How P2P can take the strain of tighter bank capital rules December 10, 2015 Harriet Green asks Assetz Capital where platforms will go from here – and where the pitfalls lie Should retail investors be worried about the rise of institutional money in the peer-to-peer (P2P) industry? What should we think about the growing role of funds within it? And is it just banks who will find their [...]
UK Pensions: Around five million annuity holders could be about to find out more about how to sell their fixed income for a lump sum December 8, 2015 An estimated five million annuity holders could soon have a clearer idea of how they could resell their retirement income stream for a cash lump sum in the next few days. Hargreaves Lansdown Pensions today pointed out that the Summer Budget revealed the government will set out plans for the secondary market for annuities in the autumn, meaning [...]
Sequoia Capital just made a big bet on insurance tech with $13m Lemonade investment December 8, 2015 Sequoia Capital, one of the world's leading venture capital firms which was an early backer of Apple, Google and Yahoo, has invested millions in a fintech startup with designs on disrupting the insurance world. New York-based Lemonade, a p2p insurance company which has yet to launch, has landed $13m (£8.7m) from the Sequoia and London-based VC firm Aleph Capital. It's [...]
Unicorn or donkey? Investors need to forget mythical valuations and look at intangible assets to spot a good startup December 7, 2015 Investors need to base their decisions on data rather than hope when looking at tech companies Unicorns are extremely rare, magical creatures. At least they were. Until a few years ago, when “unicorn” became shorthand for a handful of mainly US venture capital-backed companies with pre-IPO valuations of $1bn or more. Today, depending on how [...]
Pub lunches and buying a pet: The low-cost lifestyle changes you can make to be happy in middle age December 7, 2015 Alright, so the older generation may be the most well-off – but according to new research, splashing the cash won't necessarily make you happy. A study by retirement income specialist Age Partnership has put together the definitive list of lifestyle changes over-55s can make to stay happy as they get older – and it turns [...]
Meggitt shares waver after as it expects more savings in 2016 December 7, 2015 Shares in Meggitt rose this morning, after the aerospace and defence group said that although headwinds it experienced this year will continue into 2016, they will be largely mitigated by cost cutting. Meggitt, which manufactures parts for aerospace, defence and energy companies, expects organic revenue growth to be in the low- to mid-single digits in civil aerospace, civil aftermarket and military. [...]
Australia’s investing millions to create a tech boom as mining declines December 7, 2015 Australia will invest millions in an attempt to create a new tech boom, as mining in the country declines. An AUS$1.1 billion (£534m) package of measures designed to encourage entrepreneurship and new business includes reduced capital gains tax for startups, income tax rebates for retail investors and immigration changes to hire talent. "The mining boom, [...]
UK businesses’ total borrowing against invoices reaches £16bn December 7, 2015 Businesses have borrowed £16bn against unpaid invoices, according to figures released today by the (ABFA) Asset Based Finance Association. Firms have also borrowed £4bn against property, stock, machinery and intellectual property. The total £20bn in asset backed lending is up four cent on this time last year. It is also up from £13.4bn in 2009. [...]
The social changemaker: Unforgettable founder James Ashwell on jigsaws, BP and changing the world for people with dementia December 6, 2015 When James Ashwell was 24 years old, working for Accenture in London, he got a phone call telling him his dad was dead. “I remember literally falling to the floor; it took all the wind out of me. I put on my coat and that was it. I ended up never going back.” It wasn’t [...]
Should you invest in high risk fast growth firms? December 6, 2015 Pensions are still a highly attractive vehicle for long-term saving. You get tax relief on the way in, investments within the wrapper are shielded from tax on capital gains and dividends, and in most cases your pension assets can be passed onto your heirs free of inheritance tax. Yet for higher earners, pensions are about [...]
