Cash Lads

In today's episode we look at the Chinese manufacturing miracle and how it differs to prior episodes like Japan in the 1980s. China's impact is being felt in all sectors of industry including solar panels, AI and is already being felt in Europe, especially the German car market.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

This week Marcus and I look at the original tiger economies of Southeast Asia of the 1990s. After a decade of strong export growth, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines began to focus on domestic property investment as money poured in from overseas. Then in 1997, starting with Thailand, cash was sucked out of these economies off the back of grim economic news and a staggering descent began. It's a shame Irish policymakers couldn't learn these lesson in time for our own crash in 2008-2009 as the Asian tigers would have shown the Celtic tiger what happens when you go all in on property development. Hope you enjoy!Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

What happens when the belief “sure everyone pays their mortgage” no longer holds as happened in 2007. Developers, then and now, are hugely reliant on bank funding in order to build apartments and houses in volume. After the Euro was adopted here in 2002, buckets off cash were available from European banks, especially German banks, and this cash found its way into Irish banks and then Irish developers. We see how all these big movements contributed to a crash in the world economy and depression in Ireland.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

On this week's episode of Cash Lads, we trace the growth of the Irish economy from the recession of the 1980s to the development of the Celtic Tiger all the way to the end of the boom in 2008. We're also looking at how the events in the United States made a bad situation so much worse in Ireland.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

This episode was recorded on 4th April 2026.In this week's episode, Marcus & Paul look at the financial impacts of the conflict and how rising prices and interest rates will impact our lives, particularly if the war drags on. We'll also look at previous oil crises to get some context.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

In 1992, Sweden found itself with the same kinds of property trouble that Ireland would face in 2008. While Ireland ended up in the clutches of the IMF, somehow the Swedes escaped such a fate; why couldn’t Ireland’s leaders have done a “copy and paste”.  In this weeks, episode, Marcus and Paul look at Chapter 19 of Paul's new book, “A Politician’s Guide to Finance and Money”, to see how exactly the Swede’s pulled off a financial Houdini and what lessons it holds in the current climate.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

Oil is still so important. Look all around your room and you’ll see multiple objects made fully or partially from oil. In this weeks, episode, Marcus and Paul discuss the impact of the globe’s 97 million barrels of oil used each and every day, in Chapter 10 of Paul's new book, “A Politician’s Guide to Finance and Money”, to see how vital oil remains in the global economy and its impact on geopolitics and wars such as Gulf War 1 & 2.  Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

If you’re trading with businesses outside your currency block, say the UK or the USA, exchange rate stability is very important. However, for small countries, seeking that stability with a Fixed Exchange rate system could be storing up awful problems in the future. In this weeks, episode, Marcus and Paul look at Chapter 3 of Paul's new book, “A Politician’s Guide to Finance and Money”, to see whether fixed or floating exchange rate systems work best.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

In this week's episode, Marcus and Paul discuss Chapter 1 of Paul's new book, “A Politician’s Guide to Finance and Money”, charting out how US Government actions in the 1960s and 1970s led to the mother of all interest hikes in 1979-1981. What would you do if your mortgage doubled in size?Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

The Cash Lads dive into the long and colourful history of financial scams - from classic Ponzi schemes and 'Pump-and-Dump' cons to the unbelievable moment someone thought they’d bought the Eiffel Tower... This episode shows why scams keep working, how human nature never really changes, and why financial fraud will probably always be with us.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

From medieval poll taxes that sparked rebellion to window taxes that literally reshaped buildings, the Cash Lads explore history’s biggest tax blunders. This episode shows how poorly designed taxes often hit the wrong people, fuel unrest, and in some cases even push nations toward war. A reminder that when it comes to tax, getting it wrong can be seriously costly.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

Just two years ago, a major U.S. bank collapsed almost overnight. In this episode, the Cash Lads unpack how Silicon Valley Bank’s business model - built for a low-inflation world - unravelled when prices and interest rates surged. From tech startups to bond portfolios, the lads explore what went wrong, why it happened so fast, and what it reveals about modern banking risks.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

This week, the Cash Lads revisit the short-lived Liz Truss era and the now-iconic lettuce that outlasted her. You might think you can fool the financial markets but this week's episode shows that you usually can't. They break down how her government’s economic plans rattled financial markets, why confidence matters, and what this whirlwind moment teaches us about the power - and ruthlessness - of global finance.

This week, the Cash Lads take a trip to Japan to unpack one of the most dramatic economic booms - and busts - in modern history. From soaring property prices to the bubble that burst spectacularly in the early 1990s, the lads explore what really happened, why it mattered, and the lessons it has for those countries that may follow in its shoes.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

The Cash Lads dive into the anatomy of a financial crisis - what sparks them, how they spiral, and who gets caught in the fallout. Focusing on the 1982 Latin American debt crisis, the lads unpack how a lending boom turned into economic chaos, reshaping global finance and offering timeless lessons about risk, debt, and recovery.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

Investing in Bonds: Not as Safe as You Might ThinkThe Cash Lads are back to unpack the other side of your pension - bonds. They might sound safe and steady, but history tells a different story. From bond market shocks to lessons learned the hard way, this episode reveals why even the “safe bets” deserve a second look.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

Investing In Shares, Diversifying & Stories From The PastThe Cash Lads dig into what really happens to your pension money once it’s invested. From shares and diversification to tales from financial history, this episode unpacks how your future wealth is built, and why understanding it now can pay off big later.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.

The Cash Lads kick things off by diving into the surprising origins of life assurance - from its beginnings in the 1750s to how it became a cornerstone of modern finance. Along the way, expect a mix of history and real-world stories as the lads break down why life assurance still matters today.Warning: This podcast does not constitute financial or tax advice.  Please contact a financial advisor or tax advisor to discuss your own individual circumstances, taking into account your needs and objectives, knowledge and experience and financial situation.