Is the tide starting to turn for UK smaller companies?

The focus for this week’s episode is pensions ahead of changes to the state pension age, which is rising from 66 to 67. In a worst-case scenario, those turning 66 around this time next year face a delay of up to a year before they can claim the state pension. To examine the details and discuss how the state pension age will increase in future, Kyle is joined by Craig Rickman, personal finance editor at interactive investor. Other topics include the sustainablity of the state pension triple lock, and whether the state pension will exist in the future or potentially be means tested. Kyle Caldwell is Funds and Investment Education Editor at interactive investor.On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.Important information:This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Before the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, the performance gap between UK smaller companies and the country’s largest businesses had started to narrow. In an interview recorded in mid-February, Kyle and Richard Staveley, manager of investment trust Rockwood Strategic, discussed why this area of the market is unloved, whether interest rate cuts will act as a catalyst for performance and investor sentiment, and how the trust works with firms to unlock value. Kyle Caldwell is Funds and Investment Education Editor at interactive investor.On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.Important information:This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

For investors looking to generate income from their investments, there are various ways to approach the task. For many years, interactive investor has complied three hypothetical portfolios to provide inspiration and support investors’ own wider research. In this episode, Kyle is joined by Lee Wild, head of equity strategy at ii, to explain this year’s portfolios for the £10,000 income challenges. To read the £10,000 portfolio articles, follow the links below:10 shares to give a £10,000 annual income in 202610 funds to produce a £10,000 income in 2026Nine investment trusts to generate a £10,000 income in 2026 Kyle Caldwell is Funds and Investment Education Editor at interactive investor.On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.Important information:This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

From ongoing conflicts to tariffs, global tensions and disputes only seem to be on the rise. And while this presents major humanitarian issues, it’s also something investors are seeking to navigate.What does a world of heightened tensions mean for portfolios? We look at what it means for different asset classes, regions and investment styles, with the help of our guest, investment veteran Peter Dalgliesh.On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.Important information:This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

When researching funds, investment trusts, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), it’s important to look under the bonnet. But what does that entail? To explain how to understand how funds invest and the key things to look out for, Kyle is joined by Dave Baxter. The duo draw on their experiences of researching funds and interviewing fund managers to provide plenty of helpful pointers. Kyle Caldwell is Funds and Investment Education Editor at interactive investor.Important information:This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The US stock market has delivered stellar returns over the past 15 years, which has led to the country becoming a larger part of the global stock market, meaning it now has greater influence over its performance.But several factors, including high valuations, a concentrated market, and geopolitics, could spell the end of US exceptionalism.To examine the outlook for US exceptionalism, and consider whether investors should be casting their nets wider, Kyle is joined by Richard Saldanha, who manages the Aviva Investors Global Equity Income fund.Saldanha also discusses the opportunities he’s seeing, explaining how the fund invests and his approach to investing in dividend-paying companies. Kyle Caldwell is Funds and Investment Education Editor at interactive investor.Important information:This podcast is intended for information purposes only and is not a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and you may not get back all the money that you invest. Full performance information can be found on the company or index summary page on the interactive investor website.The ii Personal Pension (SIPP) is for people who want to make their own decisions when investing for retirement. Usually, you won’t be able to withdraw your money until age 55 (57 from 2028). If you are in any doubt about the suitability of the ii Personal Pension (SIPP), Stocks & Shares ISA, Trading Account, and/or any related tax treatment of these products, you should seek independent financial advice.Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

What are the main items to put on your to-do list in the latter stages of saving and investing for retirement? To tackle this topic Kyle is joined by Craig Rickman, personal finance editor at interactive investor. Craig shares seven key considerations to bring your retirement plans into sharper focus. In the episode, Kyle and Craig discuss the following:Firming up your pension plans (00:59)The merits of consolidating pensions (04:53)ISAs, the state pension, and boosting pensions in the run-up to retirement (06:51)Keeping money invested, buying an annuity, or doing both? (13:58)Reducing risk (or not) in the run-up to retirement and ideas for building a defensive buffer (18:09)‘Bucket’ strategies of multiple portfolios for different time frames (25:14)The 25% pension tax-free lump sum: take it all at once or in stages? (26:13) On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.Important information:This material is intended for educational purposes only and is not investment research or a personal recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or product, or to adopt any investment strategy. The value of your investments can rise as well as fall, and you could get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The investments referred to may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, you should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser. SIPPs are aimed at people happy to make their own investment decisions. Investment value can go up or down and you could get back less than you invest. You can normally only access the money from age 55 (57 from 2028). We recommend seeking advice from a suitably qualified financial adviser before making any decisions. Pension and tax rules depend on your circumstances and may change in future. If you are in any doubt about the suitability of a Stocks & Shares ISA, you should seek independent financial advice. The tax treatment of this product depends on your individual circumstances and may change in future. If you are uncertain about the tax treatment of these products, you should contact HMRC or seek independent tax advice. Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The artificial intelligence boom has produced great returns for investors but they increasingly worry that we have entered a bubble – with a painful ‘bust’ around the corner.Franklin Templeton investment strategist Michael Browne joins ii’s Dave Baxter to tackle the subject, looking at whether we might be in a bubble but also how to spot one and what to actually do to protect your money. On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.Important information:This material is intended for educational purposes only and is not investment research or a personal recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or product, or to adopt any investment strategy. The value of your investments can rise as well as fall, and you could get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The investments referred to may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, you should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser. SIPPs are aimed at people happy to make their own investment decisions. Investment value can go up or down and you could get back less than you invest. You can normally only access the money from age 55 (57 from 2028). We recommend seeking advice from a suitably qualified financial adviser before making any decisions. Pension and tax rules depend on your circumstances and may change in future. If you are in any doubt about the suitability of a Stocks & Shares ISA, you should seek independent financial advice. The tax treatment of this product depends on your individual circumstances and may change in future. If you are uncertain about the tax treatment of these products, you should contact HMRC or seek independent tax advice. Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

We’ve all been there and made some investing mistakes. The good news is that there are ways to limit any impact, such as by having a diversified portfolio and investing regularly. In this episode, Kyle and Dave explain how they have invested over the years, running through the lessons they’ve learnt, and offering pointers on how to build a portfolio. On The Money is an interactive investor (ii) podcast. For more investment news and ideas, visit www.ii.co.uk/stock-market-news.Kyle Caldwell is Collectives Editor at interactive investor.Important information:This material is intended for educational purposes only and is not investment research or a personal recommendation to buy or sell any financial instrument or product, or to adopt any investment strategy. The value of your investments can rise as well as fall, and you could get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The investments referred to may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, you should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser. SIPPs are aimed at people happy to make their own investment decisions. Investment value can go up or down and you could get back less than you invest. You can normally only access the money from age 55 (57 from 2028). We recommend seeking advice from a suitably qualified financial adviser before making any decisions. Pension and tax rules depend on your circumstances and may change in future. If you are in any doubt about the suitability of a Stocks & Shares ISA, you should seek independent financial advice. The tax treatment of this product depends on your individual circumstances and may change in future. If you are uncertain about the tax treatment of these products, you should contact HMRC or seek independent tax advice. Interactive Investor Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.