Fund supermarket best-buy lists — Are they bogus or a bargain? February 25, 2020 It should go without saying that choosing the right investment can be challenging. For time-strapped everyday investors, combing through the financial records of individual companies to find a share worth buying can seem like a monumental task. Instead, many people prefer to put their money into investment funds run by professional asset managers who do [...]
Revolut closes $500m from early Netflix investor as it seeks to turn a new leaf February 25, 2020 British digital banking giant Revolut has today revealed the close of $500m (£387m) in additional funding, making it tied with Klarna as the most valuable privately held fintech firm in Europe at $5.5bn. The funding, which was led by new investor TCV, takes Revolut’s total amount raised to date to $836m. TCV, a Silicon Valley-based [...]
Like a boss: Cherie Blair on helping women start their own business February 24, 2020 We tend to associate entrepreneurship with opportunistic founders operating out of bustling Silicon Valley hubs — or perhaps more specifically the five American tech giants whose combined market value, it was reported recently, has increased by $1.3 trillion in the past year. In fact, entrepreneurship exists wherever you are. The sharing economy is producing millions [...]
Why your gloomy office is holding you back: the case for better workplace design February 24, 2020 Whatever industry you’re in, most companies will tell you that their biggest cost is talent. That’s why the prediction that stress-related illnesses will be the main cause of sickness in 2020, accounting for 44 per cent of all work-related absences, should be a big concern. One source of this stress is technology, which has altered [...]
Investors splash the cash on British fintech startups February 24, 2020 Global investors poured money into the UK’s fintech sector last year, almost doubling the amount invested here between 2018 and 2019 — despite the rest of the world suffering a slight downturn in funding. British fintech companies attracted $48.5bn (£37.4bn) of investment in 2019, up 91 per cent from $25.4bn a year earlier. Data released [...]
UK digital banks near 20m customers – but growth slows February 24, 2020 Digital banks operating in the UK edged towards 20 million customers in 2019, but slowing customer and deposit growth mean the lenders could face challenges on long term profitability, new figures show. Digital lenders including Monzo, Revolut and Starling gained over six million new customers in the second half of last year to reach a [...]
IG’s June Felix: Shorter trading hours would make London ‘less competitive’ February 23, 2020 The head of one of Britain’s largest trading platforms has become one of the most senior industry figures to speak out against proposals to cut trading hours in London, saying it would not be “helpful” for the City and could make it “less competitive globally”. June Felix, whose company IG Group offers 24-hour trading to [...]
Treasury mulls new laws to delay end of cash February 23, 2020 The Treasury is drawing up plans to protect the availability of cash amid concerns over declining access to dispensers for older people and those from rural communities. Officials are understood to be in detailed discussions about how to combat the decline of cash ahead of the Budget next month, with one possible option the introduction [...]
Fund managers snap up luxury brands on coronavirus dip February 23, 2020 Leading fund managers are buying millions of pounds of shares in luxury brands after significant falls triggered by the coronavirus outbreak. Fund manager Nick Train, along with bosses from Rathbone Brothers, Jupiter and BNY Mellon, are taking advantage of the dip according to the Sunday Times. Train, who manages the Lindsell Train UK Equity fund, [...]
HMRC sets up secret unit to probe inheritance tax avoidance February 22, 2020 HM Revenue & Customs has implemented a secret unit to investigate the use of family investment companies (FIC) by the very wealthy to avoid paying inheritance tax. It puts family offices with a combined total of more than $1tn in assets within its sights. The tax authority set up the team in April last year [...]
