FTSE surges as oil and financial firms greet Budget moves – London Report March 18, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index rallied yesterday as oil shares and financial companies drew a boost from changes announced as part of the government’s pre-General Election Budget. The FTSE 100 closed up 107.59 points, or 1.6 per cent, at 6,945.20, shy of its all-time high at 6,974 points hit earlier this month. Shares in investment company [...]
Wall St rallies on Fed move – New York Report March 18, 2015 US STOCKS jumped yesterday after the Federal Reserve suggested a less aggressive timeline for raising interest rates even as it opened the door for the first hike in almost a decade. The Fed dropped its pledge to be “patient” in deciding when to begin raising rates, but it cut its interest rate projections over the [...]
Let’s get ethical: Abundance’s Bruce Davis on what crowdfunding is offering investors with a conscience March 18, 2015 Are we becoming more ethically aware when making investments? According to recent research conducted for Triodos Bank, more than one in 10 Brits say that they plan to remove any investments they hold involving fossil fuels over the next 12 months. And among 18 to 34-year olds, the proportion rises to 40 per cent. But [...]
Paying interns makes internships pay – ACCA Comment March 18, 2015 Companies must get out of their comfort zone and give young people a chance. This week, ACCA released the findings of a survey we conducted with Intern Aware and YouGov, which asked businesses across the UK their views on internships. Our research found that over half of British companies have never used an intern, and [...]
Small beer Budget: George Osborne deserves credit for holding back on the bribery March 18, 2015 We should “choose the future” George Osborne insisted yesterday, in what may yet turn out to be his final Budget. But in truth, he spent much of his time focusing on the recent past. Employment has been buoyant and now stands at a record high. Those who predicted that spending constraint would lead to an [...]
Budget 2015: George Osborne’s plans depend on strong growth – let’s hope it actually materialises March 18, 2015 George Osborne used the opportunity of the last Budget before the election to set out his manifesto. The Budget was based on “growth and investment”, he claimed, and he promised an end to austerity towards the end of the next Parliament, defined entirely as a promise to start expanding government spending again by 2019. The [...]
Why the public finances may improve even faster than the Budget forecasts March 18, 2015 The chancellor delivered an astute Budget yesterday. Some politically safe revenue raising measures (a raid on the banks, a further crackdown on tax avoidance and evasion, and a reduction in the lifetime allowance for pensions) raised enough money to pay for some politically popular giveaways: an increase in personal income tax allowances, a new tax [...]
Was George Osborne’s last Budget before the General Election a winner for British savers? March 18, 2015 Iain McCluskey, tax director at PwC, says Yes This was a Budget for those who choose to, in George speak, fix their roof. With returns on savings sitting at miserable lows for most people, the chancellor had to innovate to try and encourage the country to save. He did this by using the Budget to [...]
For top of the range sunglasses, retro frames are in, anything mirrored is out March 18, 2015 Don’t let the sun dazzle you – you’ll be the one doing the dazzling in these top of the range frames We’ve been promised a heat-wave in the not too distant future, and that’s reason enough to stock up on some new shades to keep you looking cool in the sun. Retro frames once [...]
How psychology can make you a better negotiator March 18, 2015 Use empathy and build trust to get better results in negotiation. What can help make you a better negotiator? The common advice is to research your opponent and do your homework on what they want to achieve from the negotiations. But it’s also crucial to recognise the psychology behind the bargaining process. Several studies have [...]
