Informed Choice Radio Personal Finance Podcast

My guest on the show today is Dr Matthew Partridge, author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history. Superinvestors lays bare the investing secrets of legendary investors - from early 20th-century figures such as Benjamin Graham and John Maynard Keynes, through to more modern names such as Anthony Bolton and Warren Buffett.  Matthew selected the investors featured in Superinvestors based on a variety of criteria, including their investing excellence, the different ways in which they have made money - and above all for what they can teach individual investors.  Matthew is an experienced financial journalist, as a senior writer for MoneyWeek magazine, Britain's biggest-selling personal finance weekly.  A trained historian, Matthew did a degree in economics and history at the University of Durham, before doing a master's and a doctorate in economic history at the London School of Economics.  He has taught at Goldsmiths, University of London, as well as spending time at various investment banks and a well-known economics consultancy. Here's my conversation with Matthew Partridge, in episode 237 of Informed Choice Radio.

The latest concept about the hit the UK from Sweden is Lagom. Lagom has no equivalent in the English language but is loosely translated as 'not too little, not too much, just right'. It's widely believed that the word comes from the Viking term 'laget om', for when a mug of mead was passed around a circle and there was just enough for everyone to get a sip. But while the anecdote may hit the nail on the head, the true etymology of the word points to an old form of the word 'lag', which means 'law'. Far from restrictive, lagom is a liberating concept, praising the idea that anything more that 'just enough' is a waste of time. Crucially it also comes with a selflessness and core belief of responsibility and common good. By living lagom you can live a happier and more balanced life, reduce your environmental impact, improve your work-life balance, free your home from clutter, enjoy good food the Swedish way, grow your own and learn to forage, and cherish the relationships with those you love. My guest on the podcast today is Linnea Dunne, author of Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living. Linnea was born and raised in Sweden, where she started her writing career as a columnist at the local newspaper aged 15. She left for Ireland a few years later and eventually moved to London, where she studied Creative Writing and Political Communications. She now lives in Dublin with her husband and two half-Swedish kids, trying to achieve that lagom balance against all odds. Please take a moment to say thank you to Linnea on Twitter, and let her know you heard her right here on Informed Choice Radio. You can find Linnea on Twitter @linneadunne. Mention me too, @martinbamford. You can find the show notes for this episode at icradio.co.uk/lagom. There's useful links and you can also download the full episode transcript. That's all at icradio.co.uk/lagom. Here's my conversation with Linnea Dunne, in episode 236 of Informed Choice Radio.

This week on the show, I'm talking about investment managers who have been living high on the hog and steps the regulator will be taking to improve transparency, introduce better price competition and generally take them down a peg or two. There's also a roundup of the latest personal finance news, my favourite money article this week, a random fact about money, an inspirational quote and, of course, the aftershow segment where I share a few of the things happening at Informed Choice this week. Personal finance news -Pound Sterling rose nearly 1% against the US Dollar this week, on the prospect of higher interest rates from the Bank of England. Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, said interest rates could rise if business investment grows. -Mortgage lender Nationwide has reported house prices rose in June, following three months of falls. They reported average house prices rose by 1.1% this month, following a fall of 0.2% in May. -The Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee is forcing banks to raise a further £11.4bn by the end of next year, to shore up their finances in case of bad loans. It means banks will need to set aside £5.7bn by the end of 2017, in case economic shocks mean some borrowers default on their repayments. -New research has identified the most expensive time in our lives as age 35. This 'financial crunch point' was identified by the comparison site Moneysupermarket, who found Brits are most likely to be juggling the cost of young children, along with mortgages, and loan repayments for cars, holidays and weddings. -A new report has revealed that more than one in five aspiring first time buyers are currently living at home with their parents. The latest quarterly First Time Buyer Index from Aldermore Bank also found that a quarter say they will have to live with their family for five or more years to save for a deposit. Get answers to your personal finance questions Do you have a personal finance or investing question for Martin? Email martin@icfp.co.uk or ask on Twitter @martinbamford. You can call our dedicated podcast voicemail line on 020 8144 2745 with your question or visit www.icradio.co.uk/voicemail to leave an online voice message.

Today on the show I'm joined by Tom Nichols, author of The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters. Tom is Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College, an adjunct professor at the Harvard Extension School, and a former aide in the U.S. Senate. He's also the author of several works on foreign policy and international security affairs, including The Sacred Cause, No Use: Nuclear Weapons and U.S. National Security, Eve of Destruction: The Coming Age of Preventive War, and The Russian Presidency. Simply put, he's an expert. In The Death of Expertise, Tom show a rejection of experts has occurred for many reasons, including the openness of the Internet, the emergence of a customer satisfaction model in higher education, and the transformation of the news industry into a 24-hour entertainment machine. The Death of Expertise is not only an exploration of a dangerous phenomenon but also a warning about the stability and survival of modern democracy in the Information Age. Here’s my conversation with Tom Nichols, in episode 233 of Informed Choice Radio.   Get answers to your personal finance questions Do you have a personal finance or investing question for Martin? Email martin@icfp.co.uk or ask on Twitter @martinbamford. You can call our dedicated podcast voicemail line on 020 8144 2745 with your question or visit www.icradio.co.uk/voicemail to leave an online voice message.

Today on the show I'm joined by Paul Moore, founder of Wellings Capital and author of The Perfect investment. After graduating with an engineering degree and then an MBA from Ohio State, Paul entered the management development track at Ford Motor Company in Detroit.  He left Ford to start a staffing company with a partner. They sold it to a publicly traded firm five years later.  Paul later entered the real estate sector, where he flipped over 50 homes and 25 high-end waterfront lots, appeared on HGTV’s House Hunters, rehabbed and managed rental properties, built a number of new homes, developed a subdivision, and started two successful online real estate marketing firms.  He also built a number of other companies and made quite a few medium- and high-risk investments along the way. Three successful developments, including assisting with development of a Hyatt hotel and a very successful multifamily project, led him into the commercial multifamily arena.  Paul is the author of The Perfect Investment – Create Enduring Wealth from the Historic Shift to Multifamily Housing.  He also co-hosts a wealth-building podcast called How to Lose Money, is a featured guest on numerous real estate podcasts, and is a regular author for Bigger Pockets.  Here's my conversation with Paul Moore, in episode 233 of Informed Choice Radio.

Today on the podcast, I'm tackling the thorny and topical issue of defined benefit pension transfers. Some big cash sums are on offer to members of final salary pension schemes and now the regulator is taking an interest. I talk about the pros and cons of giving up guarantees in return for cash. Also on the show today, we've got a roundup of the latest personal finance news, my favourite money article this week, a random fact and an inspirational quote, as well as the aftershow segment, where I share some of the things happening at Informed Choice this week. Personal finance news -The government has unveiled its plans to ban fees paid to lettings agents in England. The Tenant's Fees Bill was announced in the Queen's Speech this week and could prevent the practice of tenants paying fees to lettings agents. -A leading member of the Bank of England has indicated he will vote for an interest rate rise later this year. Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane has said he might vote for a rate hike in the second half of 2017.  -The Financial Conduct Authority has told insurers it should do more to help customers who have cancer. The comments follow a case in which a nurse with terminal breast cancer was quoted a premium of £2,800 for travel insurance when taking a holiday in Dubai. -The British wealth gap has widened during the past decade. The Resolution Foundation, a think tank, has estimated at 1% of adults own 14% of assets in Britain. -Gross mortgage lending rose by an estimated 12% in May. The latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders estimates that gross mortgage lending reached £20.1 billion in May. Get answers to your personal finance questions Do you have a personal finance or investing question for Martin? Email martin@icfp.co.uk or ask on Twitter @martinbamford. You can call our dedicated podcast voicemail line on 020 8144 2745 with your question or visit www.icradio.co.uk/voicemail to leave an online voice message.

Today on the show I'm joined by Andy Bell, founder and chief executive of AJ Bell, and author of The DIY Investor. Andy co-founded AJ Bell in 1995, having spent a number of years working within the financial services sector. An actuary by training, he has built AJ Bell into one of the largest providers of low-cost, online investment platforms and stockbroker services in the UK. Andy is the principal driving force behind the business, which has grown to look after more than 152,000 customers with investment assets under administration exceeding £36 billion. In his book The DIY Investor, Andy shows you how to plan your financial future through do-it-yourself investing. He shows you how to build a long-term investment portfolio using a range of low-cost, tax-efficient strategies. Andy also provides expert guidance and industry insights suitable for first-time investors and those who are more experienced. The DIY Investor teaches you the skills and strategies you need to take control of your investments and manage your money in the years ahead. Here's my conversation with Andy Bell, in episode 231 of Informed Choice Radio. Get answers to your personal finance questions Do you have a personal finance or investing question for Martin? Email martin@icfp.co.uk or ask on Twitter @martinbamford. You can call our dedicated podcast voicemail line on 020 8144 2745 with your question or visit www.icradio.co.uk/voicemail to leave an online voice message.

My guest on the podcast today is Danielle Marchant, author of the new book Pause: How to press pause before life does it for you. Danielle has a long work history as a successful executive coach in the corporate industry, working with top-level executives at companies such as HSBC, McKinsey Unilever and SAP. She has more than 13 years experience working with leaders in 20 different countries; and spent 3 years living and working in Asia, where she set up a pioneering coaching company and an award winning change management consultancy. After learning that goals and ambitions could be just as happily and successfully achieved when simply allowing the body and mind to pause, she adapted her coaching style with both personal and corporate clients to flow rather than fight against the ups and downs of life. In her new book, Pause, Danielle gives you the space and the practices so that you can learn how to benefit from the power of the pause. The book uses nature, creativity and your inner spirit to allow the energy to flow freely once again. There are exercises to ground you, give access to your intuition, to breathe deeply and allow your monkey mind to settle. Pressing pause is about giving you time to explore what is big in your life right now, to know deep down what matters. It opens you up, allowing you to freely experience all the pain, the joy and the twists and turns of life. It gives you back your courage, your fire and your connection. Here's my conversation with Danielle Marchant, in episode 230 of Informed Choice Radio.   Get answers to your personal finance questions Do you have a personal finance or investing question for Martin? Email martin@icfp.co.uk or ask on Twitter @martinbamford. You can call our dedicated podcast voicemail line on 020 8144 2745 with your question or visit www.icradio.co.uk/voicemail to leave an online voice message.  

With Father's Day coming up on Sunday, in this episode I'm talking about new research which highlights the importance of dads taking out financial protection. Research from Scottish Widows has found that 53% of men in the UK with dependent children have no life cover. This means that 3.9 million dads are potentially putting their family’s financial security at risk if the unexpected were to happen. Personal finance news -Average earnings have fallen in real terms by 0.6% in the three months to April. The latest official figures show earnings excluding bonuses rising by 1.7% in the period, or by 2.1% including bonuses. -The typical UK home cost £220,000 in April, according to the latest official figures. This was a rise of £3,500 on the previous month and £12,000 on the same month a year earlier. -One in 10 clients of debt charity Christians Against Poverty have no bed to sleep in at night. The charity also reported that eight in 10 say their financial situation leads to sleepless nights. -The Bank of England has voted to keep interest rates on hold at 0.25%, but policy makers are shifting towards favouring a rate rise. At the Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Thursday, three of the eight members voted to increase rates in the face of rising price inflation. -New figures from a fraud prevention organisation show that company directors are the victims of one in five cases of identity theft. Business directors make up 19% of victims of identity fraud cases, despite representing less than 9% of the UK population. Do you have a personal finance or investing question for Martin? Email martin@icfp.co.uk or ask on Twitter @martinbamford. You can call our dedicated podcast voicemail line on 020 8144 2745 with your question or visit www.icradio.co.uk/voicemail to leave an online voice message.

My guest on the podcast today wants to inspire you to live your best life, build legacy wealth for you and your family through real estate investing, and have fun while you do it. Clayton Morris is the weekend anchor for FOX & Friends on The FOX News Channel. He's also a successful real estate investor and founder of Morris Invest; they've helped hundreds of people buy their first rental property and renovated thousands of homes, filling them with happy tenants.  A few years ago, Clayton discovered a simple tool for building passive unearned income through real estate investing; something he calls his 'freedom number'. In this episode of the podcast, I chat to Clayton about finding off market properties, managing renovations, choosing the right property managers, and balancing property investing with family life. Get answers to your personal finance questions Do you have a personal finance or investing question for Martin? Email martin@icfp.co.uk or ask on Twitter @martinbamford. You can call our dedicated podcast voicemail line on 020 8144 2745 with your question or visit www.icradio.co.uk/voicemail to leave an online voice message.