Global consumption growth set to return in coming year October 23, 2012 THE GLOBAL consumption slowdown may have come to an end in October, data hinted today, after growth bounced back from August and September lows. Global consumption grew 1.7 per cent in the year to October, according to PwC’s global consumption index, up from 1.5 per cent in September. Consumption momentum climbed to one per cent [...]
Who’s switching jobs December 5, 2012 Royal London Kerr Luscombe has been appointed group finance and strategy director at the financial services provider. He joined in 2011 as group strategy director, and has previously worked as finance director at Scottish Widows and Clerical Medical. Westhouse Holdings Simon Pettitt has been appointed head of the stockbroker’s fixed income business. He joins from Eurodekania. [...]
Pension changes cheered but high earners take a hit January 14, 2013 BUSINESS leaders hailed the government’s plans for a “simple, understandable, state pension” yesterday, but admitted that both employers and staff would have to take a financial hit as part of the proposed reforms. “The introduction of a flat-rate state pension, with an end to means-tested retirement income benefits, is essential if pension saving is to make [...]
City Moves for 4 February 2013 | Who’s switching jobs February 3, 2013 Ultra Electronics The security, defence and energy company has appointed Mary Waldner as its group finance director. She is currently director, group finance at QinetiQ Group, and has previously served as group finance controller at 3i. Waldner additionally spent 10 years in senior roles at British Airways. Linklaters William Kirschner has been elected partner in [...]
How to gain emerging market exposure February 12, 2013 IT IS a well-known story. Emerging markets are playing a more significant role in global economic growth. Recent research from PwC has highlighted that emerging market GDP will exceed that of developed markets, in terms of purchasing power parity (which adjusts for differences in exchange rates), for the first time in 2013. Since 2002, the [...]
Hodge top dog at the Financial Planner Awards November 7, 2012 MATTHEW Hodge at PwC must be a very fine planner indeed, or else he has some excellent friends at Money Management, which run the annual Financial Planner of the Year awards. Over at the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, which was the venue for the 2012 ceremony, Hodge swooped the award for financial planner of the [...]
Markets fly but hangover feared January 2, 2013 MARKETS around the world rallied yesterday after the US agreed an eleventh-hour deal to limit fiscal cliff tax increases and spending cuts, giving equities a much needed boost. The deal averted sharp rises in income-tax for a majority of Americans, but failed to reach any conclusion over cutting the budget deficit, leading analysts to warn the [...]
KPMG UK profits decline as growth disappoints December 17, 2012 BIG four auditor KPMG witnessed a 13 per cent slump in profits last year after budgeting for a surge in economic growth that failed to materialise, results out today show. The professional services firm was forced to slash 275 senior jobs over the summer to shore up its bottom line, after it became apparent its [...]
Child benefit cuts to cost £50,000 October 31, 2012 The coalition’s cuts to child benefit could cost some families up to £50,000 according to a PwC report published this morning. A two-parent family with three children aged under six would lose this amount by the time their youngest is 18, assuming one parent is earning £60,000 or more. A family in the same situation [...]
Official policy of debasing sterling is selling off England by the pound January 24, 2013 ABOUT two years ago, as a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, I used the title of the classic 1970s Genesis album Selling England by the Pound to draw attention to the way in which the weakness of sterling was pushing up our inflation rate. Between mid-2007 and early 2009, sterling depreciated by over 25 [...]