London loses out in cost of living rankings thanks to falling pound in the years after Brexit referendum December 17, 2018 London has become one of the cheapest major European cities for overseas workers since the Brexit referendum, according to global mobility research firm ECA International. As a result, of of the weakened pound since the leave vote, London has slipped from inside the top 50 global cities to 127th place, the company said in its [...]
A third of investors believe more non-UK fund managers will open London offices after Brexit December 17, 2018 More non-UK fund managers could open offices in Britain to retain access to expertise following Brexit, new research has found. One in three institutional investors believe the UK’s exit from the European Union will lead to an increase in merger and acquisition activity, with European firms buying UK businesses to give them a presence in [...]
As the warning signals flash red, now is the time to back business December 14, 2018 When thinking of the great moments of British enterprise, you would be forgiven for being consumed by nostalgia. The golden age of manufacturing, Victorian industrialists, Alan Turing, the internet, Concorde, the discovery of DNA – what then of today, the Brexit Blues? Think again. This is the age of the entrepreneur – 99 per cent [...]
Truffle hustle: Courts shut down scammers in £9m high-value truffle farm investment racket December 13, 2018 Courts have shut down five companies behind a £9m scam which promised unwitting investors a share of the proceeds from fictional high-value truffle farms all over the globe. The companies told investors their savings were funding oak and hazel tree saplings inoculated with truffle spores. The truffles would then be cultivated and sold, with investors and [...]
Three reasons to diversify in the hunt for equity income December 13, 2018 | City Talk Obtaining additional income is the primary goal for many investors, yet achieving it can be hard. Here we look at three ways diversification can potentially bring wider opportunities for income-seekers who invest in shares: Relying on just a few stocks for income can be risky – they may cut their dividends or the share price [...]
Poor disclosure puts UN sustainability goals at risk, says Pimco December 12, 2018 UN goals to address global poverty, hunger and sustainability by 2030 could be at risk due to poor target setting and disclosure, according to the world’s biggest bond investor. US-based Pimco’s analysis examined the corporate disclosures of 246 firms to study to what extent the reports referenced the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and in how [...]
Time for a brave new online pension world December 12, 2018 Imagine a free, user-friendly, online service that offers you information about all of your pension savings at your fingertips, available in your own home and on your mobile. That’s why the government has championed the pensions dashboard, harnessing digital to make planning for retirement easier in the digital age. As we all know, most parts [...]
Why investors should be wary of star managers December 12, 2018 For a long time, it seemed like Neil Woodford could do no wrong. That was until 2017, when the UK’s best known fund manager seemed to lose his magic touch – and since then, the returns from his three popular funds have been struggling. His flagship Woodford Equity Income fund has lost investors almost 10 [...]
CMA orders shake-up of pension advice market due to lack of competition December 12, 2018 Pension scheme members are at risk of getting a bad deal due to a lack of competition in the pension advice market, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA said today that pension trustees, who oversee companies’ pension schemes, are not given sufficient information to help them choose advisers. The report found [...]
Beat your demons: Barclays lets account holders block their worst spending habits December 11, 2018 Barclays has become the first high street bank to allow customers to “turn off” certain types of spending in a bid to give those with addiction better control over their money. Customers can now block payments to retailers including gambling websites, betting shops and pubs using a button in the bank's mobile app. Barclays developed [...]