Why the Bank of England isn’t topping up the punch bowl October 9, 2019 | City Talk Many economists will remember 2019 as the year of the monetary policy U-turn by central bankers around the world. At the end of 2018, the US Federal Reserve, which tends to lead the herd, signaled multiple rate hikes in the year ahead. Just three months on, its forecasts were cut sharply to zero and by [...]
Saving early in life – you must be joking! October 9, 2019 | City Talk As adults, we all wish we had saved and invested more, especially earlier on in life. How much easier retirement would be for most of us had we only paid in an extra few pounds a month into the retirement pot. The wisdom of age is a wonderful thing, but in reality, the young do [...]
Five reasons why global cities are the ultimate investment super-trend October 3, 2019 | City Talk Cities are becoming more important than countries, with their success determined by innovation, efficiency and the clustering of industries. What does this mean for investors? The global economic focus is shifting from countries to cities. Cities are efficient and the economic output that can be derived from cities is much greater than from countries. Cities [...]
The hurdles holding back home ownership October 3, 2019 There is good news and bad news when it comes to the numbers of first-time buyers in 2019. The good news is that, despite existing homeowners taking a more cautious approach in this uncertain political and economic climate, sales are up almost six per cent compared to this time last year. However, the positive statistics [...]
Islamic finance 101: Debunking the common myths October 1, 2019 Islamic finance is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world, targeting a vast portion of the global population that has been largely underserved by the financial services industry. It’s thought that the Islamic finance industry will reach $3.8 trillion in assets globally by 2022, from $2.2 trillion in 2016. Traditionally, Islamic finance has focused [...]
Why as an investor I’m looking through Brexit fears September 24, 2019 | City Talk Following the twists and turns in Westminster of the past few weeks I expect many more market participants will simply place UK equities in the “too difficult” basket. Anecdotal stories of overseas investors selling their last UK stocks could start doing the rounds again. Brexit and political uncertainty have been a drag on UK equities, [...]
UK households most pessimistic about finances in almost six years September 23, 2019 UK households are the most pessimistic they have been about their financial outlook for almost six years, with job security perceptions also deteriorating. Households’ outlook for finances dropped to its weakest level since November 2013, according to IHS Markit’s UK Household Finance Index. Read more: UK households’ inflation expectations at highest in six years, survey [...]
Why M&S’ relegation from the FTSE 100 doesn’t mean the death of the High Street September 20, 2019 | City Talk Marks and Spencer (M&S) is set to be relegated from the FTSE 100 after the close of business today. This will be the first time that the company has lost its blue chip status. The UK retailer was a founder member of the FTSE 100 and a stalwart of the UK High Street. But its [...]
Can we avoid an energy crunch? September 18, 2019 | City Talk The energy transition has to happen. Climate change can no longer be ignored and the political will is finally there to confront the substantial challenges. The first stage of this process is the switch from energy produced by coal and gas to energy produced by renewables, such as wind, solar and geothermal. As part of [...]
For the tax avoidance of doubt: In light of the review into the controversial loan charge, what are the options? September 18, 2019 With reports of people losing their homes, going bankrupt, and even committing suicide, it’s clear that the government’s so-called “loan charge” is hugely problematic. Tens of thousands of freelancers and contractors are being chased for retrospective tax, with some expected to pay debts that date as far back as 1999. Why? Because they signed up [...]