The Crypto circus is back in town! This year’s star attraction? DeFi (Part 2) September 8, 2020 When the gas escaped from the ICO bubble market in early 2018, speculators and developers scrambled to find a new way to generate the huge funds and rampant growth previously offered by now collapsed initial coin offerings. DeFi is just the latest in the line of new, and ultimately self defeating attempts to bring back [...]
Crypto AM shines its Spotlight on NAYMS May 12, 2020 NAYMS is building the world’s first insurance market that allows Institutional crypto-holders to underwrite cryptocurrency risk. “In 1686, individuals called ‘names’ came together to cover risk of all varieties by pledging capital in return for a yield. The Lloyds of London marketplace was born. It’s now 2020, and NAYMS is bringing together capital markets and [...]
New homes: All the new developments going on sale this weekend, including Help to Buy and Shared Ownership August 24, 2018 New developments on the market this week The Quarry, Bexley From £167,500 for a 50 per cent share of a £335,000 home Part-buy, part-rent 27 new homes in Erith on the border of London and Kent. Around 600 Shared Ownership and Help to Buy homes have been built on the site of a disused quarry [...]
Eager for a house price fall? It’s time for a lesson in economics January 15, 2019 Would it be a good thing if house prices in the UK fell? The British public, a host of commentators on Twitter, and even some economists seem to think so. A recent YouGov poll asked Britons whether a 30 per cent fall in property values after Brexit would be a “bad thing”. Just 32 per [...]
The regulator’s intervention on car finance hides an underlying reality October 28, 2019 The UK’s car finance boom has been a cause for concern for some time now, and the regulator is finally cracking down on questionable practices. One common complaint of this sector has been the practice whereby a car dealer or broker will make commission on the interest rate of the loan. By setting a higher [...]
London’s house price slowdown worsens as summer slump hits July 16, 2018 London's house price slump has deepened as the market enters its traditional summer lull, with experts signalling a boon for prospective first-time buyers. The average asking price of a house in the capital is down more than £11,000 compared to this time a year ago, marking the sharpest annualised fall since January. The closely-watched Rightmove [...]
Mortgage approvals fall to six-month low in September as experts warn of ‘fragile’ housing market October 24, 2018 Mortgage approvals fell to their lowest value in half a year in September, according to the latest data from UK Finance, meaning every month of 2018 so far has dropped against 2017 approval numbers. Lending amounted to £21.5bn for the month, the lowest since the £20.6bn recorded in April and a drop of 1.2 per [...]
Three lessons law firms can learn from rivals’ collapses amid coronavirus April 30, 2020 Law firm collapses are a lot like bank runs. Confidence in the institution crumbles, causing partners to rush for the exits – taking their capital and clients with them. Partner departures reduce the firm’s revenue, profit and capital, leading to further partner exits in a destructive feedback loop. Once firms enter this death spiral it [...]
Dyson pulls plug on electric car project October 10, 2019 Sir James Dyson has abandoned his £1bn electric vehicle project after deciding the scheme is not commercially viable. Patents for the electric car, which the company hoped would compete with the likes of Tesla, were unveiled earlier this year. Read more: First details of Dyson electric car released At the time Dyson said the car would [...]
UK house prices growth accelerated in August September 7, 2018 Annual house price growth picked up in the three months to August, growing by 3.7 per cent, compared to a 3.3 per cent annual rise in the run up to July, according to new figures released today by Halifax. With the average home costing £229,958, house prices remained steady month to month, ticking upwards by [...]