Blockchain Tech: Opportunity or Threat? July 31, 2018 Last week PwC, this week Deloitte – another strong signal cutting through all the noise – concluding in their new 'New Tech on the Block" report that "those who do not consider the possibilities [of Blockchain technology] are at risk of falling behind" and "by contrast early adopters of the technology will have the ability [...]
Going for gold: London fintech Glint is heading to the US and Japan, and will be raising £15m to do it July 12, 2018 Glint, a London startup that lets you spend and save in physical gold, is looking to raise a £15m Series A to help bolster its target of launching in the US and Japan by the end of the year. First launched in the UK in November last year, Glint offers its users a pre-paid Mastercard [...]
Britain should be proud to be a nation of immigrant entrepreneurs July 9, 2018 Britain isn’t a nation of shopkeepers. We’re a nation of entrepreneurs and wannabe entrepreneurs, and a magnet for entrepreneurial talent from around the world, as revealed by the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) – the world’s most authoritative comparative study of entrepreneurial activity. The findings from Aston University in partnership with NatWest reveal that 8.7 [...]
These are the six new types of banking jobs that HSBC reckons will be in high demand in the future July 5, 2018 A new report has revealed six new banking jobs of the future expected as the industry focuses on digital evolution, with a view to how that will impact on people in the workforce. The study commissioned by HSBC analyses the challenges and opportunities on the horizon for the banking industry and has used that to [...]
City Moves – Monday 2 July. Who’s moving jobs at Kensington Mortgages, Lockton and Brilliant Basics July 2, 2018 Kensington Mortgages Kensington Mortgages hired Sharon Cochrane for the role of account development manager for Scotland, following Kensington’s full market launch earlier this year. Sharon will be responsible for new business growth and relationship management. Sharon brings over 19 years’ worth of experience in financial services to the role –15 of which were spent as [...]
Help SMEs get practical about solving the productivity puzzle June 18, 2018 As we gear up for Brexit, the UK’s flagging productivity performance is continually in the fore of media headlines and economic analysis. Following a further fall in productivity in the first quarter of 2018, policy experts and economists were quick to update their models and offer opinion over blame. However, this economic self-deprecation doesn’t actually [...]
Bank of England to hold rates as weak economy spurs calls to boost business investment June 18, 2018 The Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates steady at its latest monetary policy meeting this week with debate raging among economists as to whether the UK economy is ready for another rate hike. The Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) meets this week before Thursday’s midday announcement, with doubts growing over whether interest [...]
Help SMEs get practical about solving the productivity puzzle June 18, 2018 As we gear up for Brexit, the UK’s flagging productivity performance is continually in the fore of media headlines and economic analysis. Following a further fall in productivity in the first quarter of 2018, policy experts and economists were quick to update their models and offer opinion over blame. However, this economic self-deprecation doesn’t actually [...]
Ranked: The banks that have closed the most branches since 2015 – and which regions have been hardest hit June 15, 2018 New analysis has revealed which of banks have shut the most branches since 2015, with NatWest, HSBC and Lloyds Bank reporting the highest number of closures. Some 2,868 UK retail branches will have shut up shop by the end of this year, with 879 bank closures during last year, according to Which? Money research. That [...]
Business activity in London’s manufacturing and services sector gets a boost June 11, 2018 London’s manufacturing and service sector today continued its growth for the 22nd month in a row, as new work flowing into the capital boosted business activity in May. The London Natwest Business Activity Index, which measures the seasonal combined output of the manufacturing and services sectors, rose from 53.9 in April to 54.7 in May [...]