Growing personal debt is a ticking time bomb and trouble will come when rates and inflation start to creep up December 3, 2015 It’s no surprise that we’re borrowing like there’s no tomorrow; prices are low, credit is cheap and coupled with wage growth you could say there’s a feeling of positivity in the air. Make the most of this sweet spot now; we’re watching a ticking time bomb and trouble is likely to be on the horizon. [...]
Euro rises as European Central Bank boss Mario Draghi is expected to ramp up monetary stimulus programme at the December meeting December 3, 2015 This morning investors are gearing up for a widely anticipated early Christmas present from the European Central Bank (ECB), due later today. The ECB is expected to ramp up its monetary stimulus programme for the embattled Eurozone economy, against a backdrop of persistently low inflation and disappointing lending by banks. There are a number of ways the Bank could [...]
How to overcome the SME alt fi knowledge gap December 3, 2015 There has been much talk about the dearth of traditional bank loans to SMEs since the credit crunch, with the conventional narrative increasingly detached from reality as market confidence and conditions improve. But this jaded dialogue has disguised another issue: the rapid and seemingly unrelenting decline of the small business overdraft. In fact, a [...]
The UK needs to better insure itself against the cyber-terrorism threat December 2, 2015 In the week after the devastating atrocities in Paris, the chancellor announced that infiltration of our online infrastructure ranks alongside “guns, bombs and knives” as a terrorist threat against which the UK needs urgently to defend itself. Elevating cyber-terrorism in such a public manner, backed up with commendably generous financial resources for our security services, [...]
Aberdeen Asset Management said to be further diversifing as Bank of England backs stress tests December 2, 2015 Aberdeen Asset Management, having recorded outflows of £12.6bn over the three months to the end of September, is reportedly eyeing up bond fund manager Rogge Global Partners. Aberdeen is one of three potential firms that could bid for Rogge, following financial services group Old Mutual putting it up for sale, it was yesterday reported by [...]
The US Federal Reserve is on course for a December interest rate hike, hints Janet Yellen December 2, 2015 The Federal Reserve is on course to raise interest rates from record lows this month, the US central bank's chair has signalled, provided there are no economic data surprises over the next two weeks. “Many FOMC participants indicated in September that they anticipated, in light of their economic forecasts at the time, that it would [...]
Sir Charlie Bean blasts UK’s “outdated” Office for National Statistics December 2, 2015 The UK’s Office for National Statistics has failed to keep up with the times, a new independent report has said today. The ONS needs to make better use of technology, utilise different private and public sector data sources, and reinvest in a London presence, according to the interim review led by Sir Charlie Bean. The [...]
These are the 13 bridges and tunnels to cross the Thames Boris Johnson wants to build by 2050 December 2, 2015 The number of ways to cross the Thames is set to increase by a third by 2050, a new report suggested today, with the number of pedestrian and cyclist crossings to increase by 50 per cent. From the Diamond Jubilee bridge linking Fulham and Battersea to the Lower Thames Crossing, which will link Essex and Kent, Londoners [...]
Bank of England money printer De La Rue share price rises 4.22 per cent as it cuts banknote production putting 300 jobs on the line December 2, 2015 De La Rue, the world's biggest banknote printer, has announced it will cut banknote production as demand for paper notes falls, putting some 300 jobs on the line. The company, which prints 150 currencies including the Bank of England's notes as well as UK passports, is going to reduce its print capacity from eight billlion to six billion banknotes a [...]
Lenders buoy FTSE 100 after stress over tests fades – London Report December 2, 2015 A buoyed banking sector after passing Bank of England (BoE) stress tests yesterday pushed the FTSE 100 upwards, making up for underperforming European indices in the previous session. Financial stocks added nearly 20 points to a 39.56 point advance for the blue-chip index, which was up 0.6 per cent at 6,395.65 by the close. Barclays’ [...]