Which lockdown habits could last a lifetime? March 22, 2021 | City Talk “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.” This cautionary quip, attributed to Nobel Prize winning quantum physicist Niels Bohr, is applicable to anyone making forecasts, and particularly investors at this point in time. Stock markets will continue to be buffeted by daily newsflow around the pandemic. Successful investing in consumer stocks over the next [...]
Why transparency is key to see through the greenwash March 22, 2021 | Sponsored Adam Robbins, senior investment relationship manager at Triodos Investment Management, offers his view as to why transparency is so important when you’re exploring the many shades of ‘green’ impact investments. Globally, there are undeniable changes shaping our future, such as climate change, ecosystem collapse, population growth, and scarcity of natural resources. Add to those the [...]
Treasury mulls slashing higher-rate tax relief on pensions contributions March 20, 2021 The Treasury is reportedly considering huge cuts to tax relief on pensions contributions amid the spiralling cost of measures brought in during the pandemic. On 23 March, which has been dubbed “tax day”, the Treasury will announce new consultations on proposed taxation reforms, which could include reforms to pension tax. When people pay into their [...]
What investors can learn from Bill Gates’ climate warning March 19, 2021 | City Talk When one of the world’s wealthiest individuals writes a book on avoiding climate disaster – and suggests changes we all need to make to our lifestyles – it is easy to be cynical. But the high-profile intervention of Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the climate change debate should be welcomed. This is not just a [...]
On-demand pay: is it here to stay? March 16, 2021 | City Talk Millions around the globe depend on regular salaries and plan their budgets based on paydays. But the lockdown has made personal budgeting much more challenging. Many workers have lost their job and many others are now working remotely. Compounding near universal worries about future and immediate financial security are the added stress and logistical challenges [...]
BoE’s Bailey apologises to investors amid criticism over LCF collapse March 15, 2021 Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has apologised for his role in failing investors of collapsed mini-bond firm London Capital & Finance. His apology came amid rising pressure about his responsibility in a series of scandals during his role as head of the Financial Conduct Authority. On Monday morning, Bailey told BBC Radio 4 that [...]
UK economy shrank 2.9 per cent in January as third lockdown took hold March 12, 2021 Monthly GDP fell by 2.9 per cent in January as a fresh national lockdown took hold of the UK economy, according to new ONS data. The January figure, which was 9 per cent below its February 2020 level, was driven by a decline of 3.5 per cent in services, the Office for National Statistics said. [...]
No more fifty shades of green March 8, 2021 | Sponsored For quite some time now the term ‘fifty shades of green’ has been used to describe the investor challenge of wading through a sea of sustainable investment options, from dark green, to light green to just plain green-washing. The sustainable investment sector has grown exponentially in recent years, and while I very much welcome the [...]
Chasing “financial independence retire early” (FIRE): is it possible? March 8, 2021 | City Talk At what age are you planning to retire? For many the standard answer to this is “somewhere in my 60s or beyond”. Schroders analysis suggests that if you start saving for your retirement at age 20, you’ll need to save between 12% – 15% of your salary for 40 years to retire on 50% of your [...]
Budget 2021: Government to guarantee five per cent mortgages on homes up to £600,000 March 3, 2021 The government will introduce a new scheme that will allow individuals to put down just a five per cent deposit on homes valued up to £600,000. From April, the government will introduce a the scheme that will provide a guarantee to lenders across the UK that offer mortgages to people with a deposit of five [...]