Here’s how to make the most of investing in Apple, Amazon and major overseas players October 27, 2016 In a globalised world, equity investors need to think big if they want to buy the world’s best companies. “There is no UK equivalent to the likes of Amazon or Facebook. The UK’s own social networking pioneer, Friends Reunited, finally closed its web doors in February this year,” says Michelle McGrade, chief investment officer at [...]
Get ready for a more mature Autumn Statement – which might mean you get ignored October 27, 2016 All Autumn Statements are political, but some Autumn Statements are more political than others. Under George Osborne, we have become used to very political Budgets and Autumn Statements. The former chancellor consistently engaged the media with policy tweaks – from pensioner bonds to corporate tax cuts. The changes were generally small, but their appeal to [...]
Restoring Britain’s reputation for liberal economic policy must be the priority in the coming Autumn Statement October 26, 2016 The forthcoming Autumn Statement brings to mind the old quote from Bill Clinton’s adviser James Carville about wanting to be reincarnated as the bond market – because then he could intimidate everyone. Philip Hammond, the new chancellor, should beware the so-called bond vigilantes. The chancellor is looking for innovative ways to shift the cost of [...]
Travel money exchange disruptor WeSwap launches crowdfunding campaign October 26, 2016 P2P travel money exchange disruptor WeSwap today launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs. WeSwap has reported growth of 204 per cent in the last year, welcoming more than 200,000 users. It has a fundraising target of £1m to accelerate development on the platform and expand into new markets. Read more: Who's responsible for greater transparency in equity [...]
US private equity firm eyeing UK investment opportunities as sterling value falls October 26, 2016 JZ Capital Partners, a US private equity company listed in London, is eyeing investment opportunities in the UK, with the fall in sterling making assets cheaper. The company’s share price rose by more than one per cent today to 518p after it reported a net asset value (NAV) of $873m (£714m), up from $851.7m, for [...]
The economics of iceberg homes: Are mega-basements just a sunk cost? October 26, 2016 Even if you’re rich, London’s above-ground space limitations and conservation rules can put the kibosh on building your dream home. If you have a vision of putting a swimming pool, cinema or bowling alley in your Georgian terrace, you’ll probably have to think vertically to realise it. Over the last decade, iceberg basements have become [...]
The government’s pension freedoms were less popular last quarter as withdrawals fell October 26, 2016 Retirees have taken £7.6bn from their savings since reforms were introduced in April 2015, the Treasury revealed today – but the pace of withdrawals is falling. The amount withdrawn during the third quarter of 2016 dipped to £1.5bn, down from £1.8bn in the previous three months. One of George Osborne's flagship pension reforms announced just over 18 months [...]
Female bosses get blamed more than their male counterparts for a company crisis October 26, 2016 Ever thought Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer seems to get an awful lot of critical headlines compared to some of the male bosses out there? Well, according to research by The Rockefeller Foundation, 80 per cent of news reports relating to female bosses dealing with corporate troubles suggested they were a source of blame. In [...]
13 verbs employers and recruiters want to see on your CV October 26, 2016 CV writing: it's a deeply awkward process – from working out which tense to write in (hint: do past tense) to deciding whether to list your love of paragliding among your hobbies. But now CV writing service StandoutCV has surveyed 150 employers to find out what they want to see on your resume – and [...]
Start with a blank canvas: How to invest in the art market October 26, 2016 For years the idea of purchasing art as an investment was frowned upon by purists in the art world – the two should be separate, like church and state. Art as investment is certainly not for everyone: the market is quite illiquid, prices can be volatile, and storage costs can outweigh profits. But as investors [...]
