AUTHOR

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.

Twenty years on, MoneyWeek is the best-selling financial magazine in the UK and Merryn remains as its editor-in-chief. Merryn also has a weekly column in the FT and is a regular TV/radio commentator and speaker on financial matters.

She is a non executive director of three investment trusts – the Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon Trust, BlackRock Throgmorton, and the Murray Income Investment Trust – and of Netwealth.

The UK house price bubble hisses air
House prices

The UK house price bubble hisses air

The fall in house prices has much further to go, says Merryn Somerset Webb
10 Mar 2023
The MoneyWeek portfolio of investment trusts – December 2022 update
Investment trust model portfolio

The MoneyWeek portfolio of investment trusts – December 2022 update

A decade ago we set up the MoneyWeek portfolio of investment trusts.. It proved a success, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
16 Feb 2023
The difference between CPI and RPI inflation – and why it matters
Inflation

The difference between CPI and RPI inflation – and why it matters

The consumer price index (CPI) and retail price index (RPI) are both important indicators of inflation. But what is the difference and why do they mat…
14 Nov 2022
What to do as the age of cheap money and overpriced equities ends
Investment strategy

What to do as the age of cheap money and overpriced equities ends

The age of cheap money, overpriced equities and negative interest rates is over. The great bond bull market is over. All this means you will be losin…
29 Sep 2022
Beating inflation takes more luck than skill – but are we about to get lucky?
Inflation

Beating inflation takes more luck than skill – but are we about to get lucky?

The US Federal Reserve managed to beat inflation in the 1980s. But much of that was down to pure luck. Thankfully, says Merryn Somerset Webb, the Bank…
26 Sep 2022
Why we should abolish stamp duty – the worst tax in Britain
Tax

Why we should abolish stamp duty – the worst tax in Britain

Stamp duty is Britain’s most horrible tax. We should forget cutting it and abolish it altogether, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
22 Sep 2022
Momentum investing – and why price matters more than anything else
Investment strategy

Momentum investing – and why price matters more than anything else

The recent fashion for momentum investing, with investors piling into expensive growth stocks, is nothing new, says Merryn Somerset Webb. And the dang…
21 Sep 2022
Inflation may be slipping but there is still plenty of misery ahead
UK Economy

Inflation may be slipping but there is still plenty of misery ahead

Inflation may be a little lower than last month as the prices of petrol and diesel fall back, but it remains structural and long-term, says Merryn Som…
16 Sep 2022
The best way to invest in oil and gas
Oil

The best way to invest in oil and gas

The bull market in fossil fuels and wider commodities has paused. But there is still plenty of scope for investors to profit, says Merryn Somerset Web…
13 Sep 2022
Beat the cost of living crisis – go on holiday
UK Economy

Beat the cost of living crisis – go on holiday

As inflation rages, energy bills soar and the pound tanks, what’s a good way to save money this winter? Go on holiday, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
8 Sep 2022
House prices to crash? Your house may still be making you money, but not for much longer
House prices

House prices to crash? Your house may still be making you money, but not for much longer

If you’re relying on your property to fund your pension, you may have to think again. But, says Merryn Somerset Webb, if house prices start to fall th…
5 Sep 2022
How to tackle rising inflation and falling stockmarkets
Inflation

How to tackle rising inflation and falling stockmarkets

Inflation is rising around the world. Even though inflation is widely expected to return to around 3.5% next year, it is still wreaking havoc. Merryn …
2 Sep 2022
Forget holiday car hire – holiday taxis are a much better idea
Personal finance

Forget holiday car hire – holiday taxis are a much better idea

The cost of holiday car hire has gone through the roof. And the experience can put a damper on your trip. Using taxis is an easier – and cheaper – opt…
24 Aug 2022
The MoneyWeek approach to investing
Investment strategy

The MoneyWeek approach to investing

At MoneyWeek, our aim is simple: to give you intelligent and enjoyable commentary on the most important financial stories, and tell you how to profit …
28 Jul 2022
Our pension system, little-changed since Roman times, needs updating
Pensions

Our pension system, little-changed since Roman times, needs updating

The Romans introduced pensions, and we still have a similar system now. But there is one vital difference between Roman times and now that means the s…
25 Jul 2022
Where to find insurance against falling markets
Share tips

Where to find insurance against falling markets

Stockmarkets have fallen, but they could have a way to fall yet. Merryn Somerset Webb explains where to find insurance against valuations falling well…
18 Jul 2022
The public may have reached its limit for tax rises
UK Economy

The public may have reached its limit for tax rises

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 t…
14 Jul 2022
Holiday reading: five books to make sense of the 1970s – and the 2020s
Books

Holiday reading: five books to make sense of the 1970s – and the 2020s

With raging inflation, booms, busts and political crises, the 1970s has a reputation as a relentlessly awful decade. But things aren’t that simple, sa…
11 Jul 2022
We’re doing well on pensions – but we still need to do better
Pensions

We’re doing well on pensions – but we still need to do better

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 S…
4 Jul 2022
Car hire and the strangeness of the post-pandemic economy
UK Economy

Car hire and the strangeness of the post-pandemic economy

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 We…
30 Jun 2022
Prepare your portfolio for recession
Investment strategy

Prepare your portfolio for recession

A recession is looking increasingly likely. Add in a bear market and soaring inflation, and things are going to get very complicated for investors, sa…
27 Jun 2022
Celebrity bitcoin ads echo the subprime mortgage crisis
Bitcoin & crypto

Celebrity bitcoin ads echo the subprime mortgage crisis

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 cou…
23 Jun 2022
How will the crash of 2022 play out?
Investments

How will the crash of 2022 play out?

Stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies – everything is crashing at the same time. We’ve seen these kinds of multiple collapses before, says Merryn Somerset W…
20 Jun 2022
Why we need to get a grip on our government
UK Economy

Why we need to get a grip on our government

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…
16 Jun 2022
Investing for income? Here are six investment trusts to buy now
Share tips

Investing for income? Here are six investment trusts to buy now

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 investm…
14 Jun 2022
Will the UK's property slowdown turn into a house-price crash?
Property

Will the UK's property slowdown turn into a house-price crash?

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 We…
9 Jun 2022
The unintended consequences of ESG investing
ESG investing

The unintended consequences of ESG investing

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…
3 Jun 2022
Stories are great – but investors should stick to reality
Investment strategy

Stories are great – but investors should stick to reality

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 trut…
30 May 2022
What sardines can teach investors about today's markets
Investment strategy

What sardines can teach investors about today's markets

A California tale of “eating sardines” and “trading sardines” can help us divide investments into speculative and real, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Som…
26 May 2022
Everything is collapsing at once – here’s what to do about it
Investment strategy

Everything is collapsing at once – here’s what to do about it

Equity and bond markets are crashing, while inflation destroys the value of cash. Merryn Somerset Webb looks at where investors can turn to protect th…
23 May 2022
How not to get beaten by inflation
Inflation

How not to get beaten by inflation

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 …
19 May 2022
Value is starting to emerge in the markets
Investment strategy

Value is starting to emerge in the markets

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 tra…
16 May 2022
James Anderson: innovation is still the key to returns
Investment strategy

James Anderson: innovation is still the key to returns

James Anderson, the man behind the Scottish Mortgage investment trust, tells Merryn Somerset Webb what he’d buy now
13 May 2022
The market finally seems to be getting it
UK stockmarkets

The market finally seems to be getting it

Reality checks are coming fast to the markets, says Merryn Somerset Webb – with even 2022’s safe havens beginning to reflect recession worries.
12 May 2022
We’re in a bear market – change the way you invest
Investment strategy

We’re in a bear market – change the way you invest

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 Somer…
9 May 2022
Everything is getting more expensive – including money
UK Economy

Everything is getting more expensive – including money

Investors are about to start feeling rather more pain, says Merryn Somerset Webb – from the rising price of money.
6 May 2022