Changing industry, changing skill-set January 25, 2019 | City Talk In the 1990s, the skill-set required by asset management professionals was vastly different. The investment universe consisted primarily of equities and bonds. Alternative asset classes like hedge funds and private equity were accessible only to high net worth individuals and some particularly sophisticated pension funds. Balanced managers were hired to outperform benchmarks, not produce outcomes. [...]
Become more zen in the City to boost your mental health and wellbeing January 25, 2019 Modern work demands have never been greater. A combination of increased targets, shorter deadlines, and an overflowing email inbox has left many of us feeling overwhelmed by work. Mix in the Brexit-induced market uncertainty, a dash of office politics, and the normal stresses and strains of life outside of work – no wonder stress and [...]
Million-pound pension scheme scammer locked up for seven years after fraud investigation January 25, 2019 A man has been thrown behind bars for seven years after stealing more than £1m from a company pension fund, using it to fund the purchase of a house and several cars. Ian Woodall, 47, diverted the stolen money from Westminster City Council (WCC) through Swiss bank accounts and then back into the UK. Read [...]
Apprenticeship levels up on last year but still hampered by 2017 levy January 24, 2019 More people started apprenticeships in the first quarter of the 2018-19 academic year than in the year before, but are still below equivalent figures reported in 2016-17 and 2015-16. There were 132,000 starts between August and October last year, up 15.4 per cent year-on-year from 114,300, according to Department for Education (DfE) figures published this [...]
Business lender Iwoca gets a helping hand with £7.5m from London fund Augmentum Fintech January 24, 2019 Small business lending challenger Iwoca is planning to close its next funding round within weeks, as the first stage of investment is revealed. London-listed fund Augmentum Fintech has plugged £7.5m into the round, which City A.M. understands to be part of a much larger series D raise to be announced in early February. A representative for Iwoca declined [...]
Spreadbetter CMC Markets’ revenue hit by regulatory measures January 24, 2019 Spreadbetting firm CMC Markets continued to feel the effects of new regulatory measures at the end of last year, the firm reported today. In its first full quarter trading update since the European securities and markets authority (ESMA) cracked down on CFD trading, CMC said revenue between October and December was down year on year [...]
Wealth manager St James’s Place boosts inflows in 2018 despite market challenges January 24, 2019 Wealth management firm St James’s Place boosted inflows for 2018, it said today, despite difficult market conditions. The figures Full-year gross inflows were £15.7bn, eight per cent up on the previous year, the company said in a trading update. Net inflows were also up eight per cent to £10.3bn. Inflows weakened in November and December and [...]
Here’s what happened to the UK professional jobs market in 2018 and what to watch out for in 2019 January 24, 2019 It is not unusual after the rest and relaxation of Christmas for people to consider their current career path and decide to search for new opportunities. But it’s also important for these prospective jobseekers – and hiring managers – to look back at the previous year, in order to learn about the current state of [...]
The army needs you… to hire our troops January 24, 2019 On Tuesday, we published “Benefit not Burden”, our latest attempt to bring an evidence-based perspective to the sometimes fraught world of supporting the armed forces community. There are around 6.5m people in this community in the UK. And despite their crucial work, they can inadvertently be at a disadvantage. The mobile lifestyle and the demands [...]
FCA says UK firms need ‘clarity’ on cryptoassets as it consults on regulation January 23, 2019 The UK financial watchdog has called for further clarity in the regulation of cryptoassets, as it launches a consultation on guidance applicable to the wide sphere of crypto. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said firms will have a better understanding of whether their activities with cryptoassets such as bitcoin are compliant with regulation as a result of [...]
