Merryn Somerset Webb
Merryn Somerset Webb started her career in Tokyo at public broadcaster NHK before becoming a Japanese equity broker at what was then Warburgs. She went on to work at SBC and UBS without moving from her desk in Kamiyacho (it was the age of mergers).
After five years in Japan she returned to work in the UK at Paribas. This soon became BNP Paribas. Again, no desk move was required. On leaving the City, Merryn helped The Week magazine with its City pages before becoming the launch editor of MoneyWeek in 2000 and taking on columns first in the Sunday Times and then in 2009 in the Financial Times
Twenty years on, MoneyWeek is the best-selling financial magazine in the UK. Merryn was its Editor in Chief until 2022. She is now a senior columnist at Bloomberg and host of the Merryn Talks Money podcast - but still writes for Moneyweek monthly.
Merryn is also is a non executive director of two investment trusts – BlackRock Throgmorton, and the Murray Income Investment Trust.
Latest articles by Merryn Somerset Webb
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The public may have reached its limit for tax rises
Editor's letter The UK tax burden is now at a 70-year high. And, while there may be some reason to hold off on cuts right now, taxes are too high because the state tries to do too much. Perhaps it should do less, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Holiday reading: five books to make sense of the 1970s – and the 2020s
Reviews With raging inflation, booms, busts and political crises, the 1970s has a reputation as a relentlessly awful decade. But things aren’t that simple, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Here, she picks five books to put it all in context.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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We’re doing well on pensions – but we still need to do better
Opinion Pensions auto-enrolment has vastly increased the number of people in the UK with retirement savings. But we’re still not engaged enough, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Car hire and the strangeness of the post-pandemic economy
Editor's letter A global shortage of hire cars and unusually high hotel occupancy rates sum up the post-pandemic global economy in a nutshell, says Merryn Somerset Webb, with enhanced demand meeting restricted supply.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Prepare your portfolio for recession
Opinion A recession is looking increasingly likely. Add in a bear market and soaring inflation, and things are going to get very complicated for investors, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Celebrity bitcoin ads echo the subprime mortgage crisis
Editor's letter A wave of ads featuring celebrities punting crypto to the masses are reminiscent of how low income Americans were encouraged to take on loans they couldn’t afford, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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How will the crash of 2022 play out?
Analysis Stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies – everything is crashing at the same time. We’ve seen these kinds of multiple collapses before, says Merryn Somerset Webb, which gives us some clues as to how it might play out.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Why we need to get a grip on our government
Editor's letter Our government is trying to do too much, enacting policies that are destructive to the private sector. It needs to drop the the feel-good nonsense and create policies that lead to long-term wealth, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Investing for income? Here are six investment trusts to buy now
Opinion For many savers and investors, income is getting hard to find. But it's not impossible to find, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Here, she picks six investment trusts that are currently yielding more than 4%.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Will the UK's property slowdown turn into a house-price crash?
Editor's letter As the cost-of-living crisis intensifies and interest rate rise, it is hard to see reasons for UK house prices to keep rising, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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The unintended consequences of ESG investing
Editor's letter Many people are refusing to invest in energy companies, citing "ESG" concerns. But we still need fossil fuels, says Merryn Somerset Webb, and will for years to come. Boycotting the sector is a bad idea.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Stories are great – but investors should stick to reality
Opinion Everybody loves a story – and investors are no exception. But it’s easy to get carried away, says Merryn Somerset Webb, and forget the underlying truth of the market.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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What sardines can teach investors about today's markets
Editor's letter A California tale of “eating sardines” and “trading sardines” can help us divide investments into speculative and real, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Something that's very useful when looking at today’s markets.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Everything is collapsing at once – here’s what to do about it
Opinion Equity and bond markets are crashing, while inflation destroys the value of cash. Merryn Somerset Webb looks at where investors can turn to protect their wealth.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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How not to get beaten by inflation
Editor's letter With inflation at 9%, and the bank rate at 1% you’re not going to get a real return on cash. But there are steps you can take to beat inflation, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Value is starting to emerge in the markets
Opinion If you are looking for long-term value in the markets, some is beginning to emerge, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Indeed, you may soon be able to buy traditionally expensive growth stocks on the cheap, too.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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James Anderson: innovation is still the key to returns
Interviews James Anderson, the man behind the Scottish Mortgage investment trust, tells Merryn Somerset Webb what he’d buy now
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The market finally seems to be getting it
Editor's letter Reality checks are coming fast to the markets, says Merryn Somerset Webb – with even 2022’s safe havens beginning to reflect recession worries.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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We’re in a bear market – change the way you invest
Opinion The financial world of 2022 is a very different one to that of 2021. Investors need to make substantial changes to their portfolios, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Everything is getting more expensive – including money
Editor's letter Investors are about to start feeling rather more pain, says Merryn Somerset Webb – from the rising price of money.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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ESG investing could end up being a classic mistake
Opinion ESG investing has been embraced with enormous speed and zeal. But think long and hard before buying in, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Which mistake will central bankers choose to make next?
Editor's letter The heads of the Bank of England and the US Federal Reserve have choices – but none of them are good choices, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
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Older people may own their own home, but the young have better pensions
Opinion UK house prices mean owning a home remains a pipe dream for many young people, but they should have a comfortable retirement, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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We may be heading for recession – and it will be no ordinary recession
Editor's letter Just as the downturn in 2020 was not a typical recession. the next downturn could be very different too, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
Editor's letter