Fintech firms falling behind FTSE 100 firms on boardroom diversity with less than one in ten female directors January 18, 2016 Fintech firms may be leading the City when it comes to developing financial innovations, but when it comes to boardroom diversity, they’re falling far behind. The UK’s top 50 fintech firms have just nine per cent women on their boards, research by recruitment firm Astbury Marsden reveals. This makes them three times less diverse than [...]
UK pensions: Industry reacts to hints flat rate pensions tax relief could be introduced by government at the March budget January 18, 2016 The tax relief available on pensions for higher rate taxpayers could be about to be slashed, as the government looks set to introduce a flat rate relief. The Financial Times has reported that chancellor George Osborne could announce in the upcoming March Budget that pensions tax relief, which is currently applied at the same rate [...]
Davos 2016: Why fintech innovation has put us on the brink of a “fourth industrial revolution” January 18, 2016 Most of us will associate the term “industrial revolution” with images of the smog, steam and clanking heavy machinery that transformed society in the 19th century. Since then, society has witnessed two more industrial revolutions, advances in electronics and IT, and now economists are heralding the advent of the “fourth industrial revolution”. This new industrial [...]
Oldest person in UK turns 113 today but what does this mean for your pensions savings plans? January 18, 2016 If you were worrying about the number of candles on your most recent birthday cake, don't: you'd have to go a long way to compete with Gladys Hooper, who celebrates her 113th today. While BBC News reported that Hooper, who is the oldest person in the UK according to Gerontology Research Group records, would be glad to celebrate her birthday with a [...]
Fintech is about to lead the financial services sector into a new era January 18, 2016 I have been leading our firm's involvement in the CBI/PwC Financial Services Survey for several years now. It has been very interesting to see the ebb and flow of the financial services sector during this period. I have observed the doom and gloom of the financial crisis, the spike of optimism shortly after, the reality [...]
Doddle’s Tim Robinson talks 2016, the future of shopping and why he’s looking for a new partner January 18, 2016 Have you used Doddle? If you have, then you’ll either have done so once or 13 times, Tim Robinson, chief executive of the parcel collect and send service tells me. Founded in the autumn of 2014, Doddle has done rather well so far. Over its 2015 peak trading period (the run-up to Christmas), it saw [...]
Office fit outs: Why asset finance is the smart choice January 18, 2016 The London property market is booming – and it’s not just the residential sector. The demand for office space in the capital is pushing up rents and this is having a significant impact on companies’ business strategies. Many firms are looking to move their headquarters out of London to more affordable locations, retaining small offices [...]
UK Pensions: All open defined benefit pension schemes in the FTSE 250 could be gone by next year as employers struggle to turn their pension deficit into a surplus January 18, 2016 All open FTSE 250 defined benefit (DB) pension schemes could disappear within the next year, as employers struggle to keep pace with increasing liabilities. According to analysis released today by JLT Employee Benefits, DB pension provisions in the FTSE 250 have fallen by around 16 per cent in the last year. The total disclosed pension [...]
UK pensions: Baroness Ros Altmann to be grilled by MPs on Monday regarding the ongoing inquiry into understanding the new state pension January 17, 2016 Pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann will face questions from the Work and Pensions Select Committee tomorrow as part of an ongoing inquiry into understanding the new state pension. Last week, the Committee published an interim report, which warned that people were confused about when and how much they would receive under the new state pension [...]
Tech City UK: What London needs from the next mayor January 15, 2016 The race to become London’s next mayor has begun, and now more than ever we need a tech champion at the controls in City Hall. London is unquestionably the digital capital of Europe. Our fintech pioneers, app developers and software innovators are re-defining city life. Digital businesses employ over 250,000 people in the capital alone. [...]
