UK set to face ‘sluggish’ growth in the face of sticky inflation and Bank of England interest rate hikes
Made in Britain: The entrepreneur helping UK firms realise their exporting ambitions in Asia November 5, 2018 I am at the National Liberal Club in London. Everything about this place – from the smoking room to the 1915 portrait of Winston Churchill – screams old-world British at me. And there’s nothing coincidental about Siddharth Shankar’s choice of meeting place. Surrounded by empty chesterfield sofas, Shankar seems to be in his element – [...]
Returns from peer-to-peer lending look attractive, but is it a sensible sector to invest for retirement? November 1, 2018 Peer-to-peer lending (P2P) has long been deemed by many professionals in the conventional investment industry as too risky for retail investors. And yet, this technology driven form of lending has surged in popularity over the past decade, which is largely a result of the sector offering a decent return where other asset classes have struggled. [...]
Cyclists are swapping their helmets for Hovding airbags – would you do the same? October 29, 2018 Imagine a London where no one wears a cycle helmet – and not because vanity has hit the roof, or because the roads have been made so safe that helmets are redundant (though that would also be nice). It’s because of a new invention: an airbag for cyclists. Created in Sweden in 2005 by Anna [...]
Seven top tips if you want to retire early October 24, 2018 Picture this: a life of lie-ins and long holidays – all when you’re still spritely enough to enjoy the free time. For many of us, the prospect of retiring early will seem like a pipe dream. It’s true that there is no magic formula – whether you can afford early retirement is usually a question [...]
How to capitalise on the electric car revolution October 23, 2018 Electric vehicles have existed since 1828, and yet their prevalence in popular society has remained the stuff of science fiction for more than two centuries. It’s only recently that electric cars have become commonplace, helped partly by government policies – such as the planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by [...]
Let’s get kraken: How the Octopus Group is making waves October 22, 2018 For a long time, it seemed like the bosses of finance, energy, and property corporations were laughing – the heartless belly laughs of those raking in stacks of money at the expense of their customers. Now there’s a growing trend for companies that care about the people they serve, a feeling that this should be their [...]
Has the clampdown on spreadbetting platforms really protected traders? October 16, 2018 For years, spreadbetting companies enjoyed an easy ride. But this summer saw trading platforms enter a tough new era, as regulators began to weigh down on the industry. Recent weeks have seen some of the UK’s largest trading platforms bowing under the pressure, as the impact of strict new rules becomes clear. Introduced by the European [...]
Does Goldman Sachs retail bank Marcus really warrant all the hype? October 10, 2018 Marcus sounds worlds apart from the financial beast that is Goldman Sachs. But that’s the point – Marcus is meant to sound approachable, a bank for normal people. Named after one of the company’s founders, Marcus Goldman, this new challenger bank has proved popular since it first launched in the US back in 2016. It’s also [...]
A guide to good money: How to invest ethically and sustainably October 3, 2018 Good Money Week is now upon us. Launched in 2005, this campaign has nudged sustainable, responsible, and ethical financial products into the spotlight. And it’s the investment industry where this trend has really gained traction, with terms like socially responsible investing (SRI) and “impact investing” coming to the fore. Indeed, it wasn’t long ago that [...]
The guardians of the art industry: How a former trader is giving old buildings a new lease of life September 28, 2018 Scott Franklin is like the popular kid at school. When the former City trader shows me around the renovated Victorian warehouse in Clerkenwell, everyone we pass seems pleased to see him – which strikes me as unusual for someone whose role resembles that of a landlord. Franklin, who is the founder of Property Guardian [...]