Podcast: Many Happy Returns

Many different assets are touted as potential inflation hedges but which ones actually work? People often make the case for inflation-linked bonds, gold, commodities… but how do we know how each asset class will respond in a period of high inflation? When does it make sense for us to hedge? What risks are involved and...

Emerging Markets promised investors better returns and broader diversification. But growth has stalled in recent years, with heightened volatility and uncertainty. This week we look at what risks and opportunities are involved with investing in Emerging Markets and what role they should play in our portfolio. We discuss the unique position of China, the impact...

House prices in the UK are up by 10% year on year, with similar rises in much of the western world. What has caused this runaway growth in prices? And what could cause it to reverse? We look to interest rates, supply constraints, government policy and wage growth for the answer. Could the market be...

How much money do you need to invest to live the life you want? How much can you safely withdraw from a portfolio each year? And how do you ensure you don’t run out of money in retirement? What really makes us happy? What role does money play in our happiness and how do we...

Meme stocks are on the rise again, with GameStop and AMC leading the charge again over the past week. We look back at the crazy month of January 2021 to understand what caused meme stocks to gain over 2,000%, before falling back just as sharply. How did the short squeeze on hedge funds work? What...

Which macroeconomic indicators should we look at to understand where markets are heading? How important are labour market indicators such as nonfarm payrolls, initial jobless claims and the unemployment rate? And what impact do housing and credit market indicators – such as the senior loan officers survey – have on markets? How do these different...

Cognitive biases can impair investment decisions and cause us to make costly mistakes. We discuss the different biases, how to mitigate their impact, and even how to profit from bias in the market. We discuss loss aversion, the endowment effect, anchoring bias, the bandwagon effect, survivorship bias, and confirmation bias. In the Dumb Question of...

How will sanctions on Russia affect markets? Western governments have imposed unprecedented economic sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Central bank reserves have been frozen. Banks have been cut out of the SWIFT payment network. And Russian stocks have been shorn from equity indices. We look at what impact these moves will have...

Should you add satellite investments to your core investment portfolio? To prevent meddling with the core investment portfolio, many investors set aside a small amount of money to invest in risky satellite investments. Ramin talks us through some of the assets he has on his ‘Market Crash Shopping List’ and when he might consider adding...

A popular approach to investing is to construct a core portfolio of long-term investments. But what investments should go into this core? We consider the case for stocks, bonds, cash and gold, and how they complement each other. We also discuss what to look for in an index fund, when to rebalance and what risks...

Can ESG funds save the planet while delivering strong investment returns? ESG funds claim to be able to keep the environment – and your conscience – clean. And all while delivering better returns than the broad market. We dig into how ESG indexes are constructed, what returns we can expect, and whether the environmental claims...

Big Tech companies have had a wild earnings season. Meta – the parent company of Facebook – suffered the largest-ever one-day loss in market value for a US company. The very next day, Amazon notched the largest-ever one-day gain in history. What is going on to cause such dramatic price moves? And what does the...

Ramin and Michael look at whether investing in factors such as value, momentum or quality can boost returns. Which stocks do these funds buy? What are the risks? And how might we incorporate them in our portfolios? And in the Dumb Question of the Week, we ask: Do CEO’s deserve their high pay and does...

Are we in an asset bubble? Stocks, property and many other investments look expensive at the moment. Ramin guides us through different ways of looking at valuations to see just how expensive. If we are in a bubble, what could cause it to pop? And how can we protect ourselves as investors? And in today’s...