As London house prices show signs of cooling, are fears of a bubble overplayed? August 12, 2014 Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Berenberg Bank, says Yes. Rapid rises in house prices would be a threat if they turned into an uncontrollable bubble accompanied by a rapid debt build-up. So it is good news that London house price inflation seems to be slowing down. And that slowdown has its roots in action [...]
How BuzzFeed’s $850m valuation shows there’s money in those cat lists August 11, 2014 BuzzFeed, the spiritual home of lists, cats and OMG labels, has just secured a further $50m (£30m) in investment, reportedly seeing it valued at an impressive $850m (£506m). When you consider that the Washington Post was bought by Jeff Bezos for a paltry $250m (£149m) last year, this is a figure that should make you [...]
Obama’s got it right: Why it’s in the West’s interest to help the Kurds out August 11, 2014 “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” For the second time in this doleful summer, the Islamic State (IS) has astounded the world. Following its stunning success in June – snatching and then consolidating territorial gains in eastern Syria and western Iraq into a terrorist state the [...]
Our policymakers’ hostility to low-cost flying is hurting the worst-off August 11, 2014 It’s that time of year when the City’s offices seem empty. For many families with children, these weeks represent the last opportunity of the year to get away for a well-earned break. Yet while two-thirds of MPs will use this period to fly abroad, policies they have implemented make it less likely that their constituents [...]
Why the sharing economy could live up to the hype August 11, 2014 This was the summer the sharing economy truly hit London. First, we had black cabs bring Whitehall to a standstill with protests over the introduction of Uber, an app that allows you to call a cab wherever you are. Next, plans were announced to remove laws controlling short-term rentals, opening up the door for Airbnb [...]
Has Ofgem over-regulation hindered energy market competition and led to higher prices? August 11, 2014 Peter Atherton, an energy analyst at Liberum Capital, says Yes. The recent intervention by former regulators, suggesting the energy industry is “over-regulated”, has highlighted concerns that many of us who analyse the UK power market have had for some time. The suspicion is that Ofgem has lost its way in recent years: no longer acting like an [...]
Banking brain drain: Four unintended consequences of post-crisis regulation August 10, 2014 Since the financial crisis, governments have made wide-ranging changes to the way financial institutions are regulated. In particular, regulators have focused on the amount and type of capital that banks and other financial institutions must hold, and set new standards as to how they must interact with consumers and markets. This has given rise to [...]
City Matters: Yes Britain is an island nation – but we mustn’t romanticise leaving the EU August 10, 2014 SCARCELY a week has gone by in the last couple of years without a report being launched that explores the merits of remaining in the EU, or without a politician making an intervention. And as the debate has raged, the political and personal arguments have been conflated with the economic. It is unsurprising, therefore, that [...]
Young people are turning to entrepreneurship – but the trend isn’t inevitable August 10, 2014 ENTREPRENEURSHIP is all the rage. Research released today by HSBC shows that nearly a quarter of young people starting university this autumn want to work for themselves when they graduate. Banker, lawyer and consultant are no longer the default options. This news won’t please everyone. Due to the conspicuous wealth of Silicon Valley’s have-yachts and [...]
How to handle “Do you have any questions?” in a job interview August 8, 2014 “So do you have any questions for us?” This is not a polite way to end the interview and usher you out of the room quickly before they cross you off their list. It is another interview question and should be treated as such. It is also a huge chance to move from defensive “I” [...]