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 [...]
UK pensions: Six million people have been auto-enrolled into a workplace pension since the rules were introduced in 2012 March 8, 2016 The Pensions Regulator had a reason to celebrate today, as it revealed that the number of people saving into a workplace scheme as a result of auto-enrolment has now passed the six million mark. Since the scheme started being rolled out in 2012, more than 100,000 employers have enrolled staff. "It is brilliant to see [...]
International Women’s Day: Young mothers suffering from workplace “pay penalty”, new research finds March 8, 2016 Women who become mothers before the age of 33 earn on average 15 per cent less than those without children, new research has found. Younger mothers are also more likely to experience poor treatment in the workplace, affecting their earnings, according to analysis published by the TUC today, International Women's Day. Read more: Sorry, but quotas [...]
UK pensions: Has chancellor George Osborne missed an opportunity by saying he won’t reform the pensions system at the Budget on 16 March and what might he do instead? March 8, 2016 It is with relief that we welcome the chancellor’s turnaround, in choosing not to radically change the basis of pension taxation in the Budget on 16 March and in particular not to introduce pensions Isas. However, there are other rabbits that he could pull out from his hat. At current levels of auto-enrolment contributions (2 per cent of earnings rising [...]
EU referendum: Row erupts on International Women’s Day after employment minister Priti Patel likens eurosceptics to suffragettes March 8, 2016 Comments by employment minister Priti Patel likening eurosceptics to suffragettes have sparked a row on International Women's Day. At a launch event for Women For Britain, a women's group campaigning to leave the EU, this morning, Patel cited suffragette movement leader Emmeline Pankhurst, saying: "As a suffragette, Pankhurst fought for the rights of women to have [...]
Fresh start for Argentina: Investors say Argentina is the bright spot in Latin America as President Mauricio Macri ends 15-year long dispute with hedge funds and gets serious about economic reform March 8, 2016 The land of beef, red wine, ranches and hinterland. Argentina is on the cusp of great change. The combination of a newly elected pro-change President, Mauricio Macri, and the resolution of a nearly 15-year long dispute with international lenders both mean Argentina is going to draw a line under its checkered past. Experts are now tipping [...]
International Women’s Day 2016: Sorry, but quotas aren’t the way to get more women into executive roles March 8, 2016 Countries around the world are increasingly using quotas to redress gender imbalance in corporate leadership. This raises an important question: Do quotas work? The answer to this question brings to mind Harvard Business School Professor Boris Groysberg’s quote: “Diversity is about counting the numbers. Inclusiveness is about making the numbers count.” The distinction between “diversity” [...]
International Women’s Day 2016: Government nagging hasn’t worked – so businesses must take responsibility for helping women to climb the career ladder themselves March 8, 2016 Another International Women’s Day, another opportunity for the usual merry-go-round of politicians and academics to lecture businesses on gender diversity. By now, the complaints are well-rehearsed. Women earn 24 per cent less than their male counterparts. At a senior level, they make up only 14 per cent of senior executive roles. On the FTSE 100, [...]
Women in fintech: Four ways to close the gender gap March 8, 2016 Fintech has gone from strength to strength over the past couple of years. With greater investment from venture capital and institutions, the rise of new technologies and solutions, as well as increased attention from policy-makers, legislators and regulators, fintech has become a magnet for talent, innovation and entrepreneurship in the UK and around the world. [...]
British female entrepreneurs on the rise: Report finds millennial women more likely to start businesses than men and older ladies March 8, 2016 The proportion of female entrepreneurs in the UK has nearly doubled among recent generations, a new report has found. And the majority – 59 per cent – of entrepreneurs aged under 35 are female, according to HSBC Private Bank’s Essence of Enterprise report. This figure for millennials compares with 16 per cent among UK entrepreneurs over the age of [...]
