How to prepare your portfolio for inflation December 2, 2016 Concerns about inflation were already on the rise. Donald Trump’s victory in the US election has further stoked expectations that price pressure, absent in most Western economies since the financial crisis, may make a return in 2017 and beyond. The basics Inflation is a measure of how fast the prices of goods and services are [...]
London must shake off its complacency over housing and infrastructure if it’s to thrive post-Brexit October 31, 2016 Rarely has a ranking of the world’s greatest cities been released in the past few years without London at its top, or very near it. PwC recently named the capital the world’s best city for opportunity, praising its economic clout, its attractiveness to foreign direct investment, its highly skilled workforce, and its status as a [...]
Rich grandparents are your ticket to a comfortable retirement: why liberalising inheritance tax rules could significantly reduce the UK’s pension saving shortfall November 2, 2016 It is no great secret that today’s young people are at serious risk of being poor in their retirement. While asset-rich baby boomers hoard their wealth, eight years after the financial crisis, working age people are stuck with low wage inflation, and depressed returns on any savings they can scrape together after paying their rent [...]
Housing benefit going to private landlords has doubled to £9.3bn over a decade August 20, 2016 The amount of housing benefits being paid to private landlords has doubled over the last 10 years, with the cost to taxpayers greatest in London and the South East, and housing associations blaming a shortfall in social housing. According to figures from the National Housing Federation, almost one in three housing benefit recipients now live in a privately rented [...]
With controversy surrounding the Rio Games, was it a mistake to hold the Olympics in an emerging market? August 2, 2016 Sam Dumitriu, head of projects at the Adam Smith Institute, says Yes. It’s bad enough when wealthy countries are plunged into debt to fund sporting events that offer, at best, a short-term boost to tourism. It’s much, much worse when those countries are grappling with high levels of poverty and a public health crisis. Supposed economic [...]
The future of London: Is the city edging towards independence? September 12, 2016 It is increasingly easy to characterise London as a “city state”. Its scale, wealth and multi-dimensional differences (as compared to the rest of the country) mean it has more in common with New York or Toronto than with Yorkshire or Scotland. The creation of the office of mayor of London, a glamorous Americanised form of government, makes [...]
Home is where the smart is: City A.M. meets Krystian Zajac October 31, 2016 When I first came to the UK, I was living in a tiny flat with five other people. I was educated, but washing dishes for a living. I did not care, the money was still better than what I got in Poland,” says Krystian Zajac, founder of Andrew Lucas. As far as rags to riches [...]
Multigenerational households are set to rise across the UK May 27, 2016 As house prices soar across the country, a report released today predicts that the UK could become a nation of multigenerational households. There has been a 52 per cent rise in house prices between 2005 and 2015, according to the report from Aviva. During the same period, there has been a 32 per cent increase [...]
A short history of investing in gold – and what to expect for 2017 December 8, 2016 Gold is coveted by investors for its rarity. As a precious metal with limited supply, it is seen as a store of value when the real value of other assets, and currencies, can be manipulated. But fundamentally, its high worth is underpinned by its usefulness and attractiveness. Not only is it highly malleable but it [...]
Three ways life has actually improved for millennials since last year August 15, 2016 Millennials… they might get a bad rap for being lazy, whiney and selfishly obsessed with selfies among other things, but it's a generation that's been saddled with debt, spiralling living costs and lower wages than any previous generation. And the socio-economic situation of young people has remained largely unchanged over the last year, new research reveals, while the bad news is, some areas [...]