Congress may kick the fiscal can off its cliff November 12, 2012 AS WE rumble towards 31 December, US policymakers seem to be doing little of substance to address America’s looming fiscal cliff. And unless making speeches about the problem is going to make it go away, it is highly likely that we will see the kind of market uncertainty that we last witnessed in the summer [...]
Inflation on the way up again as energy bills and tuition fees strike November 11, 2012 INFLATION will be back in the spotlight tomorrow when official figures are released, followed by the Bank of England’s quarterly Inflation Report on Wednesday. While the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell to 2.2 per cent in September, it is expected to increase again due to rising tuition and energy bills. “We expect the CPI to [...]
Wall Street sell off likely over market worries November 11, 2012 WALL Street’s post-election sell-off may pick up speed in the coming weeks as worries mount about the looming fiscal cliff and technical weakness suggests a possible correction ahead. The benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 closed below its 200-day moving average – a measure of the market’s long-term trend – on Thursday for the first time [...]
A furniture retailer who rejects the high street November 11, 2012 I MEET Ning Li at Made.com’s new showroom in Notting Hill. I’m assured it’s not the online company’s first step towards being just another high street furniture retailer, but a new way to “engage with customers”. Indeed, Li believes Made.com’s success hinges on its deliberate avoidance of the high street for exclusively online retailing. Growing [...]
A dream solution for navigating the bedroom battlefield at night November 11, 2012 YOU wake in the middle of the night wanting to visit the bathroom. Tired, you regret having a few glasses of water hours earlier before hitting the sack. For a few moments you ponder rolling over and returning to sleep, but you know the need isn’t going to go away. So you slowly arise in [...]
A global week for passing things on November 11, 2012 GLOBAL entrepreneurship week has come to London, and this year it’s all about passing on. Sponsored by Barclays, the idea is for experienced entrepreneurs to give early start-ups and their founders the practical help they need to turn an idea into a business. But with more than 2,500 events taking place across the country, you [...]
Ethical investment can be a risky business November 11, 2012 ETHICAL investing is not a new concept. But while, in the 1960s, it was led by the Methodist Church’s decision to avoid stocks in sectors such as alcohol and gambling, nowadays issues such as climate change are the main drivers. As of 30 June 2012, there was approximately £11bn invested in Britain’s green and ethical [...]
Why investors must keep a keen eye on the cost of investing November 11, 2012 THE retail distribution review (RDR) will change the way that you pay for financial advice: the process will not become cheaper, nor will investing become easier. However, it will be more transparent. The challenge for investors is to manage their costs and choose the right type of adviser. HOW FEES WILL BE PAID RDR, which [...]
Paying for advice is due for a radical overhaul November 11, 2012 EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, GEKKO THE swathe of people who have already retired, or who are about to retire in the next few years – the so-called post war baby boomers – relied heavily upon independent financial advisers (IFAs) to take care of their mortgage, life insurance, savings and investment needs. They built strong personal relationships with [...]
Mixed corporate earnings see FTSE end down as Eurozone fears grow November 8, 2012 BRITAIN’S top share index fell yesterday as mixed earnings reports combined with concerns about the Eurozone’s economy and debt troubles to weigh on sentiment. Tate & Lyle and Land Securities were among fallers in heavy volumes after releasing disappointing earnings updates. Land Securities had gained 25 per cent year to date, with Tate & Lyle [...]