Budget 2016: Merging national insurance and income tax – George Osborne could be seen as a great reforming chancellor – but he might scupper his chances of becoming Prime Minister too March 10, 2016 The Office of Tax Simplification has recommended merging national insurance and income tax. This proposal, first mooted as long ago as 1943, has been kicked around by various chancellors. Nigel Lawson gave it serious consideration in the 1980s, Alistair Darling thought about it for a while and George Osborne launched a consultation in 2012. Will [...]
Just Retirement and Partnership Assurance £1.6bn merger approved by UK regulators March 10, 2016 Pensions heavyweights Just Retirement and Partnership Assurance have received approval for their £1.6bn merger from financial regulators. Both the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority have given approval to the all-share merger, which was agreed in August last year. Plans to merge the annuities companies came in the wake of pension reforms announced in March 2014, after [...]
FTSE 100 has a muted start as investors await European Central Bank big reveal March 10, 2016 The FTSE 100 made a muted start to trading today, as investors nervously awaited a big reveal from the European Central Bank's Mario Draghi, who is expected to take rates further into negative territory later today. The FTSE 100 edged down 0.1 per cent in early trading, as economists expected Draghi to cut the central bank's deposit rate [...]
Lessons from Chelsea: With Eva Carneiro suing the club, when can bosses demote their staff? March 10, 2016 Before we look at when an employer does have grounds to demote their staff, we should first ask: when can’t they do so? Eva Carneiro, Chelsea’s former team doctor, who is suing Chelsea in an employment tribunal, may think she knows the answer. She would probably argue that going onto the pitch to treat an [...]
Why equity crowdfunding platforms must take due diligence more seriously March 10, 2016 The growth of equity crowdfunding has been spectacular. It has delivered the kind of shot in the arm for the funding of small businesses that policymakers have been seeking for decades. And what is particularly interesting is that crowdfunding has done this without two components that most investors view as vital before they invest: proper [...]
Britain wants to woo US tech entrepreneurs to expand their businesses in London and the UK with SXSW campaign launch by mayor’s office and UKTI March 10, 2016 Britain wants to woo more US tech entrepreneurs and encourage them to set up shop in London and elsewhere in the UK, in a bid to steal the crowns from San Francisco and New York as the hottest tech hotspots in the world. London is the most desirable destination for foreign tech workers in Europe looking to relocate [...]
Meh: FTSE 100 edges up as investors await a glitter bomb from Mario Draghi – but Burberry share price leads the fallers March 9, 2016 The FTSE 100 had an uncharacteristically relaxed day of trading today, edging up 0.41 per cent to finish at 6,174.8 points. The lacklustre performance came as investors held their breath in anticipation of a potential bombshell from the European Central Bank (ECB) chief tomorrow: it is hoped Mario Draghi will cut the bank's deposit rate by at [...]
Global fintech investment in 2015 hit $13.8bn as end of year slowdown fails to derail best year yet March 9, 2016 A slowdown at the end of 2015 failed to derail a bumper year for fintech as investors ploughed $13.8bn into startups in the sector across the globe – more than double the amount of the previous year. Investors made greater bets on disruptive technology in the finance sector than ever before, committing more money to each deal. The number of mega-deals – those worth [...]
Buy when there’s blood on the floor: The market chaos of January and February has created a buying opportunity March 9, 2016 There was much to concern investors in the first two months of 2016. Chinese growth has slowed further, and the renminbi devaluation has kept investors nervous that there is a more intense currency war ahead. Commodity prices have remained under pressure, with oil prices hitting the lowest levels since 2003. Closer to home, investors have [...]
UK pensions: Public opinion on how pensions should be taxed is divided, but experts agree that better education on the topic could encourage people to save more March 9, 2016 Pension experts were pretty vocal about what possible changes chancellor George Osborne could have made to pensions at next week's Budget, but the public at large is more conflicted in its feelings, research published today has found. According to a study by professional services firm PwC, 42 per cent admit that they have no clue [...]
