AJ Bell Money & Markets

Bringing you the latest personal finance and stock market insights

  1. 20h ago

    Could you be sitting on thousands of pounds without realising it?

    On this episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Sarah Coles and Dan Coatsworth look at the growing problem of lost pension pots and explain how to track down forgotten retirement savings. We also discuss the billions of pounds sitting in unclaimed Premium Bonds, and Child Trust Funds gathering dust. Importantly, Sarah explains ways to check whether some of that money belongs to you.  The team reveal six tax tips that could save people up to £8,500 ahead of the Budget and discuss what Chancellor John Healey might have in store for investors, savers and taxpayers. From pension tax breaks and income tax thresholds to ISAs, stamp duty and the state pension tax dilemma, Sarah and Dan run through the key areas to watch.  You can hear from interview with Sonia Bainbridge from Invesco on what it will take to get more people investing. The pod also discusses another week of cyber-attacks, an IMF inflation warning, AI stock weakness. James Flintoft reveals the AJ Bell investment team’s view on the recent bond market selloff.  Finally, hear about activist pressure at Whitbread, unusually low CEO turnover among FTSE 100 companies, and an important court case involving a romance scam. Time stamps:   [01:10] Lost pension pots, unclaimed Premium Bonds and forgotten Child Trust Funds  [09:21] Six tax tips that could save people up to £8,500  [15:24] Autumn Budget preview: what could change for your money?  [30:10] Sonia Bainbridge from Invesco on how to get more people investing  [42:31] Cyber-attacks, inflation risks and AJ Bell’s James Flintoft on bond market volatility  [58:33] AI stock wobble  [01:01:03] Premier Inn owner Whitbread targeted by activist investor  [01:03:16] Where’s all the CEO changes among FTSE 100 companies?  [01:05:30] Romance scam

  2. Oct 9

    ASOS cyberattack: What happened and why it matters

    ASOS has been hit by a damaging cyberattack, reviving concerns about the threat facing UK retailers after incidents at Co-op and Marks & Spencer. This episode examines what happened, how ASOS could be affected and what might come next. We also explain why five-year fixed mortgage rates have reached 6% and what worried borrowers can do. Plus, we explore takeover talk involving Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, BT’s acquisition of TalkTalk, Jaguar’s electric vehicle rethink, record highs for the S&P 500, moves in oil and bond markets, SpaceX’s AI chip plans and the buzz around Meta’s Muse AI model. We also talk to fund manager David Harrison from Rathbones about whether investors who rank sustainability highly can ever back AI companies given the water and energy usage involved. Timestamps  [01:51] Oil prices, bond yields, a record high for the S&P 500 and SpaceX’s AI chip plans  [03:57] Meta’s Muse AI model, the buzz around it and the risks for the wider business  [09:01] Paramount and Warner Bros, BT’s takeover of TalkTalk and competition concerns  [14:55] Why a possible Sainsbury’s and Morrisons deal has revived talk of UK supermarket mergers  [18:11] The ASOS cyberattack and comparisons with Co-op and Marks & Spencer  [23:00] Five-year fixed mortgage rates hit 6% and what borrowers can do  [25:56] The headline announcements from the Conservative Party conference  [29:51] Eve Maddock-Jones speaks to David Harrison from Rathbones on AI and sustainability [39:14] Jaguar’s electric vehicle rethink and the challenges facing carmakers’ EV strategies

  3. Sep 18

    AI Could Destroy Humanity... Should Investors Be Worried?

    This week on the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Dan Coatsworth and Sarah Coles discuss the growing debate around artificial intelligence, including warnings from industry leaders that AI could pose serious risks to humanity, and what that means for investors. Tech journalist Will Guyatt joins the show to talk about using AI to find investing information. Dan and Sarah explore rising inflation, soaring oil prices, bond market volatility, and the outlook for interest rates. Plus, they look at the latest state pension increase forecasts, new ISA savings data, and the persistent gender pension gap. Elsewhere, listeners share their approaches to saving for university costs, and Sarah explains why divorce enquiries often spike after the summer holidays, and the financial steps people can take to protect themselves. Timestamps: [00:09] Introduction and what's coming up [01:48] AI warnings: Could AI become a threat to humanity? [07:54] Can AI help investors? Interview with tech journalist Will Guyatt [22:11] Markets update: Oil prices, bond sell-off and inflation concerns [23:58] UK inflation rises to 3.1%: What's driving prices higher? [27:38] Listener insights: Saving and investing for university costs [39:48] Why divorce enquiries spike after the summer holidays [44:49] State pension forecast: Triple lock points to a 3.9% increase [48:47] ISA data: More people investing for the long term [51:46] Gender pension gap: Why women retire with significantly less pension wealth [54:01] Practical ways to boost pension savings during career breaks and part-time work [55:58] Closing thoughts and preview of next week's episode

  4. Sep 15

    Deep Dive #11 Your big pensions questions answered

    In this special episode of the Deep Dive podcast, Tom is joined by AJ Bell’s head of public policy Rachel Vahey and head of technical Charlene Young to answer listeners’ most pressing pension questions. They discuss why it can pay to start saving even when retirement feels distant, how tax relief works for higher earners, what inheritance tax changes could mean for SIPPs, and whether ISAs can offer extra flexibility. The episode also covers pension access age changes, state pension entitlement, pensions dashboards, retirement living standards and why age 75 matters for retirement planning.  01:05 – Is it worth paying into a pension when retirement feels a long way off? 04:18 – Salary sacrifice and making pension contributions work harder 08:14 – SIPPs, ISAs and planning ahead for inheritance tax changes from 2027 12:33 – Taking tax-free cash gradually and using Stocks and Shares ISAs 15:14 – Pension access age: what happens if you take money at 55 before April 2028? 20:25 – Why 35 years of National Insurance does not always guarantee the full new state pension 27:50 – Pension tax relief for additional-rate taxpayers: what is automatic and what must be claimed? 33:14 – Pensions dashboards: what they are, when they might arrive and what savers could see 41:03 – Retirement living standards and how much people may need in later life 43:12 – Why age 75 matters for pensions and tax planning 48:01 – The pension questions Rachel and Charlene think more people should ask

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Bringing you the latest personal finance and stock market insights

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