Latin America investing: Politics counts – Investment Comment August 20, 2014 This year has proven that, when it comes to emerging markets, politics matters. The recent wave of elections in India, Colombia, and Indonesia, alongside the 2012 vote in Mexico and the upcoming Brazilian general elections, have been (and will be) crucial for countries that need serious structural reform to lay the foundations for sustainable long-term [...]
Nest egg: How best to save for your children’s future August 20, 2014 As GCSE results come out today, and the dust settles on last week’s A-Level results, many parents will be thinking about how they can help their children through university. But while Fidelity calculations suggest that education is the costliest part of raising a child from birth to 21, at an estimated £71,780 in total, many [...]
Salvaging a bad job interview in three easy steps August 20, 2014 Even when you’ve left the building, it’s not necessarily too late. We've all been there. An interviewer asks a question like, “what do you think makes you a good fit for our company?”, but your mind is completely barren of thought. Days of preparation and practice go up in flames, in a mixture of [...]
Hard decision? How to ensure you get it right August 19, 2014 Try the “sit with” method, and don’t always dismiss your gut instinct. In the course of a single day, the average adult makes around 35,000 decisions, according to scientists and authors Barbara Sahakian and Jamie LaBuzetta. Most will be subconscious, many will require an ounce of thought, and some a few minutes. But [...]
CNBC Comment: Why Germany risks a property bubble August 18, 2014 HEAR the words “London property”, and “bubble” is rarely far behind. House prices in the capital rose by 20 per cent in the year to May – although last week’s Rics indicator showed that the market is now pausing for breath, as it responds to warnings over tougher mortgage standards and the expectation of higher [...]
How to make the most of weekends August 18, 2014 Highly successful people seek inspiration, think long term and don’t waste the last 15 hours. It's tempting to imagine that successful businesspeople see the weekend as an extension of the working week – a time for catching up on emails, reading market reports and troubleshooting process documents. Not so, according to time management expert [...]
Why Bitcoin won’t be the money of the future – but cryptocurrencies might be August 18, 2014 PROPONENTS of Bitcoin like to suggest that it will be the money of the future. Critics point to its price volatility, evidence of a Bitcoin bubble and other problems. With the price of Bitcoin having just fallen below $500 for the first time since May, both sides make valid points. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, a [...]
Firms invest in serviced offices August 17, 2014 PROPERTY investment firm Forum Partners has teamed up with one of the UK’s leading serviced office providers to form a joint venture targeting commercial offices in central London. Forum Partners and Office Space in Town have committed over £30m towards the joint venture and are in talks with other blue chip investors for further funding [...]
The secrets of time management August 17, 2014 You can boost productivity through email subfolders, press-ups and a virtual assistant. At the office, often the last thing you can do is work. Emails flood in, colleagues make urgent requests, and fires need to be fought. But a few pointers can help get the most out of each day. IMPORTANCE, NOT URGENCY [...]
The art of asking the right questions August 14, 2014 Business life doesn’t always lend itself to novel ways of questioning, but doing so is vital. A young Motorola engineer called Martin Cooper was asked, back in the early 1970s, to develop the firm’s car radiotelephone. But before setting to work, he took a step back and asked this question: “Why is it that [...]