Category: Articles

Finance teams have been one of the most heavily impacted internal teams over the past year as the COVID-19 pandemic turned the way we work on its head. During this time finance departments in all industries have experienced immense pressure, with their financial priorities rapidly changing; the need to tighten the purse strings and shifting operational challenges becoming the most common changes. While successful businesses have always placed a firm focus on ensuring their finances are in order, this has never been more of a focus than over the past year, while also being more of a challenge.

A year on from the start of the pandemic, business finances in the South West have been badly damaged, with many business owners increasingly reliant upon costly sources of borrowing such as overdrafts and credit cards, a Business West survey has revealed.

There’s no denying that the hospitality industry has been detrimentally hit by the events of the coronavirus pandemic. With the UK’s continuous lockdown measures forcing the part-time closure of hospitality and entertainment venues, the economy is faced with the largest recession since records began. Other than being subject to tightening restrictions limiting the regular functioning of hospitality venues, business have also had to invest more into safety equipment such as PPE for staff, cleaning products, and staff training programmes- causing business revenues to be dramatically impacted.

Despite Lockdown restrictions and post-Brexit trade disruption, February saw the UK economy grow by 0.4%, according to the ONS. Although not quite a boom, this minor growth in economic output is an important foundation for the months to come, and brings ever increasing optimism that the reopening of the economy through April will bring with it an even better performance. “We’re looking for a 4-5 per cent bounce in GDP in the second quarter,” said James Smith, economist at ING.

There is never a “perfect time” to begin investing. While diversifying your assets may be the last thing on your mind this year, the good thing is that all you have to do is start. Let’s explore some ideas that will inspire you to begin your investment journey, no matter how much money you have in the bank.

In the UK, property remains one of the most resilient asset classes. From first-time buyers to portfolio landlords, getting established on the property ladder remains a popular way for many to grow their wealth. Depending on an individual’s circumstances and ambitions, Arbuthnot Latham, Private and Commercial Bank, explains the various routes to securing finance for property investment in 2021 and beyond.

With the ever-increasing popularity of cryptocurrency and NFT (non-fungible-tokens), BluCollar.io is launching its first ICO to capitalize on an underserved market - the manufacturing industry. With little in the way of investable channels, this 2334.60 billion dollar industry (2018) in the U.S. alone, BluCollar is looking to translate those financial transactions and assets to the digital space utilizing the exploding world of NFT’s via its own marketplace.

If one positive emerges from the miserable pandemic year, we have all endured, it is that the number of people in the UK who want to start their own business – to take control of their own destiny – is on a strong upswing. And it is not just a case of people who have lost their jobs casting around for alternatives. Recent research shows that one in five adults are planning a start-up, a figure which rises to 34 per cent among 18 to 34-year-olds. Only 6 per cent said it was because they had become unemployed. So, it would appear, the entrepreneurial flame has not been dimmed by the ravages of Covid, but while the ambition to branch out on your own is admirable, it is only prudent to be aware of the pitfalls as well as the pinnacles of being your own boss.

Butter, the London based fintech platform that started life as the UK’s first Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) travel agency, has just closed a £15.8m funding round to accelerate the rollout of its responsible open-banking based BNPL shopping app.

The UK is widely regarded as one of the greatest places to start an innovative tech company. This shouldn’t come as any surprise given the world-class academia we have to offer, the legacy of innovation and, importantly, the funding opportunities available to entrepreneurs. Of course, we also have a language advantage for global businesses which shouldn’t be underestimated.

All you have to do is check out the news to realise that cryptocurrency is growing in popularity. As it continues its ascent, it'll only become more and more in demand, meaning that those who want to get their hands on it may face an increasingly uphill battle. Fortunately, you don't have to fight anyone off to get yourself involved with the cryptocurrency market. There are tons of ways to jump into the market and make your mark with something like Bitcoin or Ethereum. For a list of the best avenues to explore, you'll want to check out the five suggestions outlined below.

A perennial gamechanger ever since its influence reached into households, the internet continues to upend industries, disrupt cultural norms, and challenge the status quo. Name your sector - media, retail, finance, etc. - and the internet age has had a lasting impact.

You may not be entirely happy with where your credit score is. However, there might be a few quick ways for you to bring it up a bit. It depends on why it’s down, but you may have the ability to add as many as 100 points relatively quickly. Let’s take a look.

When you think about investing, your mind automatically goes to stocks, bonds, bitcoin, and real estate. Although these are all lucrative investment opportunities, they’re not the only things that deserve your money, time, and resources. Some of the world’s wealthiest people are individuals who took the time to invest in themselves first. They realize that when they prioritize their needs and desires, they’re better positioned to work harder and add more value to other financial ventures.

Finding the right accountant to help with your business can be a crucial step in management that you need to look out for. You cannot afford to get the financial details of your company wrong, and the right accountant will be a crucial part of this. The larger your business is, the more important it will be that you are able to meet the needs it generates.

The pandemic has drastically impacted our lives and our savings. Research shows that while lower-income households across the UK have had to dip into their savings to stay afloat, higher-income households have grown theirs. It seems everyone is looking for new income streams and ways to get more bang for their buck – including navigating the often-complex world of savings and investments – and they’re turning to the internet for advice on where to start. That’s why we’ve filtered through the noise to give you the nation’s top 10 most commonly asked questions around personal finance – and answer them too.

The world’s central banks (US Federal Reserve, Bank of England, Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank) play a crucial role in the global economy. Broadly speaking, they serve as both policy maker and lender of last resort and their objective is to help keep their respective economies in balance.

Every few years the line between traditional and alternative investment opinions is re-drawn, as many alternative investment options become more and more mainstream. Everything outside the traditional investment options that are typically accessed through traditional financial institutions - falls into the category of alternative investments. They do not include, what is now considered traditional investment options: ETFs, gold, bonds, pension funds, and others.

Paying your bills and having a little leftover each month to contribute to savings can be challenging. Even working in a well-paying career, it can be difficult to feel like you are making headway with your financial goals. If it doesn't feel like you are progressing as you should, take a look at these common money mistakes and see if any sound familiar.

There is no end to the questions and misconceptions people have about insurance. One of the most common misconceptions is that insurance is intended to be a discount for needed services. Indeed, many people never have reason to question this idea. After all, a visit with the general practitioner costs about $150 without insurance, and $5 or less with insurance. They measure the quality of insurance based on the perceived discount they gain.

We are used to reading about U.S. businesses expanding to Europe. We often overlook the growing trend of E.U. based businesses expanding to the U.S. There are many good reasons a U.K. company, in particular, would be interested in expanding to a location across the pond. Those reasons include, but are not limited to the following:

In times of sudden and dramatic change, people tend to react in one of two ways. They either tense up and resist the inevitable for as long as humanly possible or take a deep breath and adapt to the new normal.

There’s a common misconception that credit doesn’t matter until you’re applying for a mortgage, credit card, or personal loan. Truthfully, most people don’t even review their credit history until they need to borrow money or a line of credit. Although having a good financial record does apply in these circumstances, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Ultimately, a consumer’s credit is used in many different areas of their lives.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a business owner or an individual simply looking for a way to boost your financial standing, there are steps you can take to move in the right direction.

Do you feel like you are always going through ups and downs with your income? Unfortunately, riding a financial roller coaster won’t allow you to achieve wealth or even hit your long term goals.

Many financial service firms rely on the effectiveness of their salespeople to drive revenues and growth. But many salespeople may not be maximizing their performance. As a result, they may be hindering the firm's performance.

The relevance of international money transfer companies is growing fast. It’s because slow and expensive bank wire transfers are a big problem for many people. Businesses need cheaper transfers for making and accepting payments. International investors need them as much as small business owners. Losing up to 3% on each transaction (bank transfer cost) can make their investments unviable. Most of all, migrant workers need these transfers as the cost of remittances matters a great deal for them and the global economy. There are also international travelers and other people who mostly use these services for convenience.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been financially challenging for tens of millions of Brits, but none more so than for the UK Government who has borrowed billions so far to fight the Coronavirus and keep the economy afloat. Just like businesses, governments have balance sheets and competing priorities for their money. And a new study by investing platform Stockopedia.com, comparing national debt across the globe during the pandemic, has found the UK is among the worst in the world for its rising debt levels.

One of the most fundamental concepts of generating wealth is knowing how to save money. When you master the art of stretching your earnings further, you have more resources to invest and save towards a more secure future. While shopping around for the best price, using coupons, and other common savings tactics are ideal, other strategies go overlooked, costing you hundreds of dollars each year. Continue reading to learn more.

At some point in your life, you have been encouraged to think outside the box. In the simplest terms, it means to consider something that stands outside the mainstream. However, that advice needs a lot more nuance to be truly useful. You don’t want to take a hostile view toward the mainstream solution. Most of the time, the mainstream solution is the best one. After all, that is how it became the mainstream in the first place. It is the thing that works most often.

You're getting the stimulus check, which is great news for those experiencing financial hardship. Now, it's time to think about how you're going to use it. The following are a few ways to help yourself and the nation's economy.

Women make up about 50% of the population while controlling only 30% of the wealth. This is the worldwide statistic that is set to dramatically change in the right direction over the course of the next decade. As bad as the numbers appear, they actually represent good news. This is a big improvement that is set to continue. Women’s growing wealth prompts the need for changes in the banking sector.

Any business’s objective is to make a profit or be sustainable over time. To achieve that outcome, one must understand the steps necessary to accomplish the results desired and all the little things that go into making that goal a reality. Did you know that employee satisfaction, job performance, and productivity are linked with excellent or poor management?

There is this little thing called retirement. It is held up as the prize for a life well lived with time and resources left to enjoy. Not everyone wants life’s golden parachute. Some prefer to work all the way up to the end. They never want to slow down. They always want to be in the mix. Those who have risen to the top of their field don’t necessarily look forward to the day when they are no longer in charge. Being in the middle of things and riding the wild wave is what gives their life meaning.

As the largest commercial bank in Afghanistan, it may have also proven difficult for Azizi Bank to simultaneously ascertain the title of best commercial bank. Yet, that is exactly what this outstanding financial institution has done, and has rightfully been awarded that title of 2020's Best Commercial Bank, Afghanistan in this quarter’s issue of Wealth & Finance International Magazine. Join us as we find out more about what the bank has to offer, what makes it so unique, and why it is deserving of this international recognition.

The Bitcoin price nears $50,000 and will continue to reach new highs in this first quarter of 2021 – but investors should also expect volatility due to increasing regulatory scrutiny. This is the warning from Nigel Green, CEO and founder of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory and fintech organisations. It comes after the cryptocurrency hit more than $49,700 for the first time in history on Sunday.