Get ready for a UK election this summer, says Helen Thomas, an ex-adviser to former Conservative finance minister George Osborne and CEO of BlondeMoney. On this week’s Merryn Talks Money, she joins Merryn Somerset Webb to explain her core scenario for the British government: Rishi Sunak will resign and hand over to Penny Mordaunt, the House of Commons leader. She will call a July 4th election — and Labour leader Keir Starmer will be prime minister by the middle of July. Plus, John Stepek joins to discuss a new high in the FTSE 100 and Opinion Columnist Adrian Wooldridge joins the post-interview discussion to share his views on Helen's predictions. Love/Hate mail to the usual address: merrynmoney@bloomberg.net See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peel Hunt head of research Charles Hall tells Merryn that pension funds, wealth managers and individuals are pulling money out at an alarming rate. Plus, John Stepek talks inflation targets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many people contend that getting to net-zero emissions means smashing capitalism. While its destruction seems unlikely, another path would be to work within the capitalist system. Bloomberg senior reporter Akshat Rathi discusses the second path with Merryn Somerset Webb on this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money. Together, they break down how business and government can work together in the fight against global warming. Email us at merrymoney@bloomberg.net See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merryn Talks Money will return with an all-new episode next Friday. In the meantime, here's an election-related episode from our friends at In the City. Host Francine Lacqua and Opinion columnist Adrian Wooldridge speak with Anthony Scaramucci, a Wall Street veteran and former communications director in Donald Trump’s White House. He joins to explain why he thinks a second Trump presidency would be “dangerous.” He also talks about why he isn’t voting for his former boss and why he doesn’t think the majority of Americans will either. Find more at https://www.bloomberg.com/podcasts/series/in-the-city See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is capitalism dead? It’s getting there, says economist and author Bernard Connolly, but it isn’t dying a natural death. Instead, he contends it’s being killed off by the very people charged with keeping it safe and stable: central bankers. The author of The Rotten Heart of Europe joins this week’s Merryn Talks Money to explain. Got questions or suggestions? Email us at merrynmoney@bloomberg.net See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julian Brigden of Macro Intelligence 2 Partners explains why you should get used to higher-for-longer when it comes to the Federal Reserve and interest rates. He tells us why the better the story, the bigger the bubble, why you should be nervous about Japan's big rally, and why Bitcoin is a brilliant trade, but a lousy store of wealth. Plus, John Stepek joins to talk gold and the price of a pint in central London. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investment trusts occupy an interesting niche in the UK market. They are listed companies whose business is to own shares in other companies, or to own other assets. On this week’s episode of Merryn Talks Money, one of Britain’s top experts on the matter—Nick Greenwood, who co-manages the MIGO opportunities trust at Asset Value Investors—joins us to explain why they are a good buy right now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Deal, hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, features intimate conversations with business titans, sports champions and game-changing entrepreneurs who reveal their investment philosophies, pivotal career moves and the ones that got away. From Bloomberg Podcasts and Bloomberg Originals, The Deal is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Bloomberg Carplay, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Television, and Bloomberg Originals on YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investment and macroeconomic analyst Lyn Alden joins to explore the history and future of money. Discussing her book Broken Money: Why Our Financial System is Failing Us and How We Can Make it Better, Alden argues that our present monetary system has fallen behind technological developments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re lucky enough to get a bonus this season (sorry, Barclays bankers), it’s time to give some thought on how to successfully save or spend that money. Reporter Claire Ballentine joins to share the advice she sought out from several financial advisors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim Reid, Deutsche Bank’s global head of economics and thematic research, joins to explain why he thinks a US downturn may still be on the way. He also thinks the US stock market is nearly the most concentrated it’s ever been, and that's not good. The top five stocks in the market make up almost a quarter of the market cap of the S&P 500, and combined with the next two, the “Magnificent 7” stocks are bigger than the Chinese market and four times the size of the UK market. Plus, Bloomberg Opinion columnist John Authers joins to debrief on Jim's comments and tell us why he thinks Japan has reached a point of no return. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kathryn Porter, an energy consultant at Watt-Logic, contends the increase in mining needed to obtain critical minerals necessary for the energy transition “starts to actually look morally questionable” once the harms are factored in. She joins this week’s episode to discuss the matter and what she sees as a better approach to the green transition. Plus, Bloomberg energy reporter Rachel Morison joins to explain what the UK's current energy picture looks like, and what it could like in the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Automobiles are often the second-most expensive item people buy, and yet many go into the process unprepared. Ashley Winston, creator of Palmdale Car Finders joins this week’s bonus episode of Merryn Talks Money to offer advice on how to buy a used car successfully. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There could be a “gold rush” in space, says Tim Marshall, author of The Future of Geography and a former diplomatic and foreign affairs editor at Sky News. Just as miners in the 19th century ventured into the lawless frontiers of North America, the presence of rare materials on the moon and elsewhere might fuel a race to harness the opportunities of outer space. “This might be one of the most profitable things in the 21st century.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former Chancellor of the Exchequer explains that the Tory prime minister has been “liberated” to tackle the UK’s tax burden. But will he in the next budget? Kwarteng joins this week's episode to talk taxes, the "mini-budget" and what he thinks the Tory party should do before the next election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Making parallels between the Spanish flu pandemic and Covid-19, the Wall Street veteran says a growth boom could be coming. He also discusses what he considers the arbitrary nature of central banks’ 2% inflation target, and why he sees Bitcoin as digital gold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just like gold, Bitcoin is `only worth what people will pay for it,’ says Oaktree Capital Management co-founder Howard Marks. He discusses crypto, explains why he believes the investment environment has undergone a “sea change,” and that we won’t be returning to the world of 0% interest rates in the foreseeable future. So instead of Bitcoin or gold, investors should be in a high-yield bond fund. Find all of Howard's memos here: https://www.oaktreecapital.com/insights/memos See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As you await this week's Merryn Talks Money conversation with OakTree's Howard Mark , check out another podcast from our team here at Bloomberg: Daybreak Europe Edition. Every episode delivers the day's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes. Available every morning by 7am GMT in your feed. Subscribe On Apple Subscribe On Spotify Subscribe On Youtube Subscribe On Podcast Addict Subscribe On Audible See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All too many commentators on the UK economy are “default decliners,” according to Simon French, chief economist and head of research at UK investment bank Panmure Gordon: there’s nothing they can’t put a lousy spin on. French and Janus Henderson portfolio manager Laura Foll join this week’s Merryn Talks Money to share their UK economic outlook for 2024. The data on the British economy isn’t looking bad at all, French says—certainly not as bad as the numbers coming out of Germany. They also discuss their expectations for house prices and what sectors look promising right now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.