Category: Articles

The Coronavirus lockdown decimated economies all over the planet, but while some stock markets are showing signs of recovery, the UK’s FTSE 100 is taking longer to bounce back.

Auditing finances can sometimes feel like a huge chore, and things may have been forgotten about or pushed to the bottom of the to-do list during the pandemic. Here are some very easy and quick 10-minute money challenges that people can do in order to get their finances back on track if things have started to get out of control.

As we head through the agreed Brexit transition period, many questions remain. One of these uncertainties is that there's no definitive answer whether by 2nd January 2021, a deal will be in place. One of the key areas of concern is what effect Brexit will have on the standing of sterling as, inevitably, the currency will be affected.

Men over the age of 75 receive £114 a week more from their pension income than women of the same age, according to a new report.

A good reputation, hard won, can be ruined in moments. Never have those words been more true than in this strange new “normal”.

The UK Furlough Scheme is providing fixed wages to the employees who would have otherwise been unemployed

Joint research by the multi-asset investment platform and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) shows those fortunate enough to have more discretionary income during lockdown are on course to save an average of £1,434 each in the three months to June

As the name suggests, cryptocurrencies are an emerging currency based on cryptography. Bitcoin is the most famous example, but new ones are being launched all the time.

The coronavirus crisis and subsequent lockdown have finally given real clarity on how to evaluate companies’ ability to tackle social issues, “crystallising” what the S in ESG really means, according to Bas NieuweWeme CEO of Aegon Asset Management

Investors who ignore so-called “value stocks” are at risk of missing out on good long-term gains, RWC Partner’s Ian Lance warns.

Yiannis Faf, CEO, What We Want The spread of coronavirus has caused an incredible amount of disruption to lives and economies worldwide. The British Government has taken far-reaching steps in an effort to minimise the impact on the UK in both regards, by encouraging the population to practise isolating. Such a massive overhaul of day-to-day […]

There are plenty of factors that contribute to making someone a successful trader.

Acquisition of Bank am Bellevue receives regulatory approval and successfully closes

Wealth managers are there to seek counsel and guidance with your investment funds. Like a critical friend, they are there to help with strategy and suggest solutions to any financial queries. But what if your wealth manager is not helping you meet your financial goals? What are your options?

There has been a radical shift in client’s behaviour towards portfolio construction. No longer is there a requirement for costly active portfolios and instead, many would rather opt for passive low-cost investment products. With a range of advisors providing this offering, the market has become fiercely competitive.

Financial crime is one of the biggest threats facing the global economy. The 2019 Crime Survey for England & Wales indicated that 3,863,000 fraud offences were committed last year alone, with a high number of cases also unreported.

While the country remains the 12th biggest global importer of oil, including petroleum oils, it has taken great strides towards reducing its reliance on such environmentally-harmful fuels. Between 2013 and 2018, the UK had the eighth-best rate in Europe for reducing such imports, with its intake dropping by 76.9 million barrels (from 359 million to just over 280 million).

“The EU set up the system in 2017, to put pressure on countries to crack down on tax havens and unfair competition, sanctioning those it considered unfair in offering tax avoidance schemes. However, with this news coming in just weeks after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, many are concerned it’s a sign of things to come,” says Granville Turner, Director at Offshore Company Formation Specialists, Turner Little.

TurboTenant, an all-in-one, free property management tool, releases its latest industry report - "How COVID-19 is Impacting the Rental Market." This report highlights key rental market indicators from March 2020 in cities throughout the U.S. who have and are currently following social distancing and stay-at-home orders.

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies called for a more responsible approach from the banking sector as a survey of its membership painted a picture of demands for personal guarantees, offers of alternative loans to the Government backed Business Interruption Loan (CBIL) and inflated interest rates.

Brits incorrectly believe household favourites Tesco and Sainsburys are in the top 10 biggest companies of the FTSE 100, according to a new poll by IG Markets.

Research published by Direct Line Life Insurance in 2018 suggested that over 12.6 million Brits would be prepared to go to Court to dispute a Will of a family member if they disagreed with the division of their estate.

With the likes of Goldman Sachs and National Savings & Investments (NS&I) cutting the interest rates on savings accounts, consumers are beginning to lose trust in the value of high street banking in the UK.

R&D tax credit specialists, RIFT Research and Development Ltd, have looked at five historic advancements that not only changed the world but would have eligible for some big R&D tax credit claims if they had come about today.

Most Coronavirus linked losses will be uninsured, but investment profits for insurers have fallen dramatically – exacerbating hard market conditions.

While growth in R&D tax relief claims has increased by 35% annually since inception in 2001 to over £4bn last year the scheme is yet to be fully utilised by UK business according to R&D specialists RIFT Research and Development Ltd.

Sweden is set for dramatic growth in digital wealth management. The three key factors driving this are; a rapidly growing population of mass affluent and high net worth individuals; the fact that a significant percentage of Sweden’s workforce are employed in the technology and the telecommunications sectors, and the country’s huge and growing focus on fintech.

People living in the Eastern Central London postcode (EC) have the highest average credit scores in the UK, according to the UK’s leading price comparison site MoneySuperMarket.

We all make mistakes. However, as a doctor or other medical technician, a mistake from one of these professionals can be incredibly damaging. Sometimes we do not even make mistakes, but patients will still file potentially damaging malpractice claims. Here are some of the best paths to follow if you do receive a malpractice claim from a former patient.

Since April 2017, around 1.2 million non-domestic English water customers have been able to choose their own water suppliers. This is referred to as ‘market deregulation’. Now, businesses can choose to buy their retail water services from any licenced company, regardless of how much water they use a year.

Since 2008 the number of accounts subscribed to a Cash ISA has declined every year except one, with the total number down -36.38% all in all, averaging an annual decline of -4.69%.

London-based fintech firm Mode, advised and backed by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, has launched its Bitcoin banking mobile iOS app. This will make Bitcoin - the world’s most popular digital asset which many refer to as ‘digital gold’ - accessible to everyone at the touch of a button.

Inflation effectively shrinks the value of your money over time and according to the Consumer Price Index, which tracks the cost of household items, the value of £1,000 on the high street at the start of 2012, would now have climbed to £1,153 today.

People are increasingly looking to facilitate a smoother and faster divorce by keeping it out of court. As such, former couples are turning to mediation as a way of resolving the issues arising from their separation (including financial and child arrangements).

Cash ISAs have become a popular way for many to stash away the cash with the aim of climbing the ladder, with the Help to Buy ISA in particular helping many save that all important deposit. While buyers can no longer take advantage of the scheme there are a whole host of Cash ISA saving accounts that average a return of 2.12% a year with a maximum annual investment of £20,000 allowed.

Applying for credit at the till or checkout is becoming more and more common. Klarna, one of the biggest ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ credit companies promote their product as a way to improve customer’s spending power, both in store and online. The risk, however, is frivolous purchases and over-buying.