Last month should have been the moment for “safe haven” assets like gold and government bonds to shine. Instead, gold suffered its worst month in over a decade, while UK government bonds saw their biggest fall since the 2022 mini-budget crisis.

So what went wrong?

In this episode of Investing Unlocked Extra, Georgie Frost speaks to finance journalist Holly Mead about why traditional defensive investments sometimes fail – and what investors should really do when markets turn volatile.

They explore:

• Why gold and bonds dropped during a geopolitical crisis
• Whether defensive assets still have a place in portfolios
• How inflation and interest rates change investment behaviour
• What actually performed well during the market turmoil
• Whether younger investors should bother with defensive assets at all

If you're wondering how to build a resilient investment portfolio in uncertain times, this episode breaks it down in clear, practical terms.

Guest: Holly Mead

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-mead-411b4a136/
X.com: https://x.com/holly_mead_
TikTok: @hollymead_moneyjourno

To hear more from us:

YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Investing Unlocked with Georgie Frost, to watch the video version

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/investing.unlocked/

Georgie Frost 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiefrostmoney/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/georgie-frost-a1b090110

Thank you to our sponsor PensionBee - a leading online pension provider who is on a mission to build pension confidence so that you can enjoy a happy retirement. With PensionBee, you can manage your pension savings with ease and can combine and contribute all from one app. If you're over the age of 55 (rising to 57 from 2028) you can start making pension withdrawals with ease and in a way that suits you.

PensionBee’s website and award-winning app make retirement planning simple with helpful tools like a Pension Calculator, blogs, videos and a monthly podcast - The Pension Confident Podcast.

Take control of your retirement today with PensionBee. When investing, your capital is at risk.

Crypto divides opinion like almost nothing else in the world of investing.

For the “true believers”, it’s the ultimate disruptor - decentralised, borderless, and built to thrive outside an outdated financial system. To the skeptics, it’s less of a revolution and more about faith than fundamentals.

But between the cult-like hype and the constant predictions of total collapse, what the heck is actually happening?

In this episode of Investing Unlocked, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert sit down with Glenn Goodman – a former financial journalist turned full-time crypto trader and author of The Crypto Trader - to demystify the market once and for all.

They tackle the questions that actually matter to your wallet: Is crypto losing its "currency" in today’s volatile markets? How do you buy crypto safely in an unregulated market? And in a world of "crypto bros" and overnight millionaires, who is really winning?

For any investor trying to make sense of the noise, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at whether crypto has a place in a serious investment portfolio – or if it’s a gamble you can afford to skip.

To hear more from us:

YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Investing Unlocked with Georgie Frost, to watch the video version

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/investing.unlocked/

Georgie Frost 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiefrostmoney/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/georgie-frost-a1b090110

Thank you to our sponsor PensionBee - a leading online pension provider who is on a mission to build pension confidence so that you can enjoy a happy retirement. With PensionBee, you can manage your pension savings with ease and can combine and contribute all from one app. If you're over the age of 55 (rising to 57 from 2028) you can start making pension withdrawals with ease and in a way that suits you.

PensionBee’s website and award-winning app make retirement planning simple with helpful tools like a Pension Calculator, blogs, videos and a monthly podcast - The Pension Confident Podcast.

Take control of your retirement today with PensionBee. When investing, your capital is at risk.

The end of the tax year is fast approaching – and that means a reset to your ISA and pension allowances, alongside important tax changes that could impact your returns.

In this episode of Investing Unlocked Extra, Georgie Frost is joined by Dan Coatsworth, Head of Markets at AJ Bell, to break down what investors should be doing right now – before the April 6th deadline.

They discuss:
• Why 2025 was a strong year for markets – and why volatility has returned in 2026
• Where investors are putting their money right now (and why tech is losing favour)
• How tax changes are quietly increasing what you pay
• The importance of using your £20,000 ISA allowance before it resets
• What a “Bed and ISA” is – and how it can reduce future tax bills
• Changes to dividend tax and what they mean for your income
• The pros and cons of cash vs investing in the current environment
• Common mistakes investors make at tax year end
• Why you don’t have to invest immediately after funding your ISA
• The power of consistency and long-term investing

If you’re unsure what to do before the tax year ends, this episode gives you clear, practical steps to stay ahead. 

Guest: Dan Coatsworth Head of Markets, AJ Bell https://www.ajbell.co.uk/our-writers/dan-coatsworth

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-coatsworth-48910599/

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Want more from Investing Unlocked? Get exclusive content, behind-the-scenes moments, and everything that doesn’t make it into the episode:

Investing Unlocked Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/investing.unlocked/
Georgie Frost Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiefrostmoney
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/georgie-frost-a1b090110 

Disclaimer: This content is for information and educational purposes only and does not constitute personal financial advice. Investing involves risk, and your capital is at risk. If you’re unsure, consider speaking to a regulated financial advisor. 

In partnership with PensionBee.    

Every generation thinks it knows more than the last … yet we keep making the same investing mistakes.

In the late nineties, we were told that boom and bust was a thing of the past - yet we all know how that turned out. Bubbles keep happening – and they seem to be happening more often. Some say we may even be due another crash.

So how can you spot one, prepare for it, and learn from what history has taught us about money, markets and our own behaviour?In this episode of Investing Unlocked, Georgie Frost is joined by financial historian Will Quinn, author of Boom and Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles, along with series regular Simon Lambert.

From the tulip mania of the 17th century to the 2008 financial crisis, they explore the events that shape our understanding of bubbles and the psychology behind them. The conversation shifts to how the media fuels the frenzy, and the recent surges in cryptocurrency and AI investments, posing the question: Are we currently living in a bubble?

For investors trying to make sense of market cycles in these uncertain times, this episode offers practical insights on how to learn from the past to avoid the next big mania.

Thank you to our sponsor PensionBee - a leading online pension provider who is on a mission to build pension confidence so that you can enjoy a happy retirement. With PensionBee, you can manage your pension savings with ease and can combine and contribute all from one app.

If you're over the age of 55 (rising to 57 from 2028) you can start making pension withdrawals with ease and in a way that suits you.
PensionBee’s website and award-winning app make retirement planning simple with helpful tools like a Pension Calculator, blogs, videos and a monthly podcast - The Pension Confident Podcast.

Take control of your retirement today with PensionBee. When investing, your capital is at risk.

To hear more from us:

YouTube: Subscribe to our channel, Investing Unlocked with Georgie Frost, to watch the video version

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/investing.unlocked/

Georgie Frost 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiefrostmoney/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/georgie-frost-a1b090110

Simon Lambert

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simon-lambert-26013233X/

Twitter: https://x.com/_simonlambert?lang=en

From official government campaigns to social media feeds, investing is being pushed harder than ever. But once you decide to do it, what actually makes someone good at it? For years, it’s been dressed up as something complicated. It doesn’t have to be.

In the first episode of Investing Unlocked, Georgie Frost is joined by Jonathan Guthrie, former Lex editor at the Financial Times and author of The Truth About Investing, with this season’s regular guest Simon Lambert.

The three talk about what investing really involves once you strip away the noise: why trying to be clever often backfires, timing the market is so tempting, and behaviour matters more than brilliance.

There are no hot tips here. No magic strategies. Just a clear, honest chat about how investing really works in practice and why steady decisions usually beat bold ones.

Whether you’re new to investing or have been doing it for years, this is about understanding what genuinely drives results.

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Want more from Investing Unlocked? Get exclusive content, behind-the-scenes moments, and everything that doesn’t make it into the episode. Connect with us and stay in the loop:

Investing Unlocked
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/investing.unlocked/
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@investing.unlocked

Georgie Frost
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiefrostmoney/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/georgie-frost-a1b090110

Simon Lambert
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simon-lambert-26013233
X/Twitter: https://x.com/_simonlambert?lang=en

Have questions, topic ideas, or guest suggestions? We’d love to hear from you, message us anytime and let’s keep the conversation going.

Thank you to our sponsor PensionBee - a leading online pension provider who is on a mission to build pension confidence so that you can enjoy a happy retirement. With PensionBee, you can manage your pension savings with ease and can combine and contribute all from one app. If you're over the age of 55 (rising to 57 from 2028) you can start making pension withdrawals with ease and in a way that suits you.

PensionBee’s website and award-winning app make retirement planning simple with helpful tools like a Pension Calculator, blogs, videos and a monthly podcast - The Pension Confident Podcast.

Take control of your retirement today with PensionBee. When investing, your capital is at risk.

Introducing Investing Unlocked with Georgie Frost – a straight-talking podcast for people who want to understand investing without the jargon.

With investing moving to the centre of financial life in 2026, this series looks at what really matters once you strip away the noise.

Across the season, Georgie is joined by leading voices from investing, economics and financial journalism, including financial psychotherapist Vicky Reynal, Jonathan Guthrie, former head of the Financial Times’ Lex column and risk and finance expert Moorad Choudhry.

Together, they explore market psychology, long-term decision-making and the economic forces shaping what happens next – with a focus on helping listeners avoid common mistakes and make steadier, more informed choices.

Sponsored by PensionBee.

Episode one is out Wednesday 4 March at 4pm, wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow & Catch Up With Us

Want more from Investing Unlocked? Get exclusive content, behind-the-scenes moments, and everything that doesn’t make it into the episode. Connect with us and stay in the loop:

Investing Unlocked

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/investing.unlocked/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@investing.unlocked

Georgie Frost

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiefrostmoney/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/georgie-frost-a1b090110

Simon Lambert

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simon-lambert-26013233

X/Twitter: https://x.com/_simonlambert?lang=en

Have questions, topic ideas, or guest suggestions? We’d love to hear from you, message us anytime and let’s keep the conversation going.