UK inflation falls back to zero as Britain returns to “noflation” territory July 14, 2015 The falling price of clothes and food meant that Britain's consumer price index slipped back to zero last month, from a 0.1 per cent increase in May, and coming in line with economists' expectations. Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics showed clothing and footwear prices fell by 0.4 per cent in the [...]
July Budget 2015 at a glance: From a new tax-free dividend allowance to the raid on buy-to-let landlords and new inheritance tax rules July 8, 2015 The chancellor outlined £12bn of welfare cuts, introduced new inheritance tax rules & vowed to crack down on tax avoidance. UK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK ● The UK is expected to be the fastest-growing advanced economy again this year. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects the economy to grow by 2.4 per cent in [...]
Good news: Tackling climate change is possible without hindering economic growth July 7, 2015 Unusually, this is a good news story about climate change. Rapidly falling costs for renewable energy mean that clean economic growth may now be “within our reach”, a new report shows. So what does this mean? Stopping global warming and creating a sustainable future may be possible – without hindering economic growth. Up to 96 [...]
Mining strength offsets worries over Greek deal – London Report June 24, 2015 BRITAIN’S top share index turned lower after touching a three-week high yesterday although it still outperformed Eurozone shares with strength in the mining sector insulating the index from the Greek debt standoff. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index hit 6,873.43 in morning trade, its highest level since June 4. It turned lower to trade up just [...]
London tech has already surpassed San Francisco – and it can do better yet June 18, 2015 London beats New York for finance, Boston for universities, and has the world’s most exciting arts scene. But it’s tech innovation that has the greatest potential to drive London’s future growth. No other city in the world can match our cluster of ideas, talent and capital. The potential is dizzying. If we can bring [...]
The future is bright: Buy solar panels now to lock in 20 years of savings June 18, 2015 Energy costs have been rising – but you could cut your bills with solar panels. A government scheme aimed at increasing take-up of alternative energy means you will be paid for the amount your solar panels generate – both for the quantity you use yourself and the amount sent to the grid. The Feed-in [...]
How did they do it? The strategies of the world’s greatest investors June 18, 2015 WARREN BUFFETT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL INVESTOR EVER Now aged 84, Nebraska-born Warren Buffett was the most successful investor of the twentieth century. Known as the “Oracle of Omaha” for his wisdom, at one point he was the richest man in the world with an estimated net worth of $71bn. Buffett is a [...]
Sharing economy gets upgraded to business June 15, 2015 Schmoozing can be a bore but have you ever thought how much better networking would be on a private jet? US private flight company Rise is expanding to Europe, bringing their travel-cum-social experience to the UK. Members pay from £1,500 per month for the Private Flight Sharing concept, accessing unlimited flights to cities including London, [...]
Why a compulsory living wage is not the best way to help society’s poorest June 8, 2015 The Living Wage Foundation – which lobbies employers to pay £9.15 an hour in London and £7.85 elsewhere – has never called for statutory implementation of its cause. It considers itself to be a pragmatic civil society movement, encouraging firms to pay their low-paid workers enough to live comfortably. But the campaign has been hijacked [...]
Germany keeps jobless numbers down in May June 2, 2015 GERMANY’S unemployment rate stayed at a record low last month, indicating that private consumption will propel growth in the country’s economy this year. Data from the German labour office showed the number of people out of work decreased by 6,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis to 2.786m. Meanwhile, the Eurozone returned to inflation in May [...]