Christmas ‘tis the season to… sort out your finances: Use the holidays to prepare for a more financially savvy New Year in 2016 December 9, 2015 Christmas is a time of abundance, of eating, drinking and throwing money around like there’s no tomorrow. But the combination of profligate spending and time off work can make the festive period a good time to take stock of your finances. While cautioning readers about the pitfalls of over-spending at Christmas may make me [...]
UK weather: Storm Desmond’s cost to insurers creeps up to a possible £325m, far outstripping the costs of 2009 floods, as bad weather threatens further damage December 8, 2015 The predicted cost to insurers of Storm Desmond has crept up, as continued bad weather threatens to cause even greater damage. Professional services firm PwC, which yesterday estimated that the insurance costs would be between £175m and £250m, today suggested insurers could find themselves paying out between £250m and £325m. “Clearly these are initial estimates as [...]
One Undershaft: Plans to build the City’s tallest skyscraper and London’s second highest building revealed December 7, 2015 Plans to build the City’s tallest skyscraper and London's second highest building – rivalled only by the Shard – have been unveiled today. Singapore-based developers Aroland Holdings are seeking planning permission to build a 73 storey tower at One Undershaft in the City, between the Leadenhall Building and 30 St Mary’s Axe. Standing 309.6 metres [...]
Financial Conduct Authority proposes last year’s insurance premium information should be published on renewal documents December 3, 2015 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published proposals today that would require general insurance providers to include details of last year’s premium on customer’s renewal documents. The proposals are designed to address concerns that some customers might be getting a bad deal by sticking with the same company. “We hope the proposals encourage more people to [...]
British Land unveils plans for 32-storey City office tower on UBS site December 2, 2015 Plans to replace UBS' London headquarters in the City with a new 32-storey off tower have been unveiled by FTSE 100 developer British Land. The proposed scheme at 2 and 3 Finsbury Avenue Square, which is part of the wider regeneration of Broadgate, would provide around 550,000 sq ft office space across four buildings – the [...]
Insurance company Axa ventures further into India, increasing its stake in its joint venture December 1, 2015 Axa has today revealed that it is increasing its stake in its Indian joint venture companies. The insurer announced that it would be raising its holding in the life and general insurance ventures, Bharti AXA Life Insurance Co and Bharti AXA General Insurance Co, from 26 per cent to 49 per cent in a bid [...]
Defence company shares rise – but should you buy? November 25, 2015 Shares in companies involved in defence leapt this week after the government announced plans to spend an extra £12bn on the “diverse” threats facing the UK. Shares in the FTSE 100’s BAE Systems, Babcock and Rolls-Royce all rose. Analysts are recommending defence stocks as a buy – but should they be in your portfolio? [...]
Tech unicorns face fresh bubble fear November 24, 2015 Traders are piling up short interest on early stage technology firms after a string of young companies made market-busting initial public offerings (IPOs). The so-called “unicorns” – companies which are valued at $1bn before they have launched onto the stock market – are being targeted by traders betting their share prices will fall. Although they [...]
Insurance giant Axa planning to sell off wealth management division in UK November 22, 2015 Axa has brought in advisors to help it sell off some of its UK businesses, including parts of their wealth management division, the Sunday Times reported today. Sources told the Sunday newspaper that the insurer, who is headquartered in France, had grown weary of the UK’s regulatory environment and had called in bankers at Barclays and [...]
Cash is no king: But there are some high interest paying current accounts November 19, 2015 With the UK’s low-interest rate environment likely to continue well into next year, few would claim that cash is king. But at a time of meagre bond yields and volatility in equity markets, cash is no pretender either. The attractiveness of easy-access accounts has weakened in recent years, with most providers offering less than 1.5 [...]