Millennial mortgages are here: Automatic switching is go at proptech startup Trussle December 19, 2017 The era of millennial mortgages has arrived. A couple from London are the first homeowners to switch their mortgage automatically and entirely online, without the hassle of searching new deals and lengthy paperwork, thanks to an innovative property technology startup. Trussle's switching alert lets users know when they should remortgage to find a better deal. [...]
Focus On Dulwich: Forget the new shiny skyscrapers, this London village attracts well-heeled families with good schools, period houses and bags of charm December 15, 2017 A Tube stop is usually the making of a neighbourhood in London. But in the case of Dulwich in south east London, the absence of a London Underground station may have been an advantage. Left to its own devices and hardly a tourist hotspot, some say this has allowed Dulwich to develop a character all [...]
Beware Bitcoin’s bite – why crypto-currency futures might make a risky investment deadly December 13, 2017 Deutsche Bank has raised serious concerns about the risk posed to the global financial system by Bitcoin. It’s not the first to red flag the crypto-currency and warn investors that it is a potentially dangerous financial instrument to get involved with. Others have warned about the dangers of a Bitcoin bubble. European Central bankers have [...]
UK house prices: Property price growth has fallen for the third month in a row December 12, 2017 House price growth in the UK dropped again in October, according to official figures, the third month in the row it has fallen. Property prices rose 4.5 per cent in the year to October, down from 4.8 per cent in September and 5.1 per cent in August. On a monthly basis, prices fell 0.5 per [...]
Marc Vlessing, CEO of Pocket Living on his mission to provide affordable compact homes for young Londoners December 8, 2017 Marc Vlessing’s eyes were first opened to millennials’ struggle to get on to the housing ladder when he was working in theatre. As CEO of Crescent Entertainment, which went on to become the largest group of theatres and cinemas in the UK, he was surrounded by passionate, hard-working people in their 20s and 30s, “but [...]
New homes going on sale in London this weekend in Barnes, Aldgate, Woolwich, Kensington and Balham December 8, 2017 New developments on the market this week Goodman’s Fields, Aldgate From £1.04m Walk to work from these new homes on the edge of the City where the final collection of one and two bedroom apartments has gone on sale. Situated in Cassia House, a 22-storey tower, there’s a two bedroom show apartment designed by Scott [...]
Could fintech be opening the door to more financial crime? December 8, 2017 Fintech startups aim to disrupt current practices and to do it fast. The emerging business model requires product managers find a buyer need, put out a minimum viable product, and iterate change in response to customer use. However, all this innovation—especially with entrepreneurs who have more tech savvy than experience in financial services—opens opportunities [...]
Bitcoin steals gold’s shine as new investing in bullion drops by a fifth December 5, 2017 Bitcoin is stealing the spotlight from gold as trading among first-time buyers slid to the lowest point since the metal’s price sank in 2015, new data suggests. Gold trading among existing private investors rebounded as bullion prices steadied in November, but falling interest among new investors caused BullionVault’s gold investor index to dip to 53.9 [...]
A stroke of genius: How to get a loan by securing against art November 30, 2017 The world was stunned earlier this month when a 500-year-old Leonardo da Vinci painting smashed the world record by fetching $450m at auction. This figure might sound absurd, but understanding the multitude of factors that determine the value of art will remain a mystery to many of us. “Art is very personal,” says Freya [...]
London’s house price to salary ratio has hit a record high November 28, 2017 The house price to salary ratio has hit a record high in London, piling even more pressure on the capital's strained property market. The average house price in London reached £496,000 in October, and average earnings were £34,200, representing house price ratio of 14.5 times Londoners' salaries. The ratios were also steep in Cambridge and [...]