Athens set to raid pension funds to make ends meet this month March 3, 2015 Greece could raid the cash reserves of pension funds and public sector entities in a bid to cover its funding needs this month. Athens – which has monthly needs of about €4.5bn (£3.27bn), including a wage and pension bill of €1.5bn – is running out of options to fund itself despite a deal with the [...]
City watchdog launches study into pension fund fee structure March 2, 2015 THE FINANCIAL Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have called on members of the country’s investment industry to help fashion new rules on how workplace pension scheme costs should be reported to savers. From April this year, Independent Governance Committees (IGCs) and pension scheme trustees will be required to report [...]
The Golden Age: Octopus’s George Whitehead on an extraordinary five years for UK technology and enterprise March 1, 2015 It's been an impressive five years for the UK technology and enterprise industry. From the establishment of Tech City to the development of world-leading accelerator programmes, and the international success stories of businesses like Deep Mind, Asos, Zoopla, CSR and Shazam, it is no secret that Britain has become a leading light in entrepreneurship. DISPROPORTIONATE [...]
General Election 2015: What the parties are offering small business March 1, 2015 Before the 2010 General Election, Britain’s small business community was a rather uncoordinated mass, largely invisible to the political elite. This time around, the UK’s 5m small firms can’t and won’t be overlooked. This newly-drawn constituency has legs, and we know how to use them. In a brave small business world, the party that can [...]
Smart Pension is a startup that wants to make auto enrollment a cinch for small businesses February 26, 2015 Auto-enrollment might be good for employees, but getting the paperwork done in time for the deadline (which, fact fans, is 1 March for businesses with 54-57 employees) is creating a headache for entrepreneurs. Step forward Smart Pension, a startup which has just closed a £1.5m funding round, with backers including the likes of Zoopla investor William [...]
How politicians can support Britain’s fast-growth businesses February 26, 2015 Politicians of all stripes talk a good sound bite when claiming to support British businesses – but talk, unlike running a company, is cheap. As the election approaches and manifestos are released, we will soon be able to assess which party truly backs Britain’s growing band of entrepreneurs. The UK is undoubtedly a great place [...]
Ahead of the game February 25, 2015 Andy Baldwin explains why the UK is leading the way in crowdfunding in Europe – and what the future holds for an alternative source of finance on the cusp of the mainstream THE OVERALL growth rates for alternative finance in the UK and mainland Europe are making it increasingly clear that the industry cannot be [...]
5 …Crowdfunding picks for investors February 25, 2015 CommuterClub Via a simple loan system, the company provides low-cost payment solutions for annual public transport tickets. It’s looking to raise £550,000, and is offering a 18.03 per cent equity stake via crowdfunding platform Seedrs. 52 days left www.seedrs.com TheIdleMan.com This online retailer, devoted to young men’s fashion, wants to become a global industry leader. [...]
Diary of a Crowdfunder: Six months on from a transformative funding round February 25, 2015 Frazer Thompson, chief executive of winemaker Chapel Down, explains what it’s like following a successful fundraise We started a journey, 13 years ago now, to transform people’s opinions about English wine. It’s been a long, tough and sometimes frustrating journey. Most people thought we were mad. But some brave folk thought we were not. Over [...]
Peer-to-peer lender VPC Specialty Lending Investments eyes £200m IPO on the London Stock Exchange February 25, 2015 Peer-to-peer lender VPC Specialty Lending Investments is eyeing a £200m debut on the London Stock Exchange. The company will use the cash raised to invest in opportunities in the alternative lending market, it said today. The lender, owned by US-based Victory Park Capital, is wooing investors with a dividend yield of eight per cent, and will target total [...]
