China, the Iran war, and the US

Almost half of all adults in the UK struggle with financial literacy. Many do not understand the three key concepts – compounding returns, inflation, and risk.Without understanding these concepts, building financial independence becomes harder. Indeed the rising levels of young people not in education, employment or training can be linked back to poor numeracy skills in schools.That presents a “huge national challenge”, says Lizzie Gaisman, chief executive of The Richmond Project, a charity founded by former prime minister Rishi Sunak to champion numeracy.MoneyWeek Talks is a podcast that helps you unlock the secrets to financial success, where experts share their top tips on managing money, investing wisely and building wealth.Subscribe to the MoneyWeek Talks podcast and get ready to make it, keep it and spend it.

Asian small caps are often overlooked, but the right opportunities in the space can bring returns for investors, says Gabriel Sacks, manager of Aberdeen's Asia Focus fund.MoneyWeek Talks is a podcast that helps you unlock the secrets to financial success, where experts share their top tips on managing money, investing wisely and building wealth.Subscribe to the MoneyWeek Talks podcast and get ready to make it, keep it and spend it.

Biotech has been misunderstood as inherently risky for years. But that is no longer the case, says Ailsa Craig, fund manager of Schroders’ International Biotechnology Trust.

Successive governments have tried and failed to turn the economy around and deliver the type of growth many got used to before the 2008 financial crisis. So what can be done about Britain's growth issue?Independent economist Julian Jessop told the MoneyWeek Talks podcast that part of the answer is boosting productivity in the country.But the best way to do this for Jessop is not necessarily pouring more money into public services, In fact, it may be the opposite.

The UK is obsessed with cash. It's simple, easy to access, and won't crash. Put simply, it's risk-free.But that is not the whole truth, according to Andy Reed, head of behavioural economics research at Vanguard.While, yes investing can be risky. It is also risky not to invest, Reed tells MoneyWeek Talks.MoneyWeek Talks is a podcast that helps you unlock the secrets to financial success, where experts share their top tips on managing money, investing wisely and building wealth.Subscribe to the MoneyWeek Talks podcast and get ready to make it, keep it and spend it.

Legendary billionaire investor Jeremy Grantham is an expert in stock market bubbles. In the 1980s, he spotted the Japanese bubble. He also, rightly, refused to rush into the tech bubble that popped dramatically during the dotcom crash.Now, with all eyes on the astronomical valuations AI firms are commanding, does he think a bubble is emerging?MoneyWeek Talks is a podcast that helps you unlock the secrets to financial success, where experts share their top tips on managing money, investing wisely and building wealth. Subscribe to the MoneyWeek Talks podcast and get ready to make it, keep it and spend it.

Stepping away from a professional boxing career just a few years after winning gold at the Commonwealth Games might seem a strange decision for some – but not Delicious Orie.Orie, who retired from the sport last May, tells Kalpana Fitzpatrick he has now embarked on a career in the financial world, which offers him something boxing couldn’t – fulfilment.

The world is in the midst of an oil crisis. The war in Iran has thrown the markets into turmoil, with the price of oil soaring to around $100 a barrel.The oil shock has repercussions that are far wider than just the price of petrol. MoneyWeek editors Kalpana Fitzpatrick, Andrew Van Sickle, and Cris Sholto Heaton make sense of what is happening now, where the crisis could go next, and what you should do to protect your portfolio.

Inheritance tax is a tricky topic. Taboos around speaking about money and the emotion that comes with thinking about death create a perfect storm for misunderstanding it. But with such complex rules around inheritance, it is a topic well worth talking about – and sooner rather than later.Lisa Conway Hughes, a certified financial adviser and founder of LCH Wealth, speaks to MoneyWeek's Kalpana Fitzpatrick about how the inheritance tax regime is changing from April 2027, the quirks of the new system, and why it could be a good idea to visit a financial adviser.

What force will shape the world in the next 20 years? The answer is China's drive to financialise, according to Diana Choyleva, founder and chief economist at Enodo Economics.Diana speaks to MoneyWeek's Cris Sholto Heaton about how the AI race differs in China versus the west, the transformation of the country's equity market, and the breakdown of globalisation.