Forget Brexit, the government must get cracking on Britain’s industrial strategy December 20, 2018 Given the breakneck speed at which news on UK politics has been moving in December, it’s understandable that the first anniversary of the launch of the government’s industrial strategy went largely unnoticed. But in the face of uncertainty over Britain’s international future, it is all the more important that the government makes progress on delivering [...]
The fine line between banter and bullying December 20, 2018 Philip Green found himself under fire when he dismissed allegations of bullying and harassment as just “banter”. And while many of us might have considered former Waitrose magazine editor William Sitwell’s comments on vegans to a freelance writer as a quip, it eventually cost him his job. There is no doubt that a friendly working [...]
Why 2019 might be a better year for investors December 19, 2018 | City Talk 2018 has been a disappointing year for most investors. Almost all markets, both stocks and bonds, have fallen in value this year, under pressure from rising interest rates, political developments such as Brexit, and the trade dispute between the US and China. With hindsight, markets were priced for perfection at the start of the year [...]
Police raid Essex properties in £18m pension fraud probe December 19, 2018 Police have made six arrests as part of an investigation into a suspected pension scheme fraud that has conned victims out of £18m. The arrests come after a criminal investigation led by the Pensions Regulator (TPR) into a scam in which roughly 370 people were persuaded to transfer money into eight pension schemes. The regulator [...]
Celebrations Twix vs Mars… the lesson for investors December 19, 2018 | City Talk Christmas, as my colleague Andy Williams crooningly reassures us, may well be the most wonderful time of the year but, in social terms, it is also potentially the most blunderful. And while solutions to age-old concerns such as gifts people truly have always wanted and friction-free family get-togethers are still works-in-progress, our Value Perspective blog [...]
The changes that could shake up your finances in 2019 December 19, 2018 We Brits approach 2019 with a sense of dread, waiting with bated breath to find out how (and if) the UK leaves the European Union on 29 March. There’s no doubt that Brexit will affect various corners of our finances, but perhaps the real game-changer for our money will be the ongoing push to make [...]
Dealing with the auto-enrolment challenge December 19, 2018 This year saw automatic pension contributions rise to five per cent, and an increase to eight per cent is scheduled for April 2019. While auto-enrolment has certainly been a positive step in encouraging people to save some money towards their pension, there are notable challenges that the initiative poses. The main concern is that there [...]
The Pensions Regulator names Charles Counsell as new chief executive December 18, 2018 The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has appointed the head of the Money Advice Service as its new chief executive. Charles Counsell, who was formerly executive director of automatic enrolment at TPR, will replace outgoing chief executive Lesley Titcomb in April. Counsell said: “The work that TPR does is ever more important in a world where millions [...]
Does the investment profession need to go further on diversity and inclusion? December 18, 2018 | City Talk The asset management industry wants to recruit from wider backgrounds, and this is good news. But there is still a long way to go on creating inclusive cultures. The fact that the asset management business is lagging behind many other industries on diversity and inclusion is not news. Last year’s diversity and inclusion benchmarking report, [...]
Theresa May’s survival as Prime Minister will leave an impact long after Brexit December 18, 2018 Nothing has changed. That was the widely held conclusion from Theresa May surviving her no confidence vote last week. The Prime Minister has kicked the can down the road on putting her proposed withdrawal agreement to parliament. But parliamentary arithmetic is unaltered. Her deal, as it stands, still looks dead on arrival. In the absence of [...]
