Freelancers are being exploited by businesses that fail to pay their invoices – this damaging culture must change January 22, 2019 There's no such thing as a free lunch – a popular phrase favoured among politicians and business leaders that is used to describe how everything has a cost. Economies are systems of exchange. Whether payment is obvious or more concealed, we know that what we receive requires recompense. Yet when freelancers are involved, we think [...]
Robinhood rival Freetrade moves into US stocks as transatlantic retail investing battle hots up January 22, 2019 London fintech startup Freetrade has today launched US stock trading on its app, in the midst of growing rivalry in the commission-free trading space. The app, which offers users the ability to invest in stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) directly without paying commission, said it will start with a curated list of 120 US stocks, including the likes [...]
This is the year for businesses to find their purpose in life January 22, 2019 One year ago, BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink called on businesses to define their societal purpose, sending a message to the corporate world that working towards profit alone was no longer good enough. Last week, Fink’s push towards purpose was in the papers again, when a hacker concocted an elaborate hoax in the form of [...]
Think you know how Britain feels about Brexit? Think again January 22, 2019 Having seen her Brexit proposals rejected in the largest defeat for a sitting government in British parliamentary history, the Prime Minister returned to the House of Commons on Monday with a plan B that looks startling like plan A. Yes, there have been some tweaks around the edges, such as scrapping the fee for EU [...]
How to rewind the resignation and stop staff from leaving January 22, 2019 It has long been said that people don’t leave companies, they leave their manager. This is more true now than ever before. Years ago, during the “job for life” economy when the businesses that were in operation were better able to dominate their space, managers held a significantly higher level of power over the career [...]
Scammers cost savers £202m in blow to pension pots January 21, 2019 More than 3,000 savers have lost a combined £202m to pension scammers in recent years, whose companies were later shut down by the government. The Insolvency Service warned investors today to guard their pension savings from investment scammers and negligent trustees, after it applied to the courts to wind up 24 companies that have carried out a [...]
Fears mount over potential mis-selling of ESG products January 21, 2019 Fears are growing over the potential mis-selling of environmental, social and governance (ESG) products, a new report has shown. Almost all – 97 per cent – of the independent and restricted financial advisors surveyed said they are either “very concerned” or “fairly concerned” about ESG mis-selling, as the popularity of the products increases among investors. Read [...]
29 reasons not to invest in the stock market January 21, 2019 | City Talk Wars, disasters, economic strife and political instability have been persistent themes over the last three decades and they can affect people’s attitude towards investing. In many cases they make an already tough decision to part with your money and invest even harder, leading some to not invest at all. Behavioural scientists have a name for [...]
Debate: As we endure Blue Monday, is the onus on employers to keep their staff happy? January 21, 2019 As we endure Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year, is the onus on employers to keep their staff happy? Yes- Mike Foster is creative director of brand design agency Straight Forward. Keeping employees happy makes good business sense apart from anything else. Smart employers want their team members to feel fulfilled, connected [...]
The European Court of Justice must answer two key questions on the right to be forgotten January 21, 2019 A search on someone’s name in Google reveals a great deal about them. This might include where they work or went to school, as well as more private information such as their religion, sex life, or criminal convictions. In 2014, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided that individuals can protect their privacy by delisting [...]