Should the state pension age increase from 68 to 75 by 2035? August 22, 2019 Should the state pension age increase from 68 to 75 by 2035, as proposed by the Centre for Social Justice? Yes – Patrick Spencer is head of the work and welfare unit at the CSJ. The happy reality is that we are healthier and living longer. In 2017, the proportion of the UK population aged 65 [...]
Learn stand-up comedy to stand out in the office August 22, 2019 For years, I have been phobic of public speaking. To be honest, the speaking didn’t even have to be that public – giving an update at a meeting could start a leg tremor that would take minutes to abate. It was a shameful secret, because as an otherwise confident PR I knew it would be [...]
Norway considers shifting sovereign wealth fund away from Europe August 21, 2019 Norway is considering shifting the balance of investments in its $1trillion (£824bn) sovereign wealth fund away from Europe to focus more on Asia and the Americas. Investor confidence in Europe has been faltering recently as the region’s economy slows, while North American equity markets are growing faster than European ones. “This (regional weighting) is exactly [...]
Is now the time to invest in gold? August 21, 2019 | City Talk In this short video Schroders fund manager James Luke gives three reasons why he believes now is the right time to think about increasing gold exposure. There are three reasons why we believe that now is the right time to think about increasing gold exposure. The first would be that broadly market valuations are high, [...]
It’s a bittersweet apology from Hargreaves Lansdown August 21, 2019 With a hat-trick of senior figures set to leave Hargreaves Lansdown, one can’t help wondering how the investment company is going to revive its reputation. Prolific analyst and commentator Laith Khalaf started the trend last week, and yesterday saw the firm’s proposition manager and chair of its investment committee reveal that they were also stepping [...]
Going to party like it’s 1919: Time to celebrate the centenary of some of the UK’s most important companies August 21, 2019 This coming Sunday marks the centenary of an important anniversary. On 25 August 1919, the world’s first daily international scheduled flight took place. There was only one passenger on board the flight between London and Paris, along with cargo which included newspapers, Devonshire cream, jam, and grouse. The carrier was Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited, [...]
How to spot a superstar founder: Self-awareness trumps bravado August 21, 2019 We all know the scene. The sneaker-wearing tech founder stands there, in front of positive looking charts and graphs. Before them: five suited, scowling investors with money to spend and razor-sharp questions up their sleeves. The investment pitch has iconic status, popularised by TV shows like Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank. The reality, however, is [...]
Whatsapp in talks to launch mobile payments service in Indonesia August 20, 2019 Whatsapp is said to be in discussions with several digital payments firms in Indonesia over plans to offer mobile transactions over its platform. If a deal were reached, it would make Indonesia only the second country worldwide where Whatsapp offers the service. Read more: NSO denies Whatsapp spyware can hack data The firm is currently [...]
Travelex-owner Finablr profit rise bolsters shares above float levels August 20, 2019 Travelex-owner Finablr enjoyed a nearly 10 per cent rise in half-year profits, in its second financial report since floating on the London stock exchange earlier this year. Shares in the United Arab Emirates-based payment solutions firm jumped as much as nine per cent this morning, above its original initial public offering price of 175p in [...]
Dealing with the debt conundrum August 20, 2019 Debt remains a word shrouded with negative connotations. And despite how commonplace it is, people are still strangely reluctant to talk about it openly. In reality, debt should not be seen as a bad thing. It is a vital financial instrument for enabling people to achieve major life goals and lead the lifestyles they want. [...]