The help to buy Isa: How helpful is it and what does it really offer first-time buyers? April 23, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne threw would-be first-time buyers a lifeline in his Budget last month: the Help to Buy Isa has been dubbed a key part of the government’s savings revolution, offering assistance to those who want to get onto the property ladder. Due to come into force this autumn, this new Isa wrapper will mean [...]
Behold the era of market meddling: Whoever wins the General Election, the age of intervention is upon us April 23, 2015 In the run up to every General Election, the business community voices its concerns over what a Labour government would mean for UK plc. There is the regular letter to The Telegraph, signed by 100 business leaders, in a show of support for the Conservatives. There is much worry, and some hysteria too. Many readers [...]
Rich pensioners sitting on £16bn of untapped leisure spending April 21, 2015 Wealthy British pensioners added £37bn to the economy in leisure and hospitality spending last year, according to research from Barclays today. But they could spend an extra £16bn, if firms only realised the consumer group had such financial resources, the report into Britain’s aging population showed. The average Brit spends £2,486 on leisure and hospitality each [...]
Private equity goes to the circus April 20, 2015 A GROUP led by the Texas-based private equity fund TPG Capital has bought a controlling stake in the Canadian circus and entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. The group of investors includes Fosun Capital Group, owned by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International. While no financial terms were disclosed for the deal, it is thought to value Cirque du [...]
Peer-to-peer lender Assetz raises £3m from crowdfund site Seedrs April 20, 2015 A pair of peer-to-peer sites came together in a funding operation yesterday which underlines the growing clout of the alternative finance sector. Lending site Assetz raised £3m through equity fundraising site Seedrs. It takes the total raised by debt crowdfunders on Seedrs to more than £4.5m. The debt firm had planned to raise £2m on the [...]
London’s tech sector will grind to a halt without action on infrastructure April 20, 2015 London’s technology sector may be basking in record levels of investment – £549m in the first quarter of this year alone – but maintaining its success will become increasingly dependent on the capital’s infrastructure being fit for the future. The growth of the digital economy over the past few years has irreversibly reshaped our city. [...]
Join our readers’ Wine Club April 20, 2015 Whether you’re an investor or an oenophile, joining City A.M.’s club can help you build your dream cellar City A.M. has launched a readers’ Wine Club aimed at both investors and those who simply enjoy the finer things in life. We are working with some of the world’s leading wine estates to provide exclusive offers [...]
Unfinished business: Serial entrepreneur Luke Johnson talks sentimentality, curves and the General Election April 19, 2015 It's a big wide world, and there’s a lot to be done. It’s important to have a sense of urgency.” This is business polymath Luke Johnson’s answer to why it is that he has quite so many business interests – his industriousness is astonishing. Johnson, who waded into the world of business after getting a [...]
Investec Comment: Pensions: The role of structured products April 19, 2015 THE government’s pension reforms have arrived – and attention has inevitably shifted from the technicalities of the new rules to what those at retirement will do with their new-found freedoms. The reforms have given people unprecedented control over their pensions: you no longer have to buy an annuity, you can keep your money invested and [...]
Silicon Roundabout rents push tech firms out of hub April 16, 2015 Office take-up by tech and media firms in Whitechapel, Canary Wharf and the Docklands is on track to overtake London’s traditional industry mecca of Shoreditch this year as companies go in search of cheaper rents, according to new data seen by City A.M. Property advisory firm Colliers International said 79,740 square feet of space was [...]
