You’ve Spent Your Life Saving. Now Learn How to Spend

  Most people spend their working lives earning and saving toward a financial goal. This goal can be a number or something more tangible like a paid-off mortgage. But when you’ve spent decades feeding the same frugality habit, entering retirement and reversing that addiction can be an unfamiliar c…

Venezuela’s Oil Reserves Versus Reality: Why Output Can’t Jump Overnight

Societe Generale Head of FIC and Commodity Research Michael Haigh joins Merryn Somerset Webb to break down why the US attack on Venezuela and any subsequent attempt to reboot its energy industry is unlikely to change oil prices near-term. He explains why markets are more influenced right now by OPE…

FTSE 100 Hits 10,000 as Defence, Commodities and Gold Lead Market Themes

On this week’s markets roundup, hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek discuss the strong performance of the FTSE 100, which has finally closed above 10,000. While it may not remain at that level, it marks a bright start. They also explore the key investment themes of 2025 and explain why equit…

Your 2026 Money Reset: Practical Steps to Be Better Off by Year-End

Merryn Somerset Webb and senior reporter John Stepek kick off the year by arguing that, amid political pessimism, personal finances remain one area where individuals can still take control. They run through six practical financial resolutions for 2026, from budgeting time for regular money check-up…

From Q-Day to Mars: The Market Shocks That Could Define the Year Ahead

Merryn Somerset Webb is joined by Saxo Bank’s Chief Macro Strategist John Hardy to unpack Saxo’s annual list of “outrageous predictions” — unlikely events that could still shake markets if they hit. They explore a potential “Q-Day” quantum-computing breakthrough that could undermine encryption and …

John Law: The Gambler Who Invented Modern Money (Part 2)

Here it is! The second in our special two-part series, where John Stepek and Merryn Somerset Webb tell the extraordinary story of John Law: a fugitive Scots gambler who became the most powerful financier in France and helped invent the modern monetary system. From murder and exile to paper money, …

John Law: The Gambler Who Invented Modern Money (Part 1)

In this special two-part series, John Stepek and Merryn Somerset Webb tell the extraordinary story of John Law: a fugitive Scots gambler who became the most powerful financier in France and helped invent the modern monetary system. From murder and exile to paper money, banking revolutions and spect…

Gold’s Shine, Small Cap Hopes and What to Watch in 2026

On this week's markets roundup, hosts Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek look back at an unexpectedly strong year for global markets, with equities, gold and even silver delivering standout performances. They dig into whether 2025’s surprising rotations—from US mega-caps to value, energy and long…

How Much Should You Really Give Your Kids? Inheritance, Incentives and Money Mindsets with Hamish Leng

In this episode of Merryn Talks Your Money, Merryn Somerset Webb sits down with veteran financial planner Hamish Leng to unravel one of the trickiest issues in personal finance: how to pass wealth to your children without undermining their drive, confidence, or future independence. From the psychol…

Permira's Kurt Björklund: Where Are We in the Private Equity Cycle?

Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Kurt Björklund, Executive Chairman of Permira, about where we are in the private equity cycle after several tough years and why he still believes in the asset class for the right kind of investor. They discuss what “real” private equity is, how governance and long-…