Equity crowdfunding: What motivates an investor? February 25, 2016 How do retail investors really make decisions when investing through crowdfunding platforms? A new paper, released today by the London School of Economics, sheds some light. The focus is whether equity crowdfunding provides a robust alternative to financing entrepreneurship. To answer this, authors Saul Estrin and Susanna Khavul have looked at the rationality of investor behaviour, [...]
Bar Standards Board report reveals that complaints process might favour women but does not show any bias on racial grounds February 24, 2016 The system for dealing with complaints about barristers may slightly favour women, a report released today by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has discovered. The report, which was carried out to assess the fairness of the BSB's complaints handling process, revealed that complaints about female barristers were less likely to be referred for disciplinary action than [...]
The kids aren’t alright: Millennials are fleeing from London in their droves, driven by those in their early 30s February 24, 2016 Millennials – those born after 1980 – are deserting the capital in their droves, according to new research. The study, by the Office for National Statistics for The Silvertown Partnership, suggested 128,766 people aged 21-40 left London in 2014 – up seven per cent on the year before. In fact, the number of young Londoners ditching the [...]
JLL’s UK boss Guy Grainger takes top European job at property firm in management reshuffle February 24, 2016 The UK boss of property services giant JLL Guy Grainger has been promoted to chief executive of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as part of a management reshuffle at the company. Grainger, 48, who has headed up the UK business for three years, will succeed current EMEA chief Christian Ulbrich, who will become president of the New [...]
Small business representatives tell the Work and Pensions Committee of their auto-enrolment worries, including clash between adopting system and National Living Wage February 24, 2016 Smaller employers need to act now to understand what is required of them under the pensions auto-enrolment rules, small business representatives have cautioned. Speaking in front of the Work and Pensions Committee this morning, Mike Cherry, policy director at Federation of Small Businesses, pointed out that research by his organisation indicated that that many small businesses [...]
Powa layoffs off 74 of around 100 London employees after entering administration February 23, 2016 Powa Technologies, once billed by its chief executive Dan Wagner as the future biggest tech company in the world, has made 74 of its London employees redundant after burning through its massive cash pile. Powa Technologies Group was placed into administration on Friday, appointing Deloitte to oversee a potential sale after lead investor Wellington Management called in its loans. [...]
The Bank of England, blockchain and the future of the payments industry: Innovation, resilience or both? February 23, 2016 The Bank of England's principal objective is clear: to maintain monetary and financial stability. It is, therefore, almost by definition, a risk averse institution. Yet in a speech to leaders in the payments industry delivered last month, the Bank’s deputy governor for markets and banking outlined the need to modernise the UK’s real-time gross settlement system (RTGS). This [...]
Of data leaks and oil spills: Tips for tackling a corporate crisis February 23, 2016 As Johnson & Johnson, BP, Volkswagen and TalkTalk can all attest, corporate crises are never easy. Communicating an assured and consistent message at a time when consumers may be vulnerable to fraud or even poisoning is one that few do well, especially when one eye is on the share price. “Businesspeople are used to being detached,” [...]
Pensions tax relief cuts: Why the government is vastly over-estimating what it could save from moving to flat rate relief February 23, 2016 In his Budget speech on 16 March, the chancellor is widely expected to announce – potentially quite radical – changes to the taxation of pensions. This will not just be important for pensions professionals. Fundamental changes to the way tax relief is granted could have significant consequences both for members of pension schemes and for those who [...]
Investing in junior Isas: Why kids can be risk-takers February 23, 2016 I'm getting into stocks. Or perhaps more accurately, I’m getting into stocks via a tax-free savings and investment account designed specifically for my daughter, who’s barely a month old. While none of this will technically be my money, there’s an underlying lesson here for the broader investment environment: time. If you are a short-term trader [...]
