Martin interviews Michael Scott, manager of the Schroder Monthly High Income Fund, about what rising interest rates mean for high yield fixed income securities, whether a rate rise in the UK is less likely now CPI inflation has fallen back to zero, and how important it is to accurately judge the timing of a rate rise when repositioning your investment portfolio. 

Hear this interview within episode 41 of the Informed Choice Podcast on Friday 18th September 2015 at www.icfp.co.uk/itunes. 

Informed Choice Podcast #41 - Michael Scott, Schroders

Martin interviews Dr Peter Westaway, Chief Economist and Head of Investment Strategy Group Europe, Vanguard Asset Management. They talk about whether investors should keep calm and carry on, looking at the five key factors currently influencing investment market sentiment - a Fed rate lift off, worries about a hard economic landing in China, weak commodity prices, Euro area political uncertainty, and the UK productivity puzzle. 

Informed Choice Podcast #43 - Dr Peter Westaway, Vanguard Asset Management

Martin Bamford interviews Dr Peter Westaway, Chief Economist & Head of Investment Strategy Group, Europe at Vanguard Asset Management, for episode 43 of the Informed Choice Podcast. They talk about whether investor should keep calm and carry on, and the five key factors influencing investment market sentiment - Fed rate lift off, China hard landing, weak commodity prices, euro area politics, and the UK productivity puzzle. 

Hello and welcome to this episode of Informed Choice Radio, where I'm joined by Gayle Roberts, author of the new book Room for Profit. Gayle is a former lawyer turned CEO of an award winning short term lettings agency. She's the co-author of Room for Profit, along with the award winning travel journalist Tristan Rutherford. The book is all about how to make money in the digital sharing economy, specifically the short-term rentals industry. Within the digital sharing economy, the most lucrative and fastest growing sector is short-term rentals. In the last five years, Airbnb has experienced growth of 353 times and, in 2015 alone, more than 17 million people stayed with Airbnb hosts. It's forecast that next year, 20% of all accommodation bookings will be for short-term rentals. Room for Profit shows readers exactly how to get their share of this booming industry. The rhythm of school-work-retirement is not as simple as it once was; we either need to work longer, harder, or think outside the box. In this episode of Informed Choice Radio, I speak to Gayle about why services like Airbnb have become so popular, how short-term rentals can help with retirement planning, how to get started in this market, some of the costs and risks involved, and much more. Welcome to Room for Profit with Gayle Roberts, in episode 195 of Informed Choice Radio. Some questions I ask: -What's driving such fast growth in the short-term lettings market? -How can short-term lettings help with retirement planning? -What factors influence how much you can make from letting a room or property? -How can people get started in this market? -Does it cost much or take long to get a property ready to let? -What risks are associated with allowing strangers to stay in your home? -What were the most interesting examples of property letting you found when you were researching the book? Thank you for listening! To get new episodes of Informed Choice Radio sent directly to your device as soon as they are published, you can subscribe on  iTunes or  Stitcher Your reviews on iTunes are incredibly helpful and really appreciated. We get notified about each one; please leave a note of your name and website URL so we can mention you in a future episode.

ICR195: Gayle Roberts, Room for Profit

Hello and welcome to this episode of Informed Choice Radio, where I'm joined by Sandra Navidi, author of Superhubs. Sandra Navidi is a macroeconomic consultant and strategic relationship manager. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BeyondGlobal, an international management consultancy. Sandra worked closely with renowned economist Nouriel Roubini as Director of Research Strategies and Senior Relationship Manager at Roubini Global Economics. She is an expert commentator on financial markets and author of the bestselling book “$uper-hubs: How the Financial Elite and their Networks rule the World“. SuperHubs is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the global financial system and the powerful personal networks through which it is run, at the centre of which sit the Elites - the SuperHubs.  The book combines an insider's knowledge with principles of network science. In Superhubs, Sandra offers a startling new perspective on how the financial system really operates. In this episode of Informed Choice Radio, I speak to Sandra about what really happens at places like Davos, some of the common traits of the global financial elite, whether Brexit is an example of the elites losing their power, why women are the missing link, and much more. Welcome to Superhubs with Sandra Navidi, in episode 196 of Informed Choice Radio.  Some questions I ask: -What happens at Davos which makes it such an influential event and such an important place? -What's been the impact of the way these superhubs and these networks work on global finance? -What are some of the common traits that you've identified? -Where do women feature in this, and what role could they play within superhubs? -Is where you went to school still really important when it comes to finance networks and superhubs? -Is Brexit an example of superhubs starting to lose out to the power of the people? Thank you for listening! To get new episodes of Informed Choice Radio sent directly to your device as soon as they are published, you can subscribe on  iTunes or  Stitcher Your reviews on iTunes are incredibly helpful and really appreciated. We get notified about each one; please leave a note of your name and website URL so we can mention you in a future episode.

ICR196: Sandra Navidi, Superhubs

How do you solve a problem like the nation's savings crisis? Half of all UK adults do not have any savings or investments and are struggling to put away money. Two out of five UK adults also do not have any long term assets to fall back on, such as pensions or property. The ONS have&nbsp;released figures for the final quarter of last year, which found the UK's household saving ratio absolutely plummeted to its lowest level since records began.&nbsp; In this episode, I share seven tips for&nbsp;saving more. Personal finance news update -Millions of credit card customers are unable to clear their debts and need more help, according to the Financial Conduct Authority. -Most active UK equity fund managers underperformed their benchmark last year. -New research from Aviva has found a lack of confidence in the availability of a future state pension among younger people. -Lloyds Bank have named the locations of 100 bank branches they will close between July and October. -New research from Aegon has found that 14% of working age people are saving more into their pension as a direct result of the pension freedoms introduced in April 2015. Money article of the week How to improve your readiness for retirement, by Robert Powell on USA Today Random fact of the week  In 1695, the English parliament passed The Marriage Duty Act or Registration Tax. This Act of Parliament imposed a tax on births, marriages, burials, childless widowers, and bachelors over the age of 25. The tax was introduced to raise money for war on France but also to ensure proper records were kept by an Anglican church official. It didn't prove particularly effective and the tax was abolished eleven years later, in 1706. Inspirational quote Our inspirational quote this week comes from Stoic philosopher, Seneca the Younger, who said: “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”  Get answers to your personal finance questions Do you have a personal finance or investing question for Martin? Email martin@icfp.co.uk or ask on Twitter&nbsp;@martinbamford. You can call our dedicated podcast voicemail line on 020 8144 2745 with your question or visit&nbsp;www.icradio.co.uk/voicemail&nbsp;to leave an online voice message. &nbsp;

ICR197: How to master your savings habit

My guest on the podcast today is Ryan Biddulph, founder of Blogging from Paradise. Listen to this episode to find out about making the leap from paid employment to the life of an online entrepreneur, why island hopping in paradise is more affordable than you might think, some of the mistakes Ryan has made during his life as a digital nomad, and much more. As you're going to hear in this episode, Ryan and his wife Kelli have spent the past six years travelling, pretty much non-stop. They've spent a lot of that time in some incredible parts of South East Asia; when we spoke over Skype, they were kicking back in Thailand. Welcome to Blogging from Paradise with Ryan Biddulph, in episode 198 of Informed Choice Radio. &nbsp; Some questions I ask: -Where has your journey taken you since becoming a professional blogger? -Have you always enjoyed travelling? -What was it like making the leap from paid employment to becoming a digital nomad? -Why did you choose blogging as a path to support this lifestyle? -Are there any particular steps people should take to follow in your footsteps? -How much research and preparation do you carry out before moving to a new location? -Is the cost of travelling comparable to a more conventional lifestyle? -What have you learned about money management when living overseas? -Have you made any significant mistakes during your time as a digital nomad? Thank you for listening! To get new episodes of Informed Choice Radio sent directly to your device as soon as they are published, you can subscribe on  iTunes or  Stitcher Your reviews on iTunes are incredibly helpful and really appreciated. We get notified about each one; please leave a note of your name and website URL so we can mention you in a future episode. &nbsp;

ICR198: Ryan Biddulph, Blogging from Paradise

Today on the podcast, I'm joined by Lorenzo Fioramonti, author of The World After GDP. Listen to this podcast to learn about the flaws in a system which values GDP as the primary measure for growth and also for prosperity, what the world after GDP might look like, and what a post-GDP world mean for politics and for politicians who seem to be completely obsessed with economic growth. Lorenzo Fioramonti is Professor of Political Economy &amp; Director of the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. His new book is The World After GDP: Politics, Business and Society in the Post Growth Era. GDP is much more than a simple statistic. It has become the overarching benchmark of success and a powerful ordering principle at the heart of the global economy. But the convergence of major economic, social and environmental crises has exposed the flaws of our economic system which values GDP above all else as a measure of prosperity and growth. In this provocative and inspiring new book, political economist Lorenzo Fioramonti sets out his vision of a world after GDP. Focusing on pioneering research on alternative metrics of progress, governance innovation and institutional change, he makes a compelling case for the profound and positive transformations that could be achieved through a post-GDP system of development. Welcome to World After GDP with Lorenzo Fioramonti, in episode 199 of Informed Choice Radio. &nbsp; Some questions I ask: -What are some of the flaws in a system which values GDP as the primary measure for growth and also for prosperity? -How did we get to where we are today as GDP being this main measure of what we use? -Is it fair to say that politicians will always find a reason to continue using GDP, it always suits their particular aims? -What would an alternative&nbsp;measure look like and does it exist already or is it something we need to create? -What would the world after GDP look like? -Would there be any negatives associated with that world? -Are politicians like Donald Trump compatible with a post-GDP world? Thank you for listening! To get new episodes of Informed Choice Radio sent directly to your device as soon as they are published, you can subscribe on  iTunes or  Stitcher Your reviews on iTunes are incredibly helpful and really appreciated. We get notified about each one; please leave a note of your name and website URL so we can mention you in a future episode. &nbsp;

ICR199: Lorenzo Fioramonti, World After GDP

Today on the podcast, I'm joined by Holly Johnson, author of Zero Down your Debt. Listen to this episode to understand how to use a zero-sum budget, learn how to budget when you've got a variable income, how to use the debt snowball method to clear your debts, and the key money lesson you should pass on to your children. Getting into debt is ridiculously easy to do. But getting out of debt? That can be much harder. My guest on the podcast today has written a fantastic book, along with her husband, sharing actionable tips and advice on how to get out of debt and enjoy debt free living. As you'll hear from Holly in this episode, the secret is having a 'zero-sum budget'. This is described as the black belt of budgeting methods; it's the approach Holly and her husband Greg used to wipe out $50,000 of their own debt. Holly Johnson is an award-winning writer who focuses on frugality, budgeting and credit. Her husband Greg is an entrepreneur who turned his love of budgeting and digital media into an online empire. Together, they blog about money at ClubThrifty.com, travel the world and enjoy the good life with their two kids. Holly and Greg started ClubThrifty together in 2012, in part, to figure out where their own money was going and why, despite two good salaries, they weren't saving. They figured out how to stop the bleeding and began a journey of self-empowerment by getting a grip on their money. Their revolutionary approach to spending and saving inspired a website and enabled them to quit their day jobs and devote themselves to helping others. Welcome to Zero Down Your Debt with Holly Johnson, in episode 202 of Informed Choice Radio. Some questions I ask: -What first prompted you to embark on the journey to find out where all of your money was going? -How does a zero-sum budget work? -What about people with variable incomes, can that work for them too? -How do you cope with unexpected items of expenditure and financial emergencies? -I understand your motto is stop spending start living. How have you put that motto into practise? -How bad is debt and what impacts does it tend to have on people's lives? -What are some of the key money lessons you want to pass onto your children? Thank you for listening! To get new episodes of Informed Choice Radio sent directly to your device as soon as they are published, you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts&nbsp;or  Stitcher Your reviews on iTunes are incredibly helpful and really appreciated. We get notified about each one; please leave a note of your name and website URL so we can mention you in a future episode.

ICR202: Holly Johnson, Zero Down Your Debt

Informed Choice are Independent Financial Planners in Cranleigh, established since 1994.

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