Informed Choice Radio Personal Finance Podcast

Our global economic system is broken. The experience of the past 12 months, living through an unprecedented global pandemic, has illustrated the need to find a new way. My guest on the podcast today is Peter Vanham, co-author of Stakeholder Capitalism, written with his World Economic Forum colleague Professor Klaus Schwab. Stakeholder Capitalism explores why things need to change and how we can create a global economy that works for progress, people and the planet. It’s all about eliminating rising income equality (a problem that has become dramatically worse throughout the pandemic), and also reducing the dampening effect of monopoly market power wielded by large corporations on innovation and productivity gains. This manifesto for change also addresses the short-sighted exploitation of natural resources; something that is corroding the environment and affecting the lives of many for the worse. Peter is Head of Communications, Chairman’s Office at the World Economic Forum. He’s an economist, entrepreneur and freelance journalist. During our conversation today, we discuss the role of modern unions, whether moving to Stakeholder Capitalism requires The Great Reset, and some examples of Stakeholder Capitalism already in action. Here’s my conversation with Peter Vanham, co-author of Stakeholder Capitalism, in episode 547 of Informed Choice Radio.

The UK property market is red hot right now, with the latest data from property portal Rightmove showing a record high for asking prices and a rapid turnaround for property sales. Does the launch of low-deposit mortgages this week add more fuel to the property fire? Also in this episode of Talking Money, Martin and Hannah discuss a looming price war in the financial advice market, thanks to Vanguard introducing a digital advice service for users of its platform, and why the government is planning to compensate investors in the failed mini-bond scheme from London Capital & Finance. Welcome to episode 17 of Talking Money, with Martin Bamford and Hannah Godfrey. In each episode of Talking Money, we take a topical look at the big money stories of the week, putting our personal spin on the news.

It's been a funny old year for investments. As investors shifted their attention to high-growth tech stocks, perhaps better suited to our new way of life during the pandemic, and central banks unleashed a 'wall of cash', more traditional, so-called cyclical stocks were left behind. But could that all be about to change, as the global vaccination programme roll-out gathers pace, and we contemplate a return to a new normal? My guest on the podcast today is Alasdair McKinnon, Manager of the high-conviction, global contrarian Scottish Investment Trust. The Scottish’s team recently made some meaningful changes to the portfolio which reflect their contrarian view that investors are deeply underestimating the potential for certain stocks to benefit from the economic recovery. Alasdair sees this as “the start of a multi-year turnaround” for some investments that have been overlooked in recent years and that have been temporarily impacted by the pandemic. In our conversation today, we cover a lot of ground, including some very important thoughts from Alasdair about why oil and gas are not going away anytime soon. Here's my conversation with Alasdair McKinnon, manager of The Scottish Investment Trust, in episode 545 of Informed Choice Radio.

We’ve saved an average of £1,744 each since last March, spending 65% less overall on typical day-to-day expenses. But what would happen if we invested these lockdown savings for the future? Also in this episode of Talking Money, why first-time buyers are better off than renters to the tune of £800 this year, and the surprising financial and mental resilience demonstrated by the over-50s during the pandemic. Welcome to episode 16 of Talking Money, with Martin Bamford and Hannah Godfrey. In each episode of Talking Money, we take a topical look at the big money stories of the week, putting our personal spin on the news.

What does it take to live with purpose and retire with confidence? Our lives have changed dramatically, with the steady employment and affluence enjoyed by the post-war baby boomer generation replaced by a more transient approach to work today. My guest on the podcast today is Patrick Rush, who shares in his new book Gain Big and Give Back the simple, age-old, established rules for saving and investing. Patrick has worked across different parts of the financial services profession and now runs his own independent wealth management firm. He shares his playbook for becoming wealthy and using that wealth to live with purpose. In our conversation today, we cover the importance of making a financial plan to understand how much you can afford to give, why open conversations with your family are so important, and what to look for when working with a professional adviser. Here's my conversation with Patrick Rush, author of Gain Big and Give Back in episode 543 of Informed Choice Radio.

With the one-year anniversary of the first national lockdown, it’s a time for reflection. In this episode of Talking Money, we look at new research into how our shopping, spending and television viewing habits have changed in the past 12 months. We also discuss the revelation that some analysts at investment bank Goldman Sachs are working 95 hour weeks, with a detrimental impact on their physical and mental wellbeing. And new research has shown that Gen Z and millennial generations have been forced to borrow thousands and seen their lives set back years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Welcome to episode 15 of Talking Money, with Martin Bamford and Hannah Godfrey. In each episode of Talking Money, we take a topical look at the big money stories of the week, putting our personal spin on the news.

Do you want to live a fulfilled and purposeful life? Are you unsure how to create the fulfilled life that you’re seeking? My guest on the podcast today is Jonathan Gibson, a Chartered Financial Planner, Chartered Wealth Manager and Certified Financial Planner professional. Jonathan is the author of Purposeful Wealth, where he shares the key financial and wealth planning strategies you need to focus on. At the heart of Jonathan’s work as a Financial Planner is a belief that real wealth is about much more than money and possessions. In this conversation, we discuss the importance of placing purpose ahead of money, what our enforced lifestyles during the pandemic can teach us about what we most value, and why authentic investing is the best approach to support a purposeful life. Here’s my conversation with Jonathan Gibson, author of Purposeful Wealth, in episode 541 of Informed Choice Radio.

Inflation basket changes can have a big impact on your finances. Here’s what you need to know about why these changes are happening and how they may affect your personal experience of price inflation in 2021. We also talk about why the pandemic has pushed our spending closer to home and how nearly half of defined benefit pension schemes closed to future accrual in the past year - with significant consequences for those building an income in retirement. Welcome to episode 14 of Talking Money, with Martin Bamford and Hannah Godfrey. In each episode of Talking Money, we take a topical look at the big money stories of the week, putting our personal spin on the news.

In this episode of Talking Money from Informed Choice Radio, why women need to find an additional £100,000 in time for retirement, to match what men typically save. We also discuss the latest 5-year forecast for rising house prices across the UK and why the future of working is likely to be a hybrid arrangement, with some time working from home and a few days each week at the office. Welcome to episode 13 of Talking Money, with Martin Bamford and Hannah Godfrey. In each episode of Talking Money, we take a topical look at the big money stories of the week, putting our personal spin on the news.

In this episode of Talking Money from Informed Choice Radio, we look at the Budget. The good, the bad and the bits that it will take more time to understand! We cover everything from extended furlough, more self-employed income support, sneaky stealth taxes through frozen thresholds, a longer stamp duty holiday, government backing for low-deposit mortgages, a corporation tax hike, and freeports. Welcome to episode 12 of Talking Money, with Martin Bamford and Hannah Godfrey.