Funding Circle confirms IPO that could value it at £2bn September 3, 2018 Small business loans platform Funding Circle this morning confirmed its intention to IPO in a move that could value it at £2bn. The firm plans to float 25 per cent of its shares to generate £300m on the London Stock Exchange, with its debut being underpinned by Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen, who has committed to [...]
City Moves for 3 September 2018 – who’s switching jobs at Asia House, Wizz Air and BNP Paribas Asset Management? September 3, 2018 Today's City Moves cover research, airlines and asset management. Take a look at these movers and shakers: Asia House Ed Ratcliffe has been appointed as head of research and advisory at Asia House. Ed recently moved back to the UK after five years in the Asia region, most recently as country director of the Myanmar [...]
HSBC goes on hiring spree for new digital business banking initiative September 2, 2018 HSBC has hired more than 100 new staff to work inside its Aldwych offices on Project Iceberg, an internal digital initiative to revamp its small business banking effort and to counteract competition coming in from Shoreditch’s fintech stars. A source familiar with the matter told City A.M. the bank has chosen to innovate on its [...]
ISA saver numbers fall to lowest level since 2000 August 31, 2018 The number of savers using ISAs has fallen to an 18-year low as consumers seek alternative investment methods. New account numbers fell to 10.8m in 2017/18, the lowest number since 2000, according to new figures published by HMRC today. However, although there are fewer accounts, the amount of money being saved in ISAs has increased hugely – [...]
The simple changes that could save the Lifetime Isa August 31, 2018 It’s never been harder for young people to get on the property ladder, and yet they’re not being given the tools or information they need. The Lifetime Isa was supposed to help, but ended up leaving a lot of people confused. While some are calling for it to be scrapped altogether, I think the Lifetime [...]
Buy the company or the product? Consumers understand their favourite brands, so they should buy shares in the firm August 31, 2018 We've all been guilty of being swayed by the hype that surrounds fashionable items. The iPhone X is a perfect example of that. Unphased by the £1,000 price tag, fans pledged their money before the new phone even hit the shelves, while thousands camped outside Apple stores on the day of its release. But let’s [...]
DEBATE: Is Entrepreneurs’ Relief worth the cost to the government? August 31, 2018 Is Entrepreneurs’ Relief worth the cost to the government? Chris Chapple, tax partner at BDO, says YES. Entrepreneurs’ Relief (ER) is a generous tax relief for business owners – but let’s remember why it was created. Tax law has long offered reliefs to entrepreneurs who sell all or part of their business, of which ER [...]
It’s not rocket science – if we want more maths teachers, we should pay them more August 31, 2018 Britain faces a teaching crisis: half of new maths and physics teachers quit within five years. Just 47 per cent of those teaching these subjects at GCSE level have a relevant degree, and in the most deprived schools, it’s as low as one in five. Thursday’s report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) paints a [...]
City Moves for 31 August 2018 – who’s switching jobs at Reward Gateway, Vannin Capital, Helical and EY? August 31, 2018 Today's City Moves cover HR, legal finance, property and financial services. Take a look at these movers and shakers: Reward Gateway Elli Morii, a leading global finance executive has joined HR technology and employee engagement specialist, Reward Gateway, as its new chief financial officer. Elli, who is based in London, joins Reward Gateway to lead [...]
Claim-hit Wonga stops taking loan applications as it ‘considers its options’ August 30, 2018 Wonga appeared to be on the verge of folding this morning, as it made the decision to stop taking new loan applications. The payday lender told customers that it “continues to assess its options” in the wake of a huge number of compensation claims that led to shareholders providing an emergency £10m earlier this month. [...]