Investing in data science will secure London’s future as a global leader in research November 11, 2015 The UK is a science powerhouse that punches well above its weight. London alone is home to four of the world’s top 30 universities. And this Government is committed to ensuring the UK is the best place in Europe to innovate, patent new ideas and start a business. To fulfil this ambition, we need to [...]
Those in default pension funds could be missing out on returns equating to around £500,000 for a lifetime November 11, 2015 Be warned if you’ve opted to stay in your default pension fund – research out today by JLT Employee Benefits has found that you could be missing out on returns by six per cent. Over the last three years, the performance of the top ten defined contribution (DC) pension default funds has been between roughly 3.5 per [...]
Work and Pensions Committee pressure chancellor George Osborne to delay tax credit cuts for a year November 11, 2015 A group of influential Members of Parliament, including six Conservatives, have called on chancellor George Osborne to delay cutting tax credits. The Work and Pensions Select Committee today published a unanimous cross-party report calling on the government to "pause for a year and plan for a major overhaul of the tax credit system". Read more: Osborne's "rhetoric [...]
Saving for retirement: Are you one of the UK’s super savers? November 11, 2015 More Brits are saving for retirement now compared to two years ago, boosted by the government’s policy of auto-enrolment. That’s according to our Investor Pulse survey, which also shows that the number of 25-74 year olds putting money away specifically for retirement has risen by an impressive 28 per cent since we began the survey [...]
Minicab comparison app Kabbee looks to challenge Uber with £1m Crowdcube fundraiser November 11, 2015 Minicab booking app – and Uber challenger – Kabbee today launches a £1m fundraising campaign on Crowdcube. The taxi price-comparison company is looking to extend beyond London and will use the funds for the UK-wide roll-out, and to update its dispatch and GPS technology, saying "intense competition" within the sector meant it needed to "future-proof" its business model. It is offering a [...]
Chiltern Firehouse head chef Nuno Mendes launches £1.75m Seedrs crowdfunding to re-open restaurant Viajante in Wapping November 10, 2015 The Michelin-starred head chef at Chiltern Firehouse is hoping to raise £1.75m on crowdfunding site Seedrs to re-open his restaurant Viajante, in a Victorian warehouse in Wapping. Nuno Mendes is offering 33.3 per cent of the equity in the new venture, along with rewards for big investors, ranging from priority booking, to private meals. The minimum investment is £10. The [...]
Dash for cash? One in four over-55s raid their pension fund to pay for luxury holidays and clear debts November 10, 2015 Plan to dip into your pensions savings? You’re far from alone. Some 27 per cent, or over one in four, employees aged between 55 and 64 plan to head for their pension pot while still in work. The figures show most, over two thirds, want to use the cash to either pay off a debt [...]
Electric car charger POD Point launches £1.75m fundraising on Crowdcube November 9, 2015 POD Point, which builds charging points for electric cars, has announced a £1.75m crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube to help drive its expansion. The company is looking to raise £1.5m with an equity sale, amounting to around five per cent of the company, and £250,000 with an eight per cent bond over a three year period. [...]
Pensions prove a sore subject for one London insurer’s chief exec… November 6, 2015 Don't throw stones in glass houses. Take the plank out of your own eye before removing the dust in another’s. there’s a lot of ways of saying it. Personally, The Capitalist favours “don’t bang on about the Treasury reviewing pension tax breaks while you’re busy downgrading your own company’s scheme”, but that doesn’t have the same lyricism [...]
Laggard no more? A look at what European markets offer investors and why platforms are peering across the Channel November 5, 2015 If you want to keep up with alternative lending, you should probably be looking to the continent. Last week, Seedrs announced a partnership with ING, which will see the platform become the bank’s equity crowdfunding partner in Belgium and Luxembourg. ING will refer businesses to Seedrs if it thinks a firm could benefit from funding [...]