Big Six losing out to newcomers February 15, 2015 ALMOST a quarter of UK consumers switched gas or electricity supplier in the past year, according to research from EY. The company found that inaccurate bills were the driver behind this movement, with 39 per cent of the 2,000 consumers surveyed citing errors as the main reason for leaving a supplier. When looking into joining [...]
Pound edges towards a seven-year high against the euro February 10, 2015 The pound rose as much as 0.5 per cent against the euro this morning, pushing it close to its highest since 2008. One euro now costs close to 74.1p, near the 74.3p it cost on Valentine's Day 2008. The rise followed encouraging data from the UK's manufacturing industry. Official data published this morning showed manufacturing [...]
England hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh set to take on a new role in the City at EY February 5, 2015 England and Great Britain hockey captain Kate Richardson-Walsh is to take on a new kind of challenge by joining a City consultancy. The triple Olympian will be joining EY’s business development team based in London while at the same time training for the Rio 2016 Olympics. Consultants EY have partnered with Athlete Career Transition [...]
City Moves for 04 February 2015 | Who’s switching jobs February 3, 2015 Towers Watson The professional services firm has appointed Joris Wonders as practice leader for its rewards business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He re-joins Towers Watson from Kingfisher, where he launched new bonus and long-term incentive plans. F&C Investments The investment firm has announced the appointment of Alex Howe as sales director in [...]
Traditional lenders to make up ground on alternative financing February 1, 2015 A LEADING group of economists expects lending to businesses to recover this year after six years of decline. The total amount of loans to businesses in 2014 was 31 per cent below their 2008 level. This trend should reverse this year, according to the Item Club, sponsored by consultants EY. The economists predict a slow [...]
City Moves for 02 February 2015 | Who’s switching jobs February 1, 2015 EY Kate Richardson-Walsh has been appointed to EY’s business development team in London. She is a triple Olympian, and has been the captain of England and Great Britain hockey for the past 11 years. She will take up the role while training for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Investec Specialist Bank The bank has announced [...]
Looking for a mansion tax loophole? If your house is worth less than £3m, don’t try splitting it up January 28, 2015 In the very late 17th century, when owners of large properties wanted to avoid paying a very unpopular tax, they bricked up their windows. And now, owners of properties that would be affected by Labour’s proposed mansion tax are already seeking ways to get around this 21st-century levy, even though it might not be imposed. [...]
Profit warnings at FTSE listed companies soar to crisis levels January 26, 2015 Profit warnings from UK-listed corporates hit a six-year high last year, despite stronger economic growth across the country. FTSE-listed firms issued 299 profit warnings last year up from 255 in 2013. The figure is the highest since the peak of the financial crisis in 2008. A fifth of the warnings were sparked by contract delays [...]
Bank of England minutes: Pound drops as MPC returns to agreement on interest rate rises January 21, 2015 The pound fell against both the euro and the dollar today, after Bank of England policymakers returned to agreement on the importance of keeping interest rates low. Minutes published this morning showed the Bank's monetary policy committee (MPC), which sets interest rates, voted unanimously against raising rates from their historic low of 0.5 per cent. [...]
City Moves for 20 January 2015 | Who’s switching jobs January 19, 2015 HSBC David Phythian has been appointed head of corporate real estate for the bank in the UK. He joined HSBC in 2006 and was head of its London corporate real estate office. Phythian has also held roles at UCB Bank, the United Bank of Kuwait, and a number of private property companies. Square Mile Investment [...]