Bassline Episode 1

Over the weekend (and continuing as we type), the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran, targeting missile infrastructure, air defence systems and senior political and military leadership.

In this special episode, the roles are reversed as Adrian takes the interviewer’s seat to speak with Dave about a subject that is both deeply personal and increasingly relevant: neurodiversity, late ADHD diagnosis, and the profound impact this can have on our relationship with money. Dave reflects on being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, prompted initially by his children’s experiences and a growing realisation that many lifelong patterns finally had an explanation.

Markets ended the year in a buoyant mood, with further gains in the fourth quarter meaning that most equity markets finished 2025 at or near all-time highs having made double digit returns. Bond markets also made modest gains, and the standout performer was precious metals, led by silver. One of the surprises was that the US equity market was among the year’s laggards, with returns for UK investors further reduced by US dollar weakness.

In this special Budget edition of Bassline, Dave is joined by Adrian and Lance for a frank, occasionally exasperated, unpacking of what was billed as one of the most hyped UK budgets in years. That hype, they agree, was largely fuelled by weeks of political kite-flying, leaks, reversals, and noise. When the moment finally arrived, the reality felt underwhelming.