The year the music died? Industry needs an insurance scheme or risks total collapse February 7, 2021 Over the course of the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption and harm to the live music industry. Lockdown affected physical sales. The shutting of public venues, such as restaurants and bars, caused lost revenue from background music services and performance income. Undoubtedly, significant restrictions to our everyday lives have forced the [...]
The show must go on: How UK film and TV ploughed through the pandemic February 6, 2021 From Tiger King to The Serpent, hit TV shows have become cultural currency in an era defined by lockdowns. With millions of Brits forced to stay at home, film and TV has been one of the few avenues for entertainment over the last year, providing a much-needed dose of escapism during the pandemic. But for [...]
Exclusive: ‘Pool Re’ style scheme could help insurers fund Covid-19 cover, says Beazley CEO February 5, 2021 The CEO of insurer Beazley is hopeful that insurers will be able to provide cover against infectious diseases like Covid-19 in the future, but said a government backstop may be needed to press ahead. It is not possible to get insurance on Covid-19-related cancellation cover on events this year, because the chances of an event [...]
Government faces backlash over ‘half-baked’ hotel quarantine plans February 5, 2021 Ministers have faced a deluge of backlash over “half-baked” plans to introduce a mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals to the UK, with some MPs calling the scheme “too little too late”. The Prime Minister earlier this week said the government was drawing up plans to introduce a mandatory 10-night hotel quarantine on arrivals to Britain [...]
DeFi Bursts onto the Finance Scene – What is it and why does it matter? February 4, 2021 DeFi was around in 2017 and was niche with a few people experimenting in 2019. Some had heard of it, but few people even understood what it was and its ramifications. The second half of 2020 was marked by a DeFi boom, and the total value locked in DeFi contracts surged 40x to $24 billion [...]
Unlocking the global economy whilst meeting green commitments is entirely doable February 4, 2021 The pause in economic activity brought about by Covid-19 has accelerated social and economic trends that were already underway, such as remote working, but it has also seen massive support to reconfiguring the world in a greener and leaner model when productivity levels accelerate again. If anything, this pandemic is largely a consequence of a [...]
The rise of TikTok ‘finfluencers’ offers lessons for the investment industry February 2, 2021 No longer just a platform for teenage dance challenges, TikTok is becoming the number one spot for financial advice.
Rishi Sunak set to maintain triple tax lock despite Covid-19 deficit February 2, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak is said to have agreed to maintain the Tories’ so-called triple tax lock at next month’s Budget, preventing him from raising income, national insurance or value added tax. The chancellor had come under pressure from Treasury officials to shun the commitment made in the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto not to increase rates [...]
What next for Biden’s climate and social agenda? January 29, 2021 Joe Biden ran on one of the most progressive platforms the US has ever seen, with climate ambition at its heart. His victory will result in a sea-change in US climate ambition. That said, the narrow margin of victory will pose challenges for the more ambitious elements of his agenda. Below we assess the policy [...]
Insurance, disrupted: What does the start of 2021 tell us about the industry? January 29, 2021 We waited patiently for the new year. January was meant to be a fresh dawn, with many businesses embarking on transformation programmes to emerge stronger from the pandemic. But, looking at the economic and political events from this month, we see more disruption ahead. Particularly for insurance companies. Before founding OLIVER, I spent 15-years at Commercial [...]