Why I left the City for a startup – and why you should too September 5, 2014 If there’s a reason I left my finance career to build startups it’s probably this: vomit. It happened one night at 10 or 11pm on the 33rd floor of a gleaming investment bank. It wasn’t unusual that I was there so late – in fact, it was mostly the norm, and I’d been run haggard [...]
Five simple tips on how to build a resilient career October 20, 2014 Being the “yes” person and trying to go it alone will get you nowhere. The City is renowned for its tough working environment. So having resilience is vital to avoid burnout and to help you deal with setbacks or rejection. Building layers of defence will help you anticipate future difficulties, and ensure that self-doubt [...]
Brand Index: Economic confidence set to determine the 2015 election March 18, 2014 SINCE YouGov started tracking consumer confidence in 2009, the number of people expecting their household financial situation to get worse has always far outstripped the upbeat group of Britons who expected things to get better. This split reached its worst in 2011 when for a few months more than half, or 55 per cent, of [...]
Need to know about inheritance tax? Here’s why you’ll want to ask a Geordie February 17, 2014 Do you know what the inheritance tax threshold is? £1m? £150,000? According to a study out today, one in two people living in Britain today don’t have a clue. For the avoidance of doubt, it’s £325,000 (well done if you got it right). Being left money over that level means you pay tax on [...]
The government’s growing debt pile is a threat to Tory tax cuts – Bottom Line October 21, 2014 When Labour were finally booted out of office in 2010, the departing chief secretary to the Treasury infamously left his successor a note – “I’m afraid there is no money,” it read. “Kind regards – and good luck!” Pretty funny, as far as Whitehall humour goes, and not too far from the truth. To one [...]
Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and HP Inc: PC-maker to break up into two new firms October 6, 2014 Hewlett-Packard (HP) will split into two publicly listed companies, the PC-maker said yesterday, separating its computer and printer units from its corporate hardware and services arms. Investors in the struggling tech giant celebrated the move as shares rose 4.7 per cent on news of the plan, to close up at $36.87 in New York. [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: George Osborne hits banks to help home buyers December 3, 2014 Chancellor plays Robin Hood by grabbing from the wealthy to fund stamp duty sweetener for those lower down property ladder. THE UK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK ● The UK’s economic growth has outperformed the March forecast of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), giving Britain the fastest growth rate in the G7. ● Unemployment has fallen [...]
London Report: German finance figures to come under spotlight September 21, 2014 THE FLOW of macroeconomic data will slowdown significantly over the coming week, with the key risk events moving towards the Eurozone. In particular, investors will be watching out for the latest manufacturing sector purchasing managers’ indices from the euro area. Economists at Credit Suisse indicated that a half-point increase in the PMI would be consistent [...]
In charts: Half of women don’t have private pensions September 11, 2014 Despite the maximum state pension being only £113.10 a week, just under half the people in the UK don't pay into a private pension scheme. This includes a third of employees – half of the self-employed and 80 per cent of unemployed people are also without a plan. The data was published by the Office [...]
Think tank says most pensioners have saved more than they need September 8, 2014 THE VAST majority of couples who have retired over the last decade are financially comfortable enough to carry on with their standards of living, according to a leading think tank report published today. The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) says that 80 per cent of couples born in the 1940s have annual gross pension income at 65 [...]