Six Nations 2017 predictions: Ireland will give England serious competition for the championship, Ben Youngs set for a big year February 3, 2017 It will be a grand finale at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin when England take on Ireland for the final game of the Six Nations next month. England have gained momentum since their 2015 World Cup humiliation, and will have some tricky games in the shape of Wales in Cardiff in particular. But all eyes [...]
How can we get ourselves to save more? Use behavioural economics February 1, 2017 It's a convenient excuse – we all vow to save more when we earn more. A new survey by YouGov for Zurich UK of British adults in work found that more than two fifths (42 per cent) said that earning more would encourage them to save more into a pension. Unfortunately, they rarely actually do [...]
Top dogs: 37 of the hottest startups to watch right now January 25, 2017 Nearly 40 UK tech startups have been branded "ones to watch" and will be mentored by top entrepreneurs, founders and investors to get them scaling up to become tech giants. A startup which lets wannabe pet owners borrow other people's dogs, BorrowMyDoggy, and an innovative mapping company which just landed backing from Daimler, What3Words, are [...]
The year of the stock picker: Which value shares look underpriced in 2017? January 24, 2017 We've heard it before. When there is greater volatility and more dispersion in the market, canny investors should be able to beat the index. The great rotation in equities which markets are anticipating due to looser fiscal policy and higher interest rates under Donald Trump is filling active managers with optimism that they can use [...]
Aviva chief exec: Turnaround is complete, so let’s get on with post-Brexit business January 19, 2017 Aviva today announced a large organisational shake-up that will enable the insurance giant to capitalise on the significant opportunities present by the Brexit vote. The group's UK operations, previously separated into life, general and health insurance divisions will be brought together under the leadership of current Aviva life chief exec Andy Briggs. Read more: Aviva shares jump 4.5 [...]
Welsh water bidding war heats up after activist locals attempt to block Severn Trent takeover January 16, 2017 An investment company is still hopeful of buying a Welsh water company, with angry locals seeking to block the rival bid in an unprecedented case of shareholder activism. FTSE 100-listed utility firm Severn Trent agreed an £84m, £18.25-per-share, takeover for Dee Valley Water in November. However, in a never-before-seen move, the deal was blocked last week [...]
This noise-cancelling device means you can finally have office phone conversations in private January 11, 2017 Tired of leaping up from your desk every time you need to have a private phone conversation at the office? One company has unveiled the solution: a mask which absorbs your speech. The Hushme looks like a pair of headphones, but is designed to go around your mouth, absorbing noise so you can have conversations without your [...]
“Alexa, what’s an annuity?” Insurance company Aviva is using Amazon Echo January 4, 2017 "Alexa, what's an annuity?" Now your Amazon Echo can tell you the answer to burning questions about insurance and guide you through the unfamiliar jargon of the industry. The Insurance giant Aviva has developed a so-called skill (like an app for smartphones) for the voice activated speaker which proved a big hit for Amazon over Christmas. Read more: [...]
City Moves for 15 December 2016 | Who’s switching jobs December 15, 2016 The Instant Group John Duckworth has been appointed managing director of The Instant Group, responsible for all sales and business operations in the UK and EMEA region. An experienced real estate executive, John joins from JLL where he was a member of the UK board and, among other responsibilities, ran its corporate services business. In his 18 years [...]
A median of £0? Well, that’s what the ONS says one sector’s workers are putting into their pension pots December 9, 2016 Work in the tourism sector? Are you putting money away for retirement? If the answer is no, then you aren't alone. The latest numbers from those clever boffins over at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest the median pension savings reported in the tourism sector is a mighty… well, diddly-squat. That's right, the ONS said the median reported [...]