Beating inflation takes more luck than skill – but are we about to get lucky?
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
House prices to crash? Your house may still be making you money, but not for much longer
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
Our pension system, little-changed since Roman times, needs updating
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
Holiday reading: five books to make sense of the 1970s – and the 2020s
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
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
Investing for income? Here are six investment trusts to buy now
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
Stories are great – but investors should stick to reality
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
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Everything is collapsing at once – here’s what to do about it
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
Value is starting to emerge in the markets
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
ESG investing could end up being a classic mistake
ESG investing could end up being a classic mistake
ESG investing has been embraced with enormous speed and zeal. But think long and hard before buying in, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
3 May 2022
Older people may own their own home, but the young have better pensions
Older people may own their own home, but the young have better pensions
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 Web…
25 Apr 2022
UK house prices will fall – but not for a few years
UK house prices will fall – but not for a few years
UK house prices look out of reach for many. But the truth is that British property is surprisingly affordable, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Prices will …
19 Apr 2022
Rishi Sunak can’t fix all our problems – so why try?
Rishi Sunak can’t fix all our problems – so why try?
Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement is an attempt to plaster over problems the chancellor can’t fix. So should he even bother trying, asks Merryn Somerset …
28 Mar 2022
How to avoid a miserable retirement
How to avoid a miserable retirement
The trouble with the UK’s private pension system, says Merryn Somerset Webb, is that it leaves most of us at the mercy of the markets. And the outlook…
21 Mar 2022
This isn’t the stagflationary 1970s – but neither is it the low-rate world of the 2010s
This isn’t the stagflationary 1970s – but neither is it the low-rate world of the 2010s
With soaring energy prices and high inflation, it might seem like we’re on a fast track back to the 1970s. We’re not, says Merryn Somerset Webb. But w…
15 Mar 2022
ESG investing: defence stocks as an ethical investment
ESG investing: defence stocks as an ethical investment
The definition of what counts as “ESG” investing is getting so vague, says Merryn Somerset Webb, that at some point it will cease to mean anything at …
7 Mar 2022
Why we’re keeping RIT Capital Partners in our portfolio
Why we’re keeping RIT Capital Partners in our portfolio
The RIT Capital Partners investment trust has lost 10% so far this year. But its longer term record is exceptional, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
1 Mar 2022
Ukraine crisis: for investors, things may well be different this time
Ukraine crisis: for investors, things may well be different this time
Markets have withstood endless shocks in recent years – and investors have usually sailed through unscathed. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could pr…
28 Feb 2022
Young people are becoming a scarce resource – we should value them more highly
Young people are becoming a scarce resource – we should value them more highly
In the last two years adults have been bizarrely unkind to children and young people. That doesn’t bode well for the future, says Merryn Somerset Webb…
22 Feb 2022
ESG investing wanes as “dirty activism” spreads
ESG investing wanes as “dirty activism” spreads
The “green” stocks that make up many ESG portfolios aren’t doing so well, so money is going back into “brown” investments. And that’s no bad thing, sa…
21 Feb 2022
The world needs more metal – so buy mining stocks
The world needs more metal – so buy mining stocks
The world is in need of metal, but supply is constrained. That opens up huge opportunities for investors who buy the miners that produce them, says Me…
14 Feb 2022
How the new environmentalism makes bad land good
How the new environmentalism makes bad land good
Around two decades ago farming was in crisis but today farmland is looking more lucrative. Merryn Somerset Webb explains why this is and how investors…
8 Feb 2022