Five holiday insurance mistakes to avoid July 16, 2013 Don’t get caught out by insufficient policies and rising premiums A S WE approach the summer holidays, travel insurance is hitting headlines again. Rising unemployment in southern Europe has led to higher crime rates, with tourists prime targets for petty theft. And the travel association ABTA has found that 24 per cent of holidaymakers now [...]
Capital Comment: China is in difficulty but it’s certainly cheap for investors July 16, 2013 ONE Chinese economist suggested on Monday that five straight quarters of growth at less than 8 per cent was “a clear sign of financial distress.” I would dare him to say the same to the Spanish Prime Minister. But the comment did come shortly after confirmation from the Chinese government that the country’s second quarter [...]
Travel money: the benefits of credit and prepaid currency cards July 16, 2013 THE PROLIFERATION of credit, debit, and prepaid currency card deals means changing holiday money is no longer a matter of simply comparing rates along the high street. While the majority still prefer to take cash with them – 60 per cent, according to research by Halifax – debit and credit card providers widely facilitate the [...]
Bernanke vow on stimulus cheers Wall St February 27, 2013 NEW YORK REPORT US stocks rallied for a second straight day yesterday as Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke reaffirmed his strong support for the Fed’s stimulus efforts, while the euro climbed after solid demand at an auction of Italian government debt. Data on US housing and durable goods added to bullish sentiment in stocks, with [...]
How a finance masters could land you a job February 27, 2013 Just don’t expect it to do all the work DEMAND for masters in finance graduates is rising. According to the latest data from the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), 39 per cent of employers will be looking to hire one this year, up from 32 per cent in 2012. And as competition for roles heats [...]
Forget Italy: Fiscal union is unlikely to mend the euro’s defective heart February 27, 2013 WHEN the European Central Bank announced last year that it would do “whatever it takes” to save the euro, many assumed the crisis was over. This week’s Italian election has already shown that an unexpected event could easily throw off balance Europe’s preferred solution. But there is a more important issue at stake. The Eurozone [...]
The end of too big to fail is fast approaching but there is more left to be done February 27, 2013 I AM a supporter of free enterprise, yet I represent an industry that has been the biggest recipient of a state bail-out in British history. It is something that critics of banks have never ceased to remind me. “Tell me,” said an old colleague, “why the banks’ profits are privatised, but their losses are nationalised”. [...]
Bank of Dave Two: How one man took on the FSA and won February 27, 2013 I NEVER wanted to be a banker. But back in 2008, my minibus company in Burnley had a problem. My customers were coming to me for new buses, and needed finance to buy them – as they had done for 20 years. As soon as the credit crunch hit, however, the banks suddenly stopped lending [...]
Letters to the Editor February 27, 2013 Negative interest [Re: Negative interest rates are the last thing the economy needs, yesterday] Driving down the nominal interest rate below zero (and the suggestion that Britain will see further quantitative easing) shows just how strongly the Bank of England supports the UK’s debt economy. The whole system encourages consumers to borrow money and penalises anyone [...]
MWC special February 27, 2013 For the last four days, tech giants have been unveiling their latest creations. We pick out the very best 1 Firefox OS Mozilla, of Firefox browser fame, launched a smartphone platform. The UK will see its first Firefox handsets from 2014. Price: tbc, mozilla.org 2 Sony Xperia Tablet Z Sony claims its latest tablet is [...]
