Share Sounds. presented by Simon Rose

This is My Portfolio with Lord Lee, Share Radio's catchup with FT columnist Lord Lee, author of 'How to Make a Million Slowly'. It's been an intriguing start to the year for investors, with sterling hitting new lows, driving the stockmarket to a record high. Forecasting the future direction of markets is a tricky business but for investors who maintain a long term view, the importance of growing dividends and hard assets continue to stand out.

Nearly a decade ago the world's biggest banks were brought to their knees. And with each new victim of the financial crisis, it quickly became clear how ignorant regulators had been about the activities of those in the City. But, whilst we have pulled back from the brink, the financial system hasn't become any less mystifying. For those not in the monetary policy bubble, the idea that central bankers can conjure funds for quantitative easing seemingly out of thin air is purely mindboggling. So, money still makes the world go round - but what actually is it? Where does it come from - and who's in charge of creating it? I'm now joined by Ann Pettifor, director of Policy Research in Macroeconomics and author of 'The Production of Money: How to Break the Power of Bankers', which is published by Verso Books and retails for £12.99.

MPs have begun debating a Bill which would allow the government to begin the UK's departure from the EU. It's going to be a long night in the House of Commons, with the debate tabled to last till midnight. For more on the Brexit trigger bill, Simon Rose was joined by Hugo Dixon, Co-Founder of Common Ground, and Laura Sainsbury of FTI Consulting Image: © UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor

Low interest rates over the last number of years has proven massively advantageous to income investors. However, with interest rates set to rise over the coming year, is the sector still as appealing to potential investors? Share Radio's Ed Bowsher spoke to Mark Wharrier, Manager of the BlackRock UK Income Fund.

With the stroke of a pen, just five days into his first week at the Oval Office, Donald Trump temporarily banned citizens of 7 Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. The President’s ‘extreme vetting’ has been met with outrage on both sides of the Atlantic, decried as ‘unacceptable’ in Germany and ‘divisive’ in the UK. In response, Mr. Trump has insisted the ban is about ‘Making America Safe Again’ - not religion. International condemnation aside, the travel ban has given another glimpse of what lies ahead for the Middle East in the Trump era. An inaugural pledge to put America First, to ensure “every decision … on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit ... American families", has been read by many as Trump turning his back on the region. But with gains from the Arab Spring unconsolidated, nuclear ambitions only temporarily tempered, and Syria obliterated by civil war, there are fears an American retreat may be unwise. What will a Donald Trump Presidency mean for the Middle East? How will a more hesitant US abroad affect the region? I’m now joined by Gilbert Achcar, Professor of Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and Share Radio’s economics commentator Professor John Weeks.

Snapchat parent company Snap has apparently chosen the New York Stock exchange to host it's IPO, it's been reported. The hotly-anticipated initial public offering may take place as soon as this week according to sources. But the Snap Inc IPO has been shrouded in the same secrecy that shadows the company. Some analysts are concerned that Snap's culture of secrecy could mean bad news for investors... or perhaps the IPO will cause problems for Snap's business model. Matt Cox looked into the company's culture of secrecy and the impact it could have.

Taking the dollar's temperature is vital to many sectors - but with new president Donald Trump's protectionist approach, and desire to weaken the dollar, what's the future look like for greenback? In this week's magazine review, our guests gave their take on an Investors Chronicle article covering the dollar's rise. Share Radio's Peta Fuller reports.

Share Radio's Simon Rose brings you Market Wrap, a roundup of what's been happening in the businesses of Britain and the world. To help rattle through the day's events, Simon was joined by Chris Bailey, founder of the investment research and consultancy services, Financial Orbit. They discussed the currency markets following downbeat UK consumer borrowing data in December and Trump's policy jitters, Royal Dutch Shell selling $3.8bn worth of North Sea assets, UK and US regulators fining Deutsche Bank $630m in connection with a Russian money laundering plan and much more.

Technology is changing almost every aspect of daily life and business and finance is no exception. Share Radio's Simon Rose and Steve Caplin, Share Radio's technology editor, look at the big technological changes that impact on the world of business, finance and money as well as some of the gadgets that help make everyday life a bit easier. On today's programme: a self-propelled U-shaped lifebuoy, a review of the DXO One camera for iPhone, and an Indiegogo for a smart home fragrance box.

Greek stocks and bonds have fallen after the government in Athens failed to bridge differences with European creditors over the conditions attached to the country’s latest bailout review. It follows warnings from the International Monetary Fund that its debt is on an unsustainable path. The IMF says that compromises with creditors need to be made within 3 weeks. James Brydges spoke to Vicky Pryce, from the Centre for Economic and Business Research.