In this personal finance edition of Merryn Talks Money, Merryn Somerset Webb and John Stepek weigh the pros and cons of taking out a student loan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merryn Somerset Webb and Diana Choyleva, chief economist at Enodo Economics, discuss what Choyleva considers one of the most important relationships in the world: US and China. What will change if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the November presidential election? Or Donald Trump? For more from Diana, check out these links: Enodo Economics Track Record: https://bit.ly/4dTckeS Diana's X profile: https://bit.ly/3Mpiesw See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're trying something new: weekly episodes dedicated to Merryn and senior reporter and Money Distilled newsletter author John Stepek discussing the biggest stories in markets and economics at the moment. This episode looks at: 1. Why gold is having a moment 2. Why the UK is doing well, despite what the government says 3. And the two key fears behind the market's scary start to September See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Day 3 of the Merryn Talks Money panel at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival from Adam Smith's Panmure House, our special panel discusses the economics behind net zero and how the UK isn’t on track to reach it by 2050. Panelists include Ed Conway, author of Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future, MacroStrategy founder James Ferguson and Bloomberg senior reporter John Stepek. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Day 2 of the Merryn Talks Money panel at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival from Adam Smith's Panmure House, our special panel discusses the Labour government’s effort to right the budgetary ship and why it may be doing it wrong. Panelists include Interactive Investor Chief Executive Officer Richard Wilson, British comedian Simon Evans and Bloomberg editor John Stepek. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruffer Fund Manager Duncan MacInnes, Dominic Frisby, British author and comedian, and Adam Dixon, Adam Smith Chair in Sustainable Capitalism join Merryn for the first day of her run at Adam Smith's Panmure House for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They tackle questions like are political leaders dulling innovation with regulation? Is too much protectionism bad for capitalism? And how should investors position themselves at a time when politicians are too focused on dividing the pie, rather than growing it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reality TV stars are freezing their eggs on camera. Lawmakers in DC are debating federal protection for IVF. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in slick startups that market fertility treatments for all. But this rapid growth has revealed cracks in the system. Misconception, a new series from Bloomberg’s Prognosis, follows reporter Kristen V. Brown on her own intimate journey as she uncovers the business of fertility. Along the way, she finds a fractured industry — a profit-driven field of medicine that thrives on dueling messages of hope and fear as people gamble everything for a chance at a baby. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merryn and John are still OOO, enjoying their summer break, so on today's episode, we bring you a conversation between Stephanie Flanders and author and journalist Anne Applebaum about her latest book Autocracy, Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run The World. She says a network of dictators from China to Venezuela could be the beneficiaries of a welcoming White House should Donald Trump win the US election come November and warns that the self-proclaimed dealmaker and convicted felon’s foreign policy may be more personal and even less predictable in a second term. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a special treat whilst Merryn and John are away, we're bringing you the latest episode of Money Stuff: The Podcast. Matt and Katie discuss Pershing Square USA's IPO, Citron Research's short-and-distort charges, bond market liquidity, and Katie's trip to Paris to watch running. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Merryn Talks Money, Lawrence McDonald, founder of The Bear Traps Report, joins to discuss his book How to Listen When Markets Speak: Risks, Myths and Investment Opportunities in a Radically Reshaped Economy. In the book, McDonald discusses the predictive model he developed in the aftermath of Lehman Brothers’ collapse, outlining actionable trading ideas for a radically reshaped economy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alec Cutler of Orbis Investments joins to explain what’s behind his fund’s decade of strong returns. Plus, senior reporter John Stepek joins to discuss what a Trump Presidency might mean for your money. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cape Wrath Capital’s Adam Rackley explains why on this week’s Merryn Talks Money. He also discusses why he thinks the time for UK small caps is here, what he currently holds and what might make it into the portfolio soon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MacroStrategy’s James Ferguson tells Merryn Talks Money there are better places to put your money. Plus, senior reporter and Money Distilled author John Stepek on what a Labour government means for markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Activist investors are on a mission to persuade large British businesses to move from London’s stock market to those of New York. Liad Meidar, founder and managing partner of Gatemore Capital Management, joins this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money to discuss what’s driving this westward push and the steps London can take to head it off. The main incentive for companies to drop London for the Big Apple is the valuation gap. FTSE 100 companies trade at little more than half of the valuation of those on the S&P 500 on a forward price-to-earnings basis. The reason? Meidar says it’s the cost of capital, the UK takeover code and how board members are incentivized. Address those issues, and you’re on your way to solving the problem. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money, Peter Kinsella, global head of FX strategy at Union Bancaire Privee Ubp SA, joins host Merryn Somerset Webb to explain the bullish case he and his team are making for the UK. Earlier this year, UBP opened an initial allocation towards Britain, a first for the Swiss private bank. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regular listeners of the Merryn Talks Money podcast know that Merryn Somerset Webb usually ends her interviews with one question. If you had to invest all of your money into one of these assets, and hold it for the next 10 years, which would it be: Bitcoin or gold? In this week’s episode, she makes that question the foundation for a conversation with Charlie Morris, chief investment officer and founder of ByteTree, and Alexander Chartres, a fund manager at Ruffer. The episode was taped in front of audience at the Bloomberg offices in London. Want to see Merryn live? Check out her shows in Edinburgh at Fringe Festival this August! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s Merryn Talks Money, host Merryn Somerset Webb speaks with Daniel Avigad, partner and fund manager at Lansdowne Partners, a global investment management boutique entirely focused on active equities investing. He explains why Europe, though debt heavy and over-regulated, may actually be a place to put your money. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If aging doesn’t happen all at once, why should retirement? That’s the question Merryn Somerset Webb explores with economist and author Andrew J Scott in this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money. They discuss the opportunities and challenges of living longer in the 21st century, and the complications it may inflict on your financial planning. Plus, senior reporter John Stepek joins to talk the quadruple lock and the pensions bidding war. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A general election in the UK has been called for July 4. What does that mean for your money—and is there anything you can (or should) do in advance of a possible tide of new policy? Those are the questions host Merryn Somerset Webb and senior reporter John Stepek explore with guests Helen Thomas, chief executive of macroeconomic consultancy BlondeMoney, and Tom McPhail, director of public affairs at The Lang Cat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tellworth’s John Warren tells Merryn Talks Money investors aren’t interested in a manager’s record versus an index—they just want to make money. And it has happened again. Another new high for the FTSE 100. Merryn would love to talk about something else, but John Stepek can't. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.