We kick off this episode with Julian Hofmann, who gives the rundown on credit data company Experian (EXPN). Whether you’ve checked your credit score on the site or saw television adverts in the early 2010s, you will have heard about the company. Its recent results were very well received and the share price subsequently shot up, but how is the overall health of the business?James Norrington is part of the duo that wrote this week’s cover feature on building the ideal portfolio. In the episode he explains the thinking behind the piece, academic research that helps investors form the ‘best’ ideas and reveals what sensible asset allocation looks like.Val Cipriani’s article this week on cash flow modelling and the last segment of the podcast are a must for anyone thinking about planning their retirement. She tried out free online calculators that aim to replicate financial advisers – without the hefty bill – and details the US options available for those looking to cast a wider net. We round off the episode with her and Dan briefly touching on next week’s Big Read on how much you need for retirement. The Companies and Markets Show will resume on 31 May.Timestamps 1:41 Experian13:40 Building an ideal portfolio 25:05 Cash flow modelling  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.