Wanted: Your free-market ideas to give everyone a shot at improving their lives April 26, 2019 Life isn’t fair. It never will be. In fact, so much of what we experience day-to-day, year-to-year, is a result of things we can’t control – the country we’re born in, the robustness of our immune system, the bumps on our nose (well, mine anyway) are pre-determined facts of life. Progress means embracing or overcoming [...]
CBI: UK retailers enjoy sales boost for the first time in five months April 25, 2019 UK retail sales grew for the first time in five months in April, according to a major business group, in the latest sign that consumer spending is holding up despite ongoing political uncertainty. Read more: Retail sales jump higher than expected in March However, Easter falling later this year probably helped the figures, said the [...]
What a tin of battered beans can tell us about behavioural finance April 25, 2019 "Most people get interested in stocks when everyone else is. The time to get interested is when no one else is. You can’t buy what is popular, and do well.” Those are the words of one of the greatest investors of our generation, Warren Buffett. The investment guru got me thinking: why is the stock [...]
Labour’s top Trotskyites want to crash the economy and spark a revolution April 25, 2019 In the wake of the political chaos, with the government fixated on Brexit, there is a credible threat of two Trotskyite Marxists becoming Prime Minister and chancellor. While the likelihood of a General Election this year remains low, it cannot be ruled out. This means that there is no greater task for the government at [...]
Public will be able to make digital HMRC complaints from August April 25, 2019 The chair of the Treasury Committee, Nicky Morgan, has today welcomed the move by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to let the public make complaints about its decisions digitally. Read more: HMRC claims its online tax evasion crackdown has clawed back £200m Earlier this month Morgan said her and the Committee, which scrutinises the Treasury [...]
Shares in bellwether company Caterpillar fall following mixed results April 24, 2019 Caterpillar shares fell today after its quarterly results revealed weak sales in the key Asia Pacific region in the first three months of the year. Read more: Caterpillar shares fall on China slowdown prediction Shares in the machinery giant were trading down 2.5 per cent at 5.30pm UK time at $138.63 (£107.17), despite the company’s [...]
What the next Bank of England governor’s CV needs to look like April 24, 2019 With less than a year until Mark Carney steps down, the government today kickstarted the search for a new Bank of England governor. We’ve already compiled a list of candidates tipped to replace the American when he departs the post in January 2020, but chancellor Philip Hammond has put out a job ad anyway. Read [...]
Runners and riders: Meet the candidates who could replace Mark Carney as the Bank of England governor April 24, 2019 Speculation has begun over the next governor of the Bank of England after the Chancellor Philip Hammond launched the hunt for Mark Carney’s successor this morning. Carney’s tenure began amid post-crisis reform of financial system regulation but his latter years have been characterised by Brexit, which his successor will also have to navigate through. Read [...]
UK government public borrowing falls to 17-year low but misses Hammond’s spring statement target April 24, 2019 Public borrowing fell to its lowest level for 17 years in 2017-18 but was still higher than predicted, according to data published today. Borrowing hit £24.7bn between April 2018 and March 2019, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed today, £17.2bn less than the previous financial year. Read more: Government borrowing falls to 17-year low [...]
Want to tackle the scourge of fake reviews? The market can help with that April 24, 2019 The internet has led to a massive increase in the amount of information available. Often, this is a good thing. For example, shopping around to find the cheapest price for something has become far easier. But it can have its downsides. A report last week from the consumer magazine Which highlighted one such disadvantage. An [...]