and the so-called "TACO trade."

Back in the UK, there have been some big developments affecting housebuilders [12:57], an underwhelming preview from Shell [14:58], and pressure mounting on the government’s finances [17:39] — particularly the ballooning cost of the State Pension triple lock.

The episode also sheds light on a worrying HMRC issue: over 600,000 people have been fined for not filing tax returns despite owing no tax [21:31]. Later in the show, Shares magazine’s Tom Sieber spotlights his investment trust dividend heroes [24:51], and James Flintoft joins Danni to analyse AJ Bell fund performance in Q2 and what may shape markets in the second half of 2025 [29:13].

It’s time for your monthly bonus episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast all about investment trusts. Kicking off the show is Tom Sieber on the wave of trust takeovers. [01:25]

We’re going big on income in this episode of the podcast. Dan Coatsworth talks to Joe Dowling from the Invesco Global Equity Income Trust on how he finds opportunities to help generate a steady trickle of cash for shareholders. [04:17]

Dan also talks to Iain Pyle from Shires Income on alternative ways of generating an income than simply having a portfolio of dividend-paying shares. [18:15]

Laith Khalaf and Tom talk about trends with premiums and discounts in the investment trust world. [30:47]

Finally, Dan talks to Richard Staveley from Rockwood Strategic on what it takes to find stocks that make you five to 10 times your money. [39:53]