Rate decision announcement from the Bank of England January 30, 2020 | City Talk For many investors the outcome was too close to call, and therefore offered potential heightened currency volatility. Foreign exchange markets had attributed a 50/50 chance of an interest rate cut, leaving the pound with a burden of uncertainty in the run up to the decision. It also meant it traded with a softer tone over [...]
Brexit: how did we get here? January 30, 2020 | City Talk How did the Brexit timeline lead us here, what impact has it had on the pound and how can the resulting foreign exchange risks be mitigated? The UK began preparations to withdraw from the European Union back in June of 2016. The process has had an undeniable impact on the volatility of the exchange market [...]
I confronted our bureaucratic tax system — and lost January 30, 2020 “Tax doesn’t have to be taxing,” claim the helpful ducks on the HMRC adverts that urge people to file their self-assessment returns by the deadline of midnight tomorrow. As anyone who has been through the rigmarole of painstakingly filling in a return that always results in a higher-than-expected calculation, the reality is somewhat different. Filing [...]
The BBC keeps scoring own goals with its internal comms January 30, 2020 Like the perfect colour for a cup of tea (green, in my case), it seems that everyone in the UK must have an opinion on the BBC. Auntie, age 97, has become loathed in some quarters of the right-wing press, with omnipresent claims of BBC bias, and equally hated in sections of the left-wing media, [...]
British tech startups retain crown as European fintech capital January 30, 2020 The UK has secured its place as the top destination for European fintech investment for another year, reaching a new record of $4.9bn. Venture capital and private equity investment into the UK’s fintech sector has risen 38 per cent year on year, exclusive data from Innovate Finance today revealed. This was more than three times [...]
Investigation: City fintech Freetrade accused of deliberately fostering ‘culture of fear’ January 29, 2020 One of London’s most talked about startups has been hit by claims of a toxic workplace culture and dysfunctional management. Freetrade, which offers users the ability to buy and sell UK and US stocks with no commission, has been accused of creating a “culture of fear” among its employees in order to push for unachievable [...]
Chairs of public companies think they would be ‘better off’ at private firms January 29, 2020 Many chairs of public companies in the UK believe they would be “better off” at private firms given the regulatory burdens and intense scrutiny faced by listed businesses, according to a major investor group. The Investor Forum, whose 50 members control £18.5 trillion assets, said the continued rush of private money into the unlisted market [...]
Quilter claws its way back to net inflows but re-platforming nerves hit January 29, 2020 Wealth manager Quilter said it returned to net inflows by the end of 2019, reversing three consecutive quarters of outflows, but overall flows still lagged behind the previous year. Quilter, which was spun out from Old Mutual in June 2018, said flows remained “subdued” in the fourth quarter of 2019 amid adviser nerves about the [...]
Five tips to be a wiser leader January 29, 2020 | Sponsored I have been teaching and researching leadership for more than 20 years and I believe leadership is a skill that can be learnt with reflective practice. Here, I give my top tips to become a better leader. 1. The ‘going beyond’ principle A good leader needs to go beyond the immediate; they need to go [...]
Does higher pay result in greater productivity? January 29, 2020 | Sponsored Henry Ford paid his workers $5 a day, twice the average for the car industry. Instead of setting a high selling price and keeping wages and costs low, Ford incentivised his workers to increase production and reduce costs based on economies of scale. As a result, the price of a Model T fell from $950 [...]
