Building the next five years in alternative finance: How marketplace lending is becoming part of industry furniture July 15, 2015 When we look back, 2015-16 will be seen as the watershed moment: when peer-to-peer (P2P) lending and crowdfunding made the big time, transitioning from quirky innovation to a respected alternative source of finance and investment opportunities. The government has clearly been persuaded of the potential benefits of so-called alternative finance – especially as a [...]
£1.8bn withdrawn from pension pots since new freedoms came into force in April July 15, 2015 In almost every facet of life, if more choice is offered, people will take it. Pensions are no exception with the increasing freedom the government has introduced and that came in to force 100 days ago, £1.8bn has flooded out. Read more: Pensions could look more like ISAs In the two months after pension rules were [...]
Tech London Advocates’ Russ Shaw: Why transparency on pay will help, not hinder, London’s tech sector July 15, 2015 The Prime Minister's plans to force firms to publish average salaries of male and female employees has been met with reluctance from many within the private sector but it has kept the spotlight firmly on diversity and talent within British business. Within the technology sector, this continued focus from government and business leaders is [...]
Sir Clive Sinclair is crowdfunding a new invention: The A-Bike Electric July 14, 2015 Fresh from his victorious fundraising for an updated ZX Spectrum, Sir Clive Sinclair has a new invention seeking crowdfunding – the world's lightest and most compact electric bike. The A-Bike Electric – an upgrade of the original which launched nearly a decade ago – is about to launch on Kickstarter, where Sinclair's team is [...]
How peer-to-peer lending can help wean the UK off artificially cheap credit July 13, 2015 The Budget contained headline-grabbing announcements on banks and pensions. But there’s been little commentary on the chancellor’s declaration that “the government is against unfair subsidies wherever we find them”. This immediately got me thinking about some of the disparities in the financial system and, in particular, the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS). It’s almost [...]
Hotel Chocolat co-founder Angus Thirlwell on how he built a chocolate empire July 12, 2015 Europe is awash with chocolatiers and the British consumer is spoilt for choice. So the idea that someone could set up a chocolate company with £10,000 and take it from startup to a market-conquering beast in just a decade seems a little far fetched. But that is what Angus Thirlwell and his business partner Peter [...]
Scaling up: Overcoming the challenges – Investec Comment July 12, 2015 Business growth takes many forms, but some companies have the capacity to achieve truly remarkable rates of expansion. They are scaling up: increasing revenues at a rate of over 20 per cent annually for more than a couple of years. This phenomenon is not exclusive to fast-growing markets or sectors. It may be that [...]
New Zealand, Turkey and Australia: The countries where your pension pot will go furthest July 10, 2015 Thinking of retiring abroad? New pension freedoms mean Britons can (theoretically) transfer larger amounts of cash abroad than ever before – but what does that mean for those in the market for a home somewhere balmier? New research by foreign currency and international transfer currency Fairfx suggests those looking to move abroad should look to [...]
Cisco is making $1bn investment in UK tech including $150m IoT startup venture backing July 9, 2015 Cisco is making a major long-term investment in UK tech with $1bn of investment and the creation of hundreds of jobs. The tech company which already employs 7,000 people in the UK – its biggest market – is also eyeing up acquisitions here, continuing a spree that has seen the company buy up five tech [...]
July Budget 2015: From the pensions expert to the PwC economist, reactions to the chancellor’s statement July 9, 2015 THE BUSINESS GROUP Confederation of British Industry director general John Cridland Firms will welcome measures to boost investment but will be worried about paying living wage. “This is a double edged Budget for business. Firms will welcome measures to balance the books and boost investment, but they will be concerned by legislating for wage increases [...]
