I am pleased that Darren and Nico have answered the questions that have been put to them but slightly disappointed that more challenging questions have not been asked. Here are the questioners who have been answered in one go though released over two weekends.

Thanks to all our listeners who submitted questions over the two epiosdes (sic): David Porter; Helen Forrest Hall; Chris Blackwood; Simon Chrystal; Stewart Patterson; James Lawrence, CFA; Robert Cochran; Paul Watson; Karen Quinn; Chris Parrott; Richard Smith, Henry Tapper.

You can follow the second salvos from the usual list which explains just how lengthy a process it is! 12 people asked questions and Darren and Nico took two hours and thirty seven minutes to answer them. I count myself as resilient to listening  157 minutes to get an answer to my question!

It is of course important that debate happens and there is no clearer exposition of the views of a part of the pensions industry than this podcast. I find it a good way of making journeys less tedious , doing the shopping to and watching football games (without the commentary).

Richard Smith has posted some commentary on “post 155” which I enjoyed.

There is one thing that a podcast has going for it , that cannot be had from written material and that is guaranteed authenticity. What we get over the two and a half hours is unedited and unbelievably fluent. There is no sense of the AI which spoils most of what goes onto social media at the moment.

I have not let an AI chatbot onto this blog, though I do get a spellcheck that does a little correcting! I suspect that what people want when listening or reading others is “authenticity”.

I am amazed when all kinds of people turn up at events to deliver keynotes and see this as an opportunity to read what they and a group of cronies have written in advance.  We most certainly don’t get that from the two lads and nor do we from Richard Smith.

Perhaps I can plug what he has coming up, by way of a rival podcast to VFM. I am sure it will be authentic and perhaps a little more concise than what I review from Nico and Darren!