What investors can learn from Bill Gates’ climate warning March 19, 2021 | City Talk When one of the world’s wealthiest individuals writes a book on avoiding climate disaster – and suggests changes we all need to make to our lifestyles – it is easy to be cynical. But the high-profile intervention of Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the climate change debate should be welcomed. This is not just a [...]
On-demand pay: is it here to stay? March 16, 2021 | City Talk Millions around the globe depend on regular salaries and plan their budgets based on paydays. But the lockdown has made personal budgeting much more challenging. Many workers have lost their job and many others are now working remotely. Compounding near universal worries about future and immediate financial security are the added stress and logistical challenges [...]
BoE’s Bailey apologises to investors amid criticism over LCF collapse March 15, 2021 Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has apologised for his role in failing investors of collapsed mini-bond firm London Capital & Finance. His apology came amid rising pressure about his responsibility in a series of scandals during his role as head of the Financial Conduct Authority. On Monday morning, Bailey told BBC Radio 4 that [...]
UK economy shrank 2.9 per cent in January as third lockdown took hold March 12, 2021 Monthly GDP fell by 2.9 per cent in January as a fresh national lockdown took hold of the UK economy, according to new ONS data. The January figure, which was 9 per cent below its February 2020 level, was driven by a decline of 3.5 per cent in services, the Office for National Statistics said. [...]
No more fifty shades of green March 8, 2021 | Sponsored For quite some time now the term ‘fifty shades of green’ has been used to describe the investor challenge of wading through a sea of sustainable investment options, from dark green, to light green to just plain green-washing. The sustainable investment sector has grown exponentially in recent years, and while I very much welcome the [...]
Chasing “financial independence retire early” (FIRE): is it possible? March 8, 2021 | City Talk At what age are you planning to retire? For many the standard answer to this is “somewhere in my 60s or beyond”. Schroders analysis suggests that if you start saving for your retirement at age 20, you’ll need to save between 12% – 15% of your salary for 40 years to retire on 50% of your [...]
Budget 2021: Government to guarantee five per cent mortgages on homes up to £600,000 March 3, 2021 The government will introduce a new scheme that will allow individuals to put down just a five per cent deposit on homes valued up to £600,000. From April, the government will introduce a the scheme that will provide a guarantee to lenders across the UK that offer mortgages to people with a deposit of five [...]
Budget 2021: Pensions lifetime allowance frozen for five years March 3, 2021 The pensions lifetime allowance will be frozen at its existing level until April 2026, in a move that effectively decreases its value when inflation is taken into account. The Chancellor today said the lifetime allowance would remain at its current £1,073,100 for the next five years, rather than increasing in line with inflation. The move [...]
G20 nations including UK agree to raise IMF funds March 2, 2021 The G20 agrees to inflate IMF funds as a gesture to poorer countries to help them recover from pandemic.
May the forest be with you! Putting a price on nature March 2, 2021 | City Talk Natural resources are often seen as free inputs that any company may use to produce an output. The exploitation cost alone is how firms assess a natural asset’s monetary value. In this way, natural resources tend to be seen as infinite: there is no clear sense of how overexploitation can destroy surrounding ecosystems. Today, many [...]