Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
Merryn Somerset Webb is Editor-in-Chief of MoneyWeek and a contributing editor and weekly columnist for the Financial Times. She has published a book called 'Share Power', showing not only where capitalism is going wrong, but also how every one of us can have the power to make it work for us. Larry Fink, Chair and CEO of BlackRock, also understands the problem. However 'Participation for all' is the key objective in Share Alliance's quest for a more egalitarian form of capitalism — Merryn's book and Larry's annual letter to shareholders move us strongly in the right direction. Background music: 'People Watching' by Sir Cubworth Image sources: Merryn Somerset Webb — Alchetron; Larry Fink — Wikipedia
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Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University thinks that a huge political realignment is happening in the West. There's a new type of discourse which is less about economics, as it largely was for almost a century, and more about identitarian politics, about the shifting sands of statecraft and the nature of the nation state and borders. It's a big, historic inflexion point which Tim believes will be the biggest geopolitical upheaval since the last 1940s. The boom in higher education in the UK turned into a bubble and bubbles are prone to burst. The sector is in crisis, with culling of courses and institutions while student loans are now a hot political football. Clearly it is a bad idea for national targets to be set for higher education, but Tim wonders why there is no competition for student loans. Why can't institutions compete with the government and develop their own products?
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
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Original Broadcast: This is Money
Many younger adults think they are substantially less well-off than their parents. But while there are inequalities, new research suggests the wealth gap may be far narrower than previously reported — and it is largely down to the cash those in their twenties and thirties have stashed in their pensions. Lee Boyce, Helen Crane and Georgie Frost discuss why official figures got it wrong, and whether property versus pension is a pointless comparison. The team also ask what will happen to interest rates and mortgages due to the fact that — for now at least — a ceasefire in Iran appears to be holding. Elsewhere, Lee reports on a ferocious best buy battle at the top of the fixed Cash ISA tables, where even the high street banks are getting involved. And finally, another Chinese pretender to Amazon's retail throne has entered the UK. Is Joybuy any good, how did it fare when our reporter put its delivery service to the test — and do we really need another place to buy bargain toilet rolls online?
Guests: Helen Crane
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
The first quarter of 2026 is in the rearview mirror and earnings season begins next week. We discuss what we’re looking for along with the latest in the world of artificial intelligence at the biggest companies in the world. Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Jon Quast discuss earnings season expectations, AI’s most dangerous moment and is Meta back in AI? Plus: home-run CEOs and stocks on our radar. Companies discussed: Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), Meta Platforms (META), Crocs (CROX), Target (TGT), Snap (SNAP), Apple (AAPL), Nike (NKE), Disney (DIS). Host — Travis Hoium; Guests — Lou Whiteman, Jon Quast.
Guests: Lou Whiteman,Jon Quast
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Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
Reading Jamie Dimon’s annual letter to shareholders is one of those calendar events. For those who haven’t had time to read it, we break down some of the big takeaways from the letter as well as pushing back at some of the things we were less sure about: plus, dissecting Bill Ackman’s Universal Music Group bid and answering listener questions. Tyler Crowe, Lou Whiteman, and Jason Hall discuss Jamie Dimon’s message to JPMorgan investors, Dimon’s words of warning to the private credit market, whether rolling back bank regulations is the best idea, Pershing Square bids for Universal Music Group, Bill Ackman’s investing track record, and listener question, including: are covered call ETFs a good idea? Companies discussed: JPM, OWL, PSHZF, UMGNF, JEPQ. Host — Tyler Crowe. Guests — Jason Hall, Lou Whiteman.
Guests: Jason Hall,Lou Whiteman
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Homelessness is a crisis that needs no introduction, but leading homelessness charity Porchlight is highlighting the problem that “hidden homelessness” plays across the UK. This refers to the large number of people who aren’t supported because they don’t fit the usual stereotypes. Whether that’s because they’re staying on a friend’s sofa, sleeping in their cars or have isolated themselves for protection, finding and getting these people the support they need is a challenge that charities and support networks are having to tackle. Joining us to talk more about hidden homelessness and the support that is out there for people is Sarah Mills from the homeless charity Porchlight.
Guests: Sarah Mills
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New research reveals Brits are redefining ageing — focusing less on appearance and more on how they feel, from energy levels to long-term health. But despite this shift, many admit they’ve ignored their health in the past, and younger people are already feeling the pressures of ageing. Joining Rory McGowan to discuss this is Alan Graves, founder and Clinical Research Advisor at DoNotAge.
Guests: Alan Graves
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HMRC is urging self-employed workers and landlords to prepare for one of the biggest changes to the tax system in years. Under the Government’s 'Making Tax Digital' programme, hundreds of thousands of taxpayers will soon be required to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC, with the rollout starting on 6th April 2026 for those earning over £50,000. As the thresholds fall over the following years, millions more people — including those with side hustles or online income — could eventually fall within the new reporting rules. Joining Rory McGowan to discuss this is accountant and UK tax expert at HaysMac, Graeme Privett.
Guests: Graeme Privett
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It's not unusual for people to resort to alcohol in order to reduce stress: that's not in itself addiction, but it can lead to addiction. This episode is designed to help you find better coping strategies for stress than alcohol — it's an alcohol reduction session, but it can also provide better ways of dealing with stress and feelings of being overwhelmed.
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says box office has jumped 113% with the release of Super Mario Galaxy Movie but he opted to go to #3 The Drama, with Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. It's a comedy of manners which is grown up, thought-provoking and enormously funny in a dark way, leading to an unusual post-movie discussion. James also caught #123 Two Women, a French-Canadian comedy of quiet suburban desperation. It's odd, amusing and unpredictable and will be appearing in various places over the coming months. He recommends steering clear of the Disney+ film online Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, with Vince Vaughn playing himself twice in a dire shambles of a movie.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin is impressed by hydrogen fuel cells for trucks, but disappointed there are so few hydrogen stations to fuel them. There's a device for perfectly matching colour for hair dyeing. VR headsets will soon have added aromas to heighten realism. There's a robot that can keep functioning even if it loses all its legs. Cassette-manufacturer Maxell have a new portable cassette players for those who are into retro gadgets. A clever device being crowdfunded lets you pair your devices with TVs while away, as well as a smart night light Steve strongly recommends. But beware of economising on bike or scooter batteries as eBike fires are up 38% in just one year.
Guests: Steve Caplin
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Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Finlay Mathers of Edison Group highlights Billington Holdings, a steel specialist with a market cap of £50m which makes frames for large buildings. Listed on AIM, it restructured and consolidated operations last year, increasing capacity. Recently it has won a raft of new contracts. The company focusses on training its own staff, has a strong balance sheet with zero debt and will report results in a couple of weeks. Chloe Wong looks at Devolver Digital, an indie games publisher of third party and in-house video games. Its full-year results were encouraging in a flat gaming market. Indie games are expected to perform strongly and the company, which has made significant operational improvements since its 2021 IPO, is well positioned and at a significant discount to fair value. More information is available on the Edison website.
Guests: Finlay Mathers,Chloe Wong Yun Shing
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