In this week's roundup, Merryn speaks to Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about what it means if the government increases employers' national insurance contributions in the autumn budget. Plus, the latest price data came in well below target, but John explains why a lot of that was due to one volatile component. 

Join us at Bloomberg on Oct. 31, the morning after the Budget, for a taping of the podcast in front of an audience. Register here:

https://go.bloomberg.com/attend/invite/merryn-talks-budget/

In this week's roundup, Merryn speaks to Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek about what it means if the government increases employers' national insurance contributions in the autumn budget. Plus, the latest price data came in well below target, but John explains why a lot of that was due to one volatile component.  Join us at Bloomberg on Oct. 31, the morning after the Budget, for a taping of the podcast in front of an audience. Register here:
<a href="file:///private/var/containers/Bundle/Application/C083656D-8964-4EDA-87FB-6009484A2823/Bloomberg_Professional.app/msgweb/mobile_rich_text/mobile_rich_text.html#" data-destination="rte:bind">https://go.bloomberg.com/attend/invite/merryn-talks-budget/</a>

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.

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.

Merryn Talks Money

Employer NICs Drama and The UK Inflation Slide

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f84d0f9e-083b-4027-8a06-b20b0177740e/transcript

On this week's Merryn Talks Money podcast, host Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with financial historian Edward Chancellor about how energy constraints and geopolitical tensions could reshape markets, whether the artificial intelligence boom is a bubble and what it all means for interest rates. Chancellor argues that AI enthusiasm may be overextended, warns of rising long-term rates and sovereign debt risks and makes the case for gold, commodities, Japan and emerging markets over bonds and expensive growth stocks.


Sign up to the subscriber event here: 
https://www.bloombergevents.com/ZZ3kna?utm_source=Podcast&utm_campaign=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&RefId=sub

On this week's Merryn Talks Money podcast, host Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with financial historian Edward Chancellor about how energy constraints and geopolitical tensions could reshape markets, whether the artificial intelligence boom is a bubble and what it all means for interest rates. Chancellor argues that AI enthusiasm may be overextended, warns of rising long-term rates and sovereign debt risks and makes the case for gold, commodities, Japan and emerging markets over bonds and expensive growth stocks.
 Sign up to the subscriber event here:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.bloombergevents.com/ZZ3kna?utm_source=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=Podcast&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;RefId=sub" data-destination="rte:bind">https://www.bloombergevents.com/ZZ3kna?utm_source=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=Podcast&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;RefId=sub</a>

Gold, Debt and the AI Boom: A Financial Historian’s Warning

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/95e4ace1-9dfc-4ebc-8b11-b406011f57a7/transcript

Marker 11

Markets have swung sharply as the escalating war in Iran and across the Middle East injects fresh uncertainty into oil prices, inflation, and the path of interest rates. On this week's markets wrap, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek discuss how prolonged energy supply disruption could Britain from mere chronic stagnation (which is bad enough) and into stagflation. They also explore the fault lines that higher-for-longer rates are starting to open up — from private credit stresses to long-running productivity woes.

Sign up to the subscriber event here: 
https://www.bloombergevents.com/ZZ3kna?utm_source=Podcast&utm_campaign=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&RefId=sub

Markets have swung sharply as the escalating war in Iran and across the Middle East injects fresh uncertainty into oil prices, inflation, and the path of interest rates. On this week's markets wrap, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek discuss how prolonged energy supply disruption could Britain from mere chronic stagnation (which is bad enough) and into stagflation. They also explore the fault lines that higher-for-longer rates are starting to open up &mdash; from private credit stresses to long-running productivity woes. Sign up to the subscriber event here:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.bloombergevents.com/ZZ3kna?utm_source=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=Podcast&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;RefId=sub" data-destination="rte:bind">https://www.bloombergevents.com/ZZ3kna?utm_source=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=Podcast&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;RefId=sub</a>

 Markets Wrap: War, Energy and the Return of Inflation Risk

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3cf9256c-717d-44f3-bd0a-b405009779d4/transcript

Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek react to the Spring Statement, plus Bloomberg's exclusive interview with Chancellor Rachel Reeves. 

She sat down with Head of Economics and Government Stephanie Flanders on Tuesday, and discussed Britain's pending trade deal with the US, why it won't affect its view on the conflict with Iran, and the UK's economic future. 

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-03/reeves-says-uk-won-t-make-iran-decisions-based-on-us-trade-ties?srnd=homepage-uk

Sign up to the subscriber event here: 
https://www.bloombergevents.com/ZZ3kna?utm_source=Podcast&utm_campaign=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&RefId=sub

Hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek react to the Spring Statement, plus Bloomberg's exclusive interview with Chancellor Rachel Reeves.&nbsp; She sat down with Head of Economics and Government Stephanie Flanders on Tuesday, and discussed&nbsp;Britain's pending trade deal with the US, why it won't affect its view on the conflict with Iran, and the UK's economic future.&nbsp; Read more: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-03/reeves-says-uk-won-t-make-iran-decisions-based-on-us-trade-ties?srnd=homepage-uk">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-03/reeves-says-uk-won-t-make-iran-decisions-based-on-us-trade-ties?srnd=homepage-uk</a>
Sign up to the subscriber event here:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.bloombergevents.com/ZZ3kna?utm_source=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=Podcast&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;RefId=sub" data-destination="rte:bind">https://www.bloombergevents.com/ZZ3kna?utm_source=Podcast&amp;utm_campaign=Podcast&amp;utm_medium=Podcast&amp;RefId=sub</a>

Exclusive: Rachel Reeves on Iran Shock, US Trade and Inflation Risks

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/731fa906-2947-45b9-a860-b4020159c133/transcript

Employer NICs Drama and The UK Inflation Slide

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