How to pick the perfect pooch equity crowdfunding investment – and recognise the dogs October 22, 2015 How often have you heard “experienced” investors say they only expect to find one successful investment in 10? It doesn’t sound like very good odds, and is in fact misleading. Adopting a shotgun approach isn’t investing, it’s lazy guessing. We can all apply some sensible common sense to try to separate the “wheat from the [...]
Why it’s high time we made private equity less private October 22, 2015 The alternative finance revolution is making waves. There’s been much talk about how it is challenging the banks. Now its impact on the investment world is starting to gather momentum. Private equity and venture capital were once the preserve of the ultra wealthy. But I believe that it is the right time to shake up [...]
No big deal: Why there’s no need to worry about the failure of a crowdfunded company October 22, 2015 Equity platform Syndicate Room has had its first fail: Soshi Games, which fundraised in January 2014 on the platform and pulled in £285,000 from investors, has now closed down. The first failure on an equity platform – the fair trade soap manufacturer Bubble & Balm, which raised £75,000 in 2011 via Crowdcube, went bust in [...]
UK’s pension system is still lagging behind: landmark freedoms have not gone far enough say critics October 22, 2015 Sweeping reforms to the UK pension system do not go far enough, according to an international report that says Britain fares badly compared to many peer countries. Despite recent changes, the UK's public and state pensions remain "almost entirely unfunded", say analysts from the Melbourne Mercer Global Pensions Index (MMGPI), while the basic state pension [...]
Financial Conduct Authority warns peer-to-peer lenders may face same rules as banks October 22, 2015 Peer-to-peer lenders, which help to provide an alternative source of financing from high-street retail banks, may soon come under pressure from regulators, Britain’s financial watchdog told MPs yesterday. John Griffiths-Jones, chairman of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), told the Treasury Select Committee that as peer-to-peer lenders and crowdfunders grow and begin to behave more like banks, [...]
Chapel Down looks to rise £1m for Curious Drinks on crowdfunding site Seedrs October 21, 2015 Curious Drinks, the beer and cider brewery belong to British wine-maker Chapel Down has launched a crowdfunding campaign with Seedrs. The brewer, whose offerings include beers made with champagne yeast, is hoping to raise £1m in its equity funding to build a combined brewery and bottling plant in Kent, which it hopes will be operational by December [...]
More than £15bn lies forgotten in pensions and savings in the UK, thanks to Britons forgetting their bank details October 21, 2015 Forgotten passwords and lost details have cost Britons more than £15bn in unclaimed bonds, pensions, insurance policies and lost lottery tickets. Figures from Beagle Street life insurance provider show that as of the end of September, an estimated £5bn was sitting in dormant bank accounts, along with £3bn-worth of pensions that have not been collected, [...]
BorrowMyDoggy rent-a-dog startup fetches £1.5m via crowdfunding event Crowdfinders October 21, 2015 BorrowMyDoggy, a startup which connects dog owners with those who aren't, has raised £1.5m thanks to crowdfunding. The Southwark-based startup, which lets dog lovers borrow canines from owners, has raised the cash from 40 investors through Crowdfinders, which brings together investors and companies for face-to-face pitches at events rather than via the more familiar online platform concept. More than 400 people, including [...]
Crowdfunder Indiegogo launches Generosity a new platform for charities to fundraise October 21, 2015 The world's largest online funding platform Indiegogo will today launch a new crowd-funding platform for charities and non-profit organisations. Generosity will replace Indiegogo Life, allowing non-profit organisations to raise money along with individuals looking for donations for personal causes, and charities. The platform will be free for users, except for transaction fees, so all the [...]
Why pensioners are probably earning more than you are October 20, 2015 Pensioners are better off than ever before, earning more on average than people of working age, according to new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). IFS director Paul Johnson said last night that IFS research suggests that pensioners’ incomes will continue to rise for at least the next decade – but it is [...]