Are you happy? Do you think you’re happier than you were 20 years ago? Or, put a different way, why aren’t you happier despite living in one of the wealthiest periods in history?

Three simple questions, but all of them have complicated answers. So how do we start to unpick this?

In this episode, we dive into the world of happiness economics with Professor Lord Richard Layard. We explore the factors that drive happiness, why GDP isn’t the ultimate goal, and how policies could shift to prioritise well-being over consumption.

For our Views from the Boardroom section, Jacob interviews fellow co-host Laasya who is unfortunately leaving LCP. They discuss Laasya’s career so far, highlights from her time at LCP and her favourite episode of Investment Uncut that she’s hosted.

This week we are joined by two guests from the Border to Coast Pensions Partnership: Tim Manuel, Head of Responsible Investment and Teju Akande, Climate Change Manager.

Before speaking to Tim and Teju, we also speak to LCP Partner Clay Lambiotte. We hear about how sovereign wealth funds are thinking about their investments, the recent conference Clay attended in Oman (where Elon Musk was the keynote speaker) and whether we’ll be having events on the Moon in the future!

In this episode, we speak to our very own Gen Z representative, Koko Lotharukpong, about how Gen Z investors will shape the future of investing! Before talking to Koko, we also speak to Michelle Thompson-Dolberry, Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer at MFS. She explains how, when DEI is done well, it makes things better for everyone.

Elections can represent big shifts in political power that alter a nation's direction and economic policies, which influences investor sentiment and market returns. And we’ve arguably gone through the biggest election so far this year!

So, what is the impact on investors of the US election result? In this episode, we’re joined by Paul Gibney (Head of Macroeconomic research at LCP) to discuss the possible policy changes in the US administration, market reaction and potential longer-term impact on global economies.

In this episode, we question the limits of modern portfolio theory with Jon Lukomnik, co-author of Moving Beyond Modern Portfolio Theory and credited by Forbes as a pioneer of modern corporate governance. We challenge a cornerstone of finance and whether it is fit for purpose in today’s complex and interconnected world.

In this week’s episode, we chat to Sam Hollister, Head of Energy and Policy at LCP Delta, on investing in the energy transition. Before we interview Sam, Jacob talks to Sarah Leslie, Professional Trustee at NDapt for our ‘Views from the Boardroom’ segment.

Steve Hodder, Partner at LCP, joins the hosts this week to chat reimagining your portfolio. Before we interview Steve, Laasya talks to Surendra Ravikumar, Analyst at LCP, on his new blog looking at deflation as a systemic risk and what the impact could be on defined benefit pension schemes.

In this episode, we bring you the highlights from our Investment Conference: Turning Turbulence into Tailwinds. Covering topics such as geopolitical instability, transition resources, the US election, purposeful investing, private markets and even astropolitics! We chat to guests and speakers to bring you the highlights of the conference, their key takeaways and new investment ideas.

In this preview, Jacob and Laasya set out what listeners can look forward to in the coming season: from markets, to elections, to Gen Z trends and even how to invest in a way that makes you happy… it’s going to be a great season full of exciting topics!

In our final episode of the series, Jacob Shah and Laasya Shekaran speak to Charlotte O’Leary, CEO of Pensions for Purpose. She gives us a great insight into the assumptions we currently make in the world of investing that we need to challenge.

Before this discussion, we reflect on our highlights over the series so far – discussing some of our favourite topics that were covered. We also have a call for action for listeners to let us know if there are any key topics they want covered in our next series!