How US politicians will respond to the looming fiscal cliff December 2, 2012 ONE of the few things that politicians in the United States are good at is dealing with a problem by kicking the can down the road. That’s what happened in August 2011 when Republicans and Democrats reached an agreement to avoid breaching a statutory ceiling on the federal government’s mounting debt. The agreement included the [...]
Could UKIP become the third party in British politics as Nigel Farage recently professed? December 2, 2012 YES Andrew Hawkins It’s the morning after the 2014 European elections and UKIP has won the most votes. This follows a string of by-election successes, regularly beating the Liberal Democrats or Conservatives into third place. UKIP averages 10 per cent in the polls, often ahead of the Lib Dems. Nigel Farage now demands to be [...]
Rapid responses December 2, 2012 New energy model [Re: Simpler energy tariffs will lead to higher bills and less competition, Thursday] It is a mistake for a prime minister to interfere in markets. Competition in the retail energy market was always a bad idea. Since the buying power of the domestic consumer is relatively small, competing for custom is correspondingly [...]
The digital printing duo with a thriving portfolio December 2, 2012 NICK and Tim Green are executive director and chief executive respectively of Tangent Communications, an alternative investment market (AIM)-listed digital printing and marketing company. They have gone against the old adage that you should never go into business with family to set up businesses that have made waves within their industries. Indeed, having made plans [...]
Drown and out experience that took place on the path to charity December 2, 2012 WHEN I started swallowing water, I gave up hope. I was so tired I didn’t want to swim anymore. The “rip” or “undertow” had dragged me a long way from the beach, which was now just a long white band topped with greenery, a meaningless mirage I couldn’t reach. I had no surfboard; I had [...]
Finding the right financing scheme December 2, 2012 A SLEW of new government tax measures, aimed at assisting start-ups and their investors, has reportedly seen minimal take-up. It’s something of a riddle – why would obviously advantageous tax relief, like the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), fail to excite or inspire? The government thinks it’s a publicity problem. Business minister Michael Fallon has [...]
How to plan for the Autumn Statement December 2, 2012 WITH so much focus on tax in the past few months, it would be no surprise if this week’s Autumn Statement sets taxpayers up for a long and cold winter. Its contents are as yet unknown, and George Osborne has vowed to keep his silence ahead of Wednesday’s Statement. That, however, should not prevent taxpayers [...]
Responding to the threat of cuts to pension tax relief December 2, 2012 AS GEORGE Osborne prepares for his much-anticipated Autumn Statement, rumours abound that he will cut pensions tax relief for higher-rate earners. The Chancellor is coming under increasing pressure to meet his debt targets during a time of sluggish economic growth and high public spending levels. And pensions are a likely subject for tinkering now that [...]
Finding handy tools for your DIY portfolio December 2, 2012 THE retail distribution review (RDR), which comes into effect in Jaunary 2013, will change the way that you receive investment advice. Some studies suggest that good advice can help investors, but a recent survey by BlackRock found that 65 per cent of people will still shun advisers – who will begin to explicitly charge fees [...]
Advisers need to respond to new levels of demand December 2, 2012 EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, GEKKO OVER the past few years two factors have emerged that have resulted in the need for a more prescriptive approach on how financial advice is provided. Firstly, the forces of open market competition and the pursuit of short-term profit has led to the practice of dubious sales tactics whereby products are sold [...]
