At home and abroad: Global numbers that matter and key election pledges April 23, 2015 From interest rate cuts and capital flight, to plunging currencies and growth wobbles, we highlight the numbers that matter this month KEY ELECTION PLEDGES THE CONSERVATIVES WILL… Raise the level at which people start paying income tax to £12,500 a year, from £10,600, and introduce a law to ensure no one on the [...]
The London crowd: Will Meyer of Brother Cycles on what it’s like to crowdfund a business in the capital April 23, 2015 People can get quite passionate about their bikes,” says Will Meyer, co-founder with his brother James of Brother Cycles. “Many [Londoners] enjoy the fact that they’re riding something born in their home city”. Their company builds bespoke high-quality bikes and sells them via its website and through over 30 independent bike shops. Since launching in [...]
Phoenix from the flames: With US stocks at record highs, where can investors look next? April 23, 2015 From the darkest depths of the financial crisis six years ago, the world’s largest economy has rebounded strongly – and its equity markets have soared. US equities are now entering the seventh year of a bull market, with the seemingly unstoppable S&P 500 reaching a new record high virtually every month. The performance of [...]
An Isa revolution: Why the savings and investment vehicle is now more powerful than ever before April 23, 2015 Nearly 14m new Isas were opened in 2013-14. According to the recent BlackRock Investor Pulse Survey, the 16 year-old savings vehicle is used by over a quarter of Britons to build up their longterm wealth, and by nearly 40 per cent to provide a rainy day fund for life events. And the government’s revolution in [...]
Ladies who don’t lunch: Ainslie McLennan talks property, politics and picking an IFA April 23, 2015 “I needed a bigger pond to swim in,” says Ainslie McLennan, describing her move to London, more than 10 years ago. She’d completed “the full triangle” in Scotland: born-andbred in Glasgow, she studied at Aberdeen University and then worked in Edinburgh. Her choice of subjects at university raises an eyebrow. “I started out doing [...]
The final countdown: Should we fear the outcome of the most tightly fought election for a generation? April 23, 2015 The UK is approaching the most unpredictable General Election for a generation. In our increasingly fractured political landscape, there is no clear frontrunner between Labour and the Conservatives, while a surge of support for the UK Independence Party, Scotland’s SNP and the Green Party has complicated the picture further. Many commentators have voiced concerns over [...]
The future is now: Investors spotting futuristic themes have been able to get ahead April 23, 2015 THEMATIC INVESTING Most savvy investors have a portion of their portfolio given over to emerging markets. Investors have revelled in the future potential of these economies, with their rapid pace of urbanisation and their burgeoning young populations. Whether you know it or not, investing in the future of emerging markets is a form of [...]
John Bennett explains why Europe is back in vogue: Stock markets are on form and euro weakness could provide an extra boost April 23, 2015 The Eurozone has lurched from crisis to crisis over the past five years. Despite the best efforts of the European Central Bank (ECB), the region has remained largely unresponsive to resuscitation attempts, and is still on life support. Deflation, non-existent economic growth, and ongoing battles with Greece – the prognosis does not look good. But [...]
How to avoid a hangover: Investing in fine wine April 23, 2015 Tom Welsh examines the risks and opportunities of this alternative asset class. At an auction in Hong Kong late last year, the record for the most expensive super-lot of wine ever sold was broken. Going for the equivalent of about $1,700 per glass, 114 bottles of Romanee- Conti Burgundy were bought for approximately $1.6m by [...]
President Enrique Pena Nieto: The man of destiny who is transforming Mexico – Animal Spirits April 23, 2015 Each month John Hulsman examines under-appreciated opportunities around the world, uncovering markets that it would be easy to overlook. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is not an easy man to love. Prickly, cocksure, and imbued with the enormous sense of entitlement that can only come from running the PRI – Mexico’s current party of government, [...]