The missing link: Four ways blockchain will change the face of retail banking March 22, 2018 It's no secret that the retail banking system is in dire need of an upgrade. There is a strong case to be made for a decentralised banking system based on blockchain. With high barriers to entry (particularly in the financially vulnerable and unbanked section of the market), and the security concerns around centralised stores of [...]
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warns of London brain drain caused by steep house prices in capital March 12, 2018 Sadiq Khan fears London businesses could be hit with a “brain drain” if staff are unable to achieve their ambition of owning a home. The London mayor has warned that top bosses see the housing crisis as the primary barrier to doing business in London. In an exclusive interview with City A.M., Khan said: “The [...]
Pious attacks on the finance sector are socially destructive February 28, 2018 Attacks on the financial sector are commonplace. The Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Jeremy Corbyn have all been critical of modern finance while demanding a financial sector that serves the “real economy”. Of course, religion and finance have always been uncomfortable bedfellows, and the extreme left now has a clear preference for a centrally [...]
Retail sales figures reveal the depth of Britain’s economic uncertainty February 19, 2018 A debate which appeared all but settled at the tail end of 2017 is steadily reopening. The question of whether Britain’s economy will expand more this year than it did last year is looking increasingly finely balanced. Just a few months ago, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) cut its annual economic growth forecasts for [...]
UK retailers suffer worst footfall and spending for half a decade February 12, 2018 Britain’s retailers have been dealt another blow at the start of 2018, suffering the worst January for sales and footfall in half a decade. Figures released today by retail experts Springboard show footfall dropped by 1.6 per cent last month, the worst result for January since 2013, with customer numbers on high streets falling by [...]
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is wrong – empty luxury flats are not causing the UK’s housing crisis February 1, 2018 Donned in obligatory high-vis luminous green jackets, chancellor Philip Hammond and communities minister Sajid Javid spent Thursday mooching around a housing development in Leicester, celebrating the construction of new homes. The announcement of an extra £10m to support housebuilding in the area was hardly groundbreaking, yet both men are thought to be considering more radical [...]
Life-changing investments: The science that could save the NHS January 11, 2018 No one can deny (apart from a handful of politicians) that the NHS is in a bad way at the moment. The crisis reached a head last week when hospitals were forced to cancel tens of thousands of operations in order to free-up resources for emergency care. This – unsurprisingly – sparked a national outcry. [...]
What the advertising industry should watch out for in 2018 January 3, 2018 We ask advertising bosses what’s in store for the year ahead. Alex Hesz, chief strategy officer, Adam&eveDDB In the era of fake news, advertising has emerged as an unlikely standard-bearer for scrutiny. We have long embraced the necessity of third-party regulation to verify what is fact and what is fantasy. Our job is to tell [...]
A short history of investing in gold – and what to expect for 2017 December 8, 2017 Gold is coveted by investors for its rarity. As a precious metal with limited supply, it is seen as a store of value when the real value of other assets, and currencies, can be manipulated. But fundamentally, its high worth is underpinned by its usefulness and attractiveness. Not only is it highly malleable but [...]
How the Budget could affect your personal finances, and what you should do if it does November 22, 2017 Philip Hammond hasn’t got it easy. Putting a Budget together is difficult at the best of times, but with Brexit looming large over the UK, producing a financial plan for our economy is now a hell of a lot harder. In such an uncertain time, how can Hammond hope to offer the stability the [...]