The best holiday and travel tech: Enhance your galavanting with these essential gadgets July 6, 2016 Bluesmart One Suitcase technology seemed to grind to a halt shortly after we stuck wheels on them, but Bluesmart has just booted your luggage into the 21st century. The Bluesmart One suitcase has global GPS tracking thanks to a built-in SIM card, a battery charger for your devices, can tell you how heavy it currently [...]
Why Avant’s Al Goldstein is excited about partnering with big banks June 16, 2016 Despite being just four years’ old, Avant Credit is one of the largest marketplace lenders in the alternative finance industry. The US firm has been operating in the UK since 2013, and has issued over half a million loans to consumers, totalling more than $3bn in originations. Avant isn’t a P2P lender – it uses [...]
Chinese Uber rival Didi Chuxing raises another $600m – one month after it got $1bn from Apple June 13, 2016 Chinese Uber rival Didi Chuxing has just unveiled another $600m (£423m) round of funding – exactly one month after Apple ploughed $1bn into it. China Life made an equity investment of $300m and a long-term debt investment of two billion yuan, about $305m. Didi Chuxing said the two companies had committed to a partnership on internet-powered financial innovation and other initiatives – [...]
How drones have opened up a whole new world for insurers June 13, 2016 The popularity of drones could drive growth in some sectors of the insurance industry, one City law firm has said today. According to RPC, the new technology is increasing the demand for specialist drone insurance, which providers operators with cover that may not be available under traditional public liability policies. "Major issues do remain to be resolved for insurers – [...]
Travel troubles cost insurance industry £1m per day June 11, 2016 Those who are still shuddering at the cost of their most recent getaway should spare a thought for the insurance industry. Research out today has found that insurers shell out £1m every day on claims on travel policies. The study from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) discovered that travel insurers paid out £365m in claims last [...]
The CMA’s retail banking recommendations have been slammed by experts addressing parliament’s Treasury Select Committee June 7, 2016 The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) work on the retail banking market is a failed opportunity, MPs have been told. One challenger bank boss said that the concentration risk in the market will take “decades” to unwind, speaking at a Treasury Select Committee hearing earlier today. Meanwhile, a former Competition Commission member said that the provisional recommendations issued [...]
What pension freedoms have done to bankers’ pension pots June 6, 2016 Bankers may well have shunned the stereotype of splashing out on fast cars and long lunches last year in favour of topping up their pension pot, research shown exclusively to City A.M. suggests. According to the study by Aegon, 22 per cent of banking, financial management and accountancy professionals now feel like they are on track [...]
Low fuel prices means it’s cheaper to run a car now than it was in 2013 June 6, 2016 One of a household's biggest bills is being held down by low oil prices. The average annual cost of running a car is around 22 per cent – or £622 – less than 2013, coming in at £2,197.42. The decline is due to the price of petrol at the pump, which makes up almost half of the costs of [...]
As motorists prepare to make their way to France for the UEFA Euro 2016 Championship, the average UK driver can’t understand half of French road signs June 5, 2016 Driving may be the cheapest option when it comes to catching the European Championships action live next weekend, but a new study finds it's not exactly safe. Despite one in five men planning to take their cars across the Channel tunnel this month, the average UK driver doesn't understand half of French road signs or laws, according to [...]
Porsche on-demand? VW boss reveals Gett plans June 1, 2016 Fancy ordering a Porsche to get home, instead of a plain old car or cab? Volkswagen's partnership with on-demand Uber rival Gett could very well make that a reality. VW boss Matthias Mueller has revealed more about the tie-up between the car maker and the tech company announced last week, and that could include making a high end [...]