What entrepreneurs must consider when planning to give employees equity January 17, 2017 Until robots replace workers, entrepreneurs will need to think about how to keep their employees happy. But there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. While some are best inspired by cold, hard cash, others may react better to beanbags and PlayStations. Most entrepreneurs use a variety of incentives. The first step is to work out what’s valuable to [...]
Jeremy Corbyn’s salary cap is “bananas” says free marketeers January 10, 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been blasted by free-market think tanks for his suggestion of a maximum wage in the UK. Corbyn made the suggestion on Radio 4 this morning, although he did not specify what the maximum salary allowed in the UK should be. The Labour leader claimed that income disparity in the UK [...]
Why solving the country’s housing crisis means backing – not battering – landlords January 10, 2017 Politics is a strange world, and the year’s events (Trump, Brexit and elsewhere in Europe) are topsy-turvy. But I still find it strange that Britain’s best and most effective form of housing provision, the private rented sector, is coming under such consistent attack. Policies such as changes to the way landlords are taxed, the stamp duty [...]
Sports Direct may sell famous brands in bid to become more upmarket January 8, 2017 Sports Direct is looking into selling several of its brands as part of its bid to become the “Selfridges of Sports”. Founder Mike Ashley’s mission to turn the company’s standing around and to make Sports Direct more upmarket has reportedly progressed to ditching brands no longer deemed relevant to the UK market. According to sources, [...]
Resolutions for your money: Experts give their personal finance tips for 2017 January 4, 2017 After the gift giving, sales shopping and other excesses of the festive season, many of us aspire to start the New Year with tighter belts. According to research by Masthaven, 78 per cent of Brits intend to save over the next 12 months, with 34 per cent of them planning to squirrel away more than they [...]
With diverging monetary policy and more political uncertainty, should investors expect 2017 to be the year that growth makes a comeback? January 3, 2017 This year is being heralded as a new dawn for markets. The economic malaise which has dogged developed economies since the financial crisis will finally subside; the battle against deflation has been won; fiscal stimulus is firmly on the agenda, and real growth will return. Such optimistic assessments may prove to be on the money. [...]
Investment trust winners of 2016 December 29, 2016 Investment trusts focused on Asia are on course to deliver some of the best returns in 2016, according to data for trust sectors. Investment trusts are an alternative to more commonly held open-ended funds or unit trusts, offering some advantages. This is explained here: investment trust v open-ended funds Here, we look at the performance [...]
Are world stockmarkets good value going into 2017? December 22, 2016 Global stock markets have seen a turbulent year, but surprised many with the resilience shown after the Brexit vote and the US presidential election result. Both the US and UK markets are significantly ahead of where they started the year, as is Japan, although Europe – which faces a series of major elections in 2017 [...]
Are world stockmarkets good value going into 2017? December 22, 2016 Global stock markets have seen a turbulent year, but surprised many with the resilience shown after the Brexit vote and the US presidential election result. Both the US and UK markets are significantly ahead of where they started the year, as is Japan, although Europe – which faces a series of major elections in [...]
With changes to buy-to-let and a falling Lifetime allowance, 2016 was the year when venture capital trusts and other alternative investments went mainstream December 21, 2016 When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, so the saying goes. This blend of optimism and pragmatism has been vital during 2016. And those qualities continue to serve the financial services industry well, given the rule changes that are keeping product providers, financial advisers – and investors – on their toes. Take the recent adjustments [...]