Former BoE deputy governor Charlotte Hogg appointed as chief executive of Visa Europe September 7, 2017 Charlotte Hogg, who was forced to resign as the deputy governor at the Bank of England (BoE) earlier this year, has been appointed the chief executive of Visa Europe. Hogg left the BoE in March after a four-year career there following criticism over her failure to declare the potential conflict of interest of her brother’s [...]
Barclays and Lloyds in £10bn borrowing boost from Bank of England term funding scheme stimulus | City A.M. September 7, 2017 Barclays and Lloyds Bank borrowed more than £10bn from the Bank of England’s term funding scheme in the second quarter of this year, ahead of the removal of the lending stimulus early next year. Barclays borrowed £6bn between April and June, while Lloyds drew on £4.5bn, according to the Bank of England’s latest data, published [...]
Twenty-one investment lessons from history September 6, 2017 Some investors give short shrift to analysis. They position portfolios to appease outside consultants, fickle clients, or their own institutional sales force. In many cases, they just buy what feels right. Other investors drown themselves in corporate road shows, insane travel schedules, monstrous spreadsheets. and detailed company reports, completely oblivious to the lessons of [...]
Solar, bitcoin, tech, Tesla and tea: seven important investment charts from August September 5, 2017 Each month, writers at Schroders pull together the most intriguing charts of the month. Solar production eclipsed (briefly) The US came to a standstill on 21 August as people looked skyward to witness a remarkable solar eclipse. But as the moon blocked the sun it also temporarily blocked solar energy production. California aims to generate [...]
How tobacco stocks could now be damaging to your wealth September 4, 2017 A month has now passed since tobacco businesses – and their share prices – were sent reeling by a US regulatory announcement. So what was the news that, for example, wiped out all the gains British American Tobacco had made in the first half of this year? Was it perhaps about to become illegal to [...]
Charter Court Financial Services is set to announce plans for £500m float in London | City A.M. September 3, 2017 Buy-to-let mortgage lender Charter Court Financial Services is expected to reveal a £500m initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Market, according to reports. The owner of Exact and Precise mortgage brands could announce plans for a float as soon as this week with a market value of about £500m, Mark Kleinman at Sky [...]
Exorbitant interest rates have turned student loans into a ticking debt bomb September 1, 2017 Today the interest rate on student loans rises from 4.6 to 6.1 per cent. By comparison, the Bank of England held the base rate at 0.25 per cent last month. The highest level of interest you can get on a standard easy-access cash Isa is 1.03 per cent. You can take out a 10-year fixed [...]
Fintech could be risky if banks don’t cooperate, says the Bank for International Settlements August 31, 2017 Banks will need to take measures over the coming years to mitigate the risks of financial technology (fintech), according to a new report from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). The central bankers’ bank has set up a task force to “provide insight” into the new technology and “explore the implications” for current business models. [...]
Inflation is back and shouldn’t be ignored August 31, 2017 When you factor in inflation you will need to save much more than you might think. Not long ago, the biggest fear of central bankers across major economies was deflation. Policy after policy has been introduced to ward off this risk. More recently we have seen inflation pick up, particularly in the UK where sterling’s [...]
Barclays, HSBC, Credit Suisse and more banks join UBS’s digital currency project Utility Settlement Coin (USC) August 31, 2017 Barclays, HSBC and Credit Suisse are among six major banks joining an ambitious project led by UBS to create a digital currency for financial services. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, MUFG and State Street will also join in with efforts to launch the Utility Settlement Coin (USC), alongside Santander, Deutsche Bank, BNY Mellon and Icap. [...]