A 2020 roundup December 8, 2020 | City Talk As we come into the final chapter of 2020, it is safe to say this has been a challenging year with the many new and unfamiliar situations that the world has had to quickly adapt to. Almost overnight, the world had to adjust to a new way of living and working which has seen nearly [...]
The economic recovery is coming — and it will be powered by micro-businesses December 8, 2020 I wouldn’t be the first to talk about how incredibly difficult 2020 has been for small businesses. And based on the chancellor’s economic forecasts last month, those challenges look set to continue for the foreseeable future. The worst economic downturn in a generation, thousands of businesses and their employees out of work, and continued uncertainty [...]
UK consumers question sustainability of challenger banks December 7, 2020 UK consumers are worried about the long-term survival of digital challenger banks, according to a new report. Accenture’s Global Banking Study reveals 45 per cent of consumers believed that neobanks would exist in 12 months’ time. Additionally, just a tenth placed “a lot” of trust in the fintechs to look after their data, compared to [...]
A healthy dose of FOMO can get London’s workers back to the office December 7, 2020 Covid-19 has made central London unrecognisable — the quiet streets and empty offices of today are a far cry from the bustling metropolis it once was. Despite the end of the second national lockdown, there hasn’t been much improvement since the summer. A recent survey from Arup showed that London is still trailing other British [...]
Savings shortfall: 41% worry they won’t have enough to retire December 4, 2020 | City Talk If you are worried you will not have enough saved for your retirement, you are not alone, a major new study has found. Figuring out how much you should save for your retirement is never easy. Your needs change over time, just as your income fluctuates. If you knew exactly how much you would earn [...]
Revolut expands business offering with digital payments service December 4, 2020 Challenger bank Revolut is bolstering its business offering as it moves into merchant acquiring allowing businesses to accept online card payments. Revolut’s chief executive Nik Storonsky announced, at this year’s Web Summit, that its business segment had launched an acquiring solution, which will allow businesses in 13 European countries to accept card payments online directly [...]
Exclusive: Londoners take out 133 per cent more payday loans to cover Christmas this year December 4, 2020 Pressure on households to overspend this Christmas is increasingly making Londoners resort to payday loans to cover the costs of the festive period. Payday loans in London are set to increase by 133 per cent as households struggle to cover the costs of the holidays, according to the findings of a survey that pan-European credit [...]
Hush money: Bank of England pressured to find ‘missing’ £50bn in cash December 4, 2020 The Bank of England must launch an investigation to find £50bn of “missing” banknotes that have been “stashed” around the country, the government’s spending committee has warned. In a rare exchange with Threadneedle Street, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today called on the Bank to “get a better handle on the national currency it controls”. [...]
Sadiq Khan launches £1m Resilience Fund for London’s post-pandemic recovery December 4, 2020 The Mayor of London announced the launch of a £1m Resilience Fund, partnering community groups and innovation experts to tackle London’s most pressing challenges. The Resilience Fund will be delivered in partnership with Nesta Challenges, an innovation foundation. Local authorities, public agencies, social enterprise will be asked to identify specific challenges they need solved. Sadiq [...]
DEBATE: Is a virtual office Christmas party a disastrous idea? December 4, 2020 Is a virtual office Christmas party a disastrous idea? John Oxley, a Conservative commentator, says YES. The only thing worse than enforced fun is enforced virtual fun. Real office parties are barely enjoyable. Spending an evening with colleagues you are largely indifferent to is an obligation you endure, because if you don’t they put “Poor [...]
