Why the mortgage market is due to be shaken up by the tech revolution June 3, 2016 Scaling the housing ladder can feel like climbing Everest and nowhere more so than in the capital. From saving every penny for a first deposit, to scouring the tube map for the next undiscovered, reasonably priced gem, the affordability challenges are well documented. But there are other unnecessary challenges driven by an outdated industry that [...]
Five things we learned about the EU referendum from our Google searches June 23, 2016 Soon, we may consciously uncouple from the rest of Europe. What's it all about? Here's what the oracle of all modern day information (Google) has to say about it. 1. It's the economy, stupid Immigration or the economy? When it comes to the referendum's effect on the country, it's apparently money that matters to us the most. Of [...]
Conservative leadership race must speak to the City July 1, 2016 As Michael Gove’s former head of communications, James Frayne, argued in City A.M. on Tuesday, nobody should be surprised that politicians lacked a ready-made vision of what Brexit will look like immediately after last week’s shock vote. UK politicians have abdicated responsibility over issues like trade policy to EU fonctionnaires for over 40 years, so [...]
UK housing supply shortage makes Britain a hotspot for residential property investors September 6, 2015 Britain’s housing shortage combined with the country’s strong economic growth has made it the fourth best place in the world if you are looking to park cash in residential property. The UK housing market, which has seen prices climb by 20 per cent over the past five years, was ranked behind only the US, [...]
A Brexit view from Berlin: On balance, we would miss the Brits June 22, 2016 Jointly owning a property in Germany without a contractual agreement can be very risky. Statistically, people in Germany own a property for longer than they are married. If the respective property is jointly owned and the marriage breaks up, it can result in mortgage difficulties. For many Britons, its relationship with the European Union might [...]
Retiring to Europe? You should wait until Brexit negotiations on pensions and healthcare access have concluded July 20, 2016 Many Brits approaching retirement dream of moving to the continent. But Brexit has thrown a spanner in the works. Since the referendum, sterling has plummeted against a basket of foreign currencies, including the euro, and question marks loom over expats’ ability to settle elsewhere in Europe. Things look even more chaotic when it comes to financial [...]
Full separation of BT’s infrastructure arm Openreach is not “off the table” – Bradley September 13, 2016 BT has been dealt a blow just months after the telecoms group escaped its infrastructure arm Openreach being hived off by the regulator. Karen Bradley – the culture, media, and sport secretary – warned BT that Openreach could still be split out to a separate company despite Ofcom’s proposals to leave it under the BT [...]
Blame Brexit: International investors shun prime London property May 23, 2016 The proportion of international buyers and sellers in London property fell in the first quarter of 2016, according to research released today, despite a fall in sterling making UK property relatively attractive. The effect was strongest in central London, but there has also been reduced activity in overseas nationals across the whole of London. The research [...]
Excalibur Steel and Liberty House confirm they have submitted bids for Tata Steel’s UK assets May 3, 2016 Excalibur Steel UK and Liberty House have confirmed they have submitted letters of intent to bid for Tata Steel's UK assets. They are the only two confirmed bidders for Tata's facilities in the UK, which the Indian steelmaker put up for sale at the end of March. Today marked an interim deadline in the sale, as [...]
Be careful what you wish for: Seven Brexit takeaways June 27, 2016 The result of the UK’s EU referendum came as a massive shock to the markets and was no fun for a large number of people. Unlike those in the Remain camp, who pointed to the market turmoil yelling “I told you so”, it gives me no sense of schadenfreude thinking of people seeing their pension [...]