AJ Bell Money & Markets

Join Dan Coatsworth and Charlene Young on the AJ Bell Money & Markets Show to get smart investing insight, business news and practical takeaways – all in one episode.

The pair cover a stark IMF warning on the global economy, what the latest market moves mean for investors, and how professional fund managers are positioning their money right now.

There’s company news from BP and Vistry, a look at why house flipping is falling out of favour, and a reality check on whether playing the lottery could be holding back your long‑term wealth.

With the new tax year underway, Charlene explains Bed & ISA in plain English. She also chats with Dan about why Greggs, Domino’s and Asda are making eyebrow‑raising moves – plus rumours of Lidl entering the UK mobile phone market.

That leads into Amazon’s latest play combining phones and space, why there is confusion about the state pension confusion, and a warning about rising scam risks.

Intro – 00:00:09

IMF warning, peace talks & global market overview – 00:02:58

What fund managers are thinking about – 00:09:48

Updates on BP and Vistry – 00:12:25

The demise of house flipping – 00:16:28

Lottery players: what if you spent that money investing instead? – 00:19:16

How Bed & ISA works – 00:23:58

Why Greggs, Domino’s & Asda are making different moves – 00:28:13

Lidl phone deal on the way? – 00:34:29

Amazon vs SpaceX: phones, satellites & the space economy – 00:36:09

Shares magazine preview with Tom Sieber – 00:37:32

Millions still confused about the state pension – 00:39:27

Pension scam warning as fuel payment recovery begins – 00:43:43

In this Deep Dive episode, Tom Selby and Tom Sieber explore what retirement really looks like in 2026 — from phased retirement and flexible working, to drawdown, annuities, tax changes and the risks that could derail your plans. They also hear from a financial adviser on managing money in retirement, and from AJ Bell’s very own Rachel Vahey on inheritance tax and what the latest changes could mean for families.

02:24 Tom Selby and Tom Sieber discuss how retirement is changing, why it no longer has to mean stopping work completely, and what earning part-time or freelance income could mean for your pension planning.

06:34 They break down the main ways to access your pension, including drawdown and annuities, and ask whether the best approach for many retirees might be a mix of both.

10:33 The pair look at the key retirement dates and milestones people need to know, including changes to the Normal Minimum Pension Age and how the State Pension fits into the wider retirement income picture.

18:10 The two Toms examine some of the biggest threats to retirement finances, including longevity risk, sequence risk, inflation and the danger of drawing too much too soon.

24:25 Tom Selby speaks to Rick Gosling, a financial adviser at Five Wealth, about how retirees can manage their money sustainably and avoid common financial pitfalls later in life.

46:42 Tom Sieber catches up with Rachel Vahey, AJ Bell’s head of public policy, to discuss what the inheritance tax changes could mean in practice — and what people can do if they think they may be affected.

01:08:19 Both Toms wrap up with the big takeaways from the episode, including the importance of flexibility, planning ahead and making your retirement savings work for the long term.

Markets have rebounded sharply after news of a ceasefire involving Iran – but what does it really mean for investors and household finances?

In this week’s AJ Bell Money & Markets, Dan Coatsworth is joined by Danni Hewson to break down the market reaction, what’s driving sentiment, and the key things investors still need to keep in mind.

We also cover:

Major company news, including an update to car finance compensation claims and disappointing updates from Shell
Eye‑opening statistics from the electric vehicle market
A proposed takeover of Universal Music – and why it’s more important than it first appears
Changes to student loans and what they mean for borrowers
Fresh developments in the housing market
New rules making it easier to cancel subscriptions
The pros and cons of investing at the start versus the end of the tax year
Plus, we continue our series highlighting lesser‑known UK companies making a global impact, with Tom Sieber speaking to Craneware CEO Keith Neilson about healthcare innovation in the US.

00:00 – Intro
01:47 – Markets rebound after Iran ceasefire: what happened and why

16:14 – Shell shares fall: what went wrong?

20:00 – Why the car finance scandal has led to one lender being put up for sale

23:39 – Electric vehicle market: the key stats investors should know

26:09 – Universal Music takeover: why this deal matters

30:15 – Student loans update: what borrowers need to know

33:36 – Why the UK housing market is in a slumber

35:28 – Good news for cancelling subscriptions
38:33 – Investing at the start vs end of the tax year

41:05 – UK success story: we talk to the boss of Craneware

In this special edition of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Dan Coatsworth and Hannah Williford dive into the big movers and big debates across the investment trust world.

They consider why Temple Bar continues to outperform, what’s holding back JPMorgan Global Growth & Income, and the latest activist pressure from Saba targeting Edinburgh Worldwide and Impax.

Hannah speaks to Job Curtis from City of London Investment Trust about how today’s geopolitical tensions echo past market cycles. Dan and Hannah also explore why renewable energy trusts are still on the scrap heap.

We also hear from Eve Maddock‑Jones on the good, bad and ugly of trusts courting retail investors through modern media — with mixed results. Finally, Tom Sieber talks to two managers spotting tentative recovery signs in the smaller companies sector, with insights from Nish Patel (Global Smaller Companies) and George Cooke (Montanaro European Smaller Companies).

 

02:03 –Dan on why Temple Bar is still beating the market
05:20 – JPMorgan Global Growth & Income lags behind

09:20 – Activist investor Saba launches new investment fund and the latest on its efforts to shake up Edinburgh Worldwide & Impax Environmental Markets
15:13– Hannah talks to Job Curtis: Market lessons from past geopolitical shocks
30:51 – Eve Maddock‑Jones on how trusts are (mis)using modern media
48:34 – Small-cap recovery? Tom Sieber speaks to Nish Patel
57:39 – European opportunities with George Cooke

Charlene Young and Danni Hewson look at how UK and global markets have moved over the past month, and as we mark the first anniversary of Donald Trump's Liberation Day tariff announcement.

In company news, Danni will cover Unilever spinning off its food business - home to Hellmann's mayonnaise, Knorr and Marmite – in a merger with spice giant McCormick. A proposed Hovis and Associated British Foods merger hits a snag and it's a landmark birthday as Apple turns 50.

Dan Coatsworth speaks to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst George Ferguson about SpaceX and the prospect of it joining the stock market in the first of our two interviews.

Awful April is upon us – Charlene looks at rises to council tax and other bills and how the government could raise money and scrap the £100,000 childcare tax trap.

We also break down what the FCA's car finance redress scheme means for lenders and investors. We finish with our second interview of the week as we hear from YouTube channel star Ruth David of ScrimpAndSpend on the rise of the finfluencer.

 

[00:09] Intro and topic rundown

[01:09] UK & global market update

[06:13] Liberation Day anniversary

[08:41] Company news - Unilever foods/McCormick deal; Hovis/ABF update

[16:10] SpaceX INTERVIEW - George Ferguson, Bloomberg Intelligence

[32:41] Awful April bill hikes

[35:21] How the government could solve the £100,000 childcare tax trap

[39:11] Car finance update

[45:28] Finfluencer INTERVIEW - Ruth David, ScrimpAndSpend

[01:00:19] Outro