Investment trust show #1. Future of Scottish Mortgage, sources of generous income, finding bargains and why smaller companies could have a good year

Welcome to the first in a new series of bonus podcasts from the AJ Bell Money & Markets team. If you’re a fan of investment trusts, you’re going to love it. And if you don’t know what they are and just want to hear interesting stuff about markets, companies and investing in general, you’ll also find loads of great stuff. Published at the start of each month, the bonus podcast series will feature a range of topics with investment experts and fund managers, with each episode debating some of the most popular trusts with retail investors, the big topics that matter, and a little bit of educational material to get listeners up to speed. To kick things off, this episode focuses on income, bargains, technology and smaller companies. Laura Suter chats with Paul Angell from AJ Bell about how plenty of investment trusts offer a decent income stream. Paul reveals all the key things you need to consider when researching potential investments in this space and highlights three trusts with interesting characteristics. The ability to buy a portfolio of shares or bonds for less than they are worth is a key attribute of many investment trusts. Dan Coatsworth talks to Emma Bird from Winterflood about these discounts and why they exist. Tom Sieber and Steve Frazer from Shares magazine get under the bonnet of Scottish Mortgage, an £11 billion investment trust which has tested shareholders’ patience in recent years. They explain why it became popular, why the share price has been through a bad patch, and what to expect from the trust going forward. Finally, Dan chats with Stuart Widdowson from Odyssean Investment Trust about the outlook for UK-listed smaller companies and why 2024 could be more fruitful for this part of the market.