The unlikely bedfellows driving a cab revolution November 24, 2013 Annabel Palmer talks taxis with Russell Hall and Ron Zeghibe, two of the founders behind Hailo IN 1639, a licence was granted to the Corporation of Coachmen, allowing its members to compete with the then-dominant licensed sedan chairs. Today, there are over 23,000 licensed taxi drivers in London. They’ve become a British institution – described [...]
Mark Carney’s policy has amplified political opportunity for the Tories August 11, 2013 NO REAL rock star has ever received such rave reviews for promising to do nothing for three years. But Mark Carney breaks the mould. The new Bank of England governor has pledged to keep interest rates at 0.5 per cent until 2016, unless the economy is threatened by “knockout” conditions. Keeping the taps of cheap [...]
How to make the most of your Isa February 21, 2013 It is much easier to transfer your account than you may think MANY consumers are aware of the benefits that come with an individual savings account (Isa). You won’t pay capital gains tax on your Isa investments, nor will you pay income tax on your Isa savings, and you don’t have to mention Isas on [...]
The trusted brand with personality at its core February 3, 2013 YOU may have seen Clippy McKenna’s eponymous preserves on your supermarket shelves. Her two-man show (it is just Clippy and fiancé Paul Gorman working at the business; everything else, including the actual jam-making, is contracted out) now stocks its products in some of the biggests stores – including Tesco and Harvey Nichols. After graduating as [...]
Bordeaux is worth the cash December 3, 2012 bottleopener@cityam.com I was lucky enough to go to a Bordeaux 2010 tasting the other evening, organised by upmarket wine merchant Bibendum. For the uninitiated, this is a sort of vinous Glastonbury Festival, where the owners and managers of more than 70 Bordeaux vineyards allow you to experience their greatest hits and endure the most asinine [...]
How to plan for the Autumn Statement December 2, 2012 WITH so much focus on tax in the past few months, it would be no surprise if this week’s Autumn Statement sets taxpayers up for a long and cold winter. Its contents are as yet unknown, and George Osborne has vowed to keep his silence ahead of Wednesday’s Statement. That, however, should not prevent taxpayers [...]
Questioning the need for life cover September 30, 2012 WITH the multitude of policies available, buying life assurance can feel like entering a labyrinth. Even many savvy personal finance buffs avoid the subject. Considering its morbid nature, one can see where they are coming from. But life assurance is one of the fundamental pillars of shrewd wealth planning, and avoiding the subject is one [...]
Questioning the need for life cover September 30, 2012 WITH the multitude of policies available, buying life assurance can feel like entering a labyrinth. Even many savvy personal finance buffs avoid the subject. Considering its morbid nature, one can see where they are coming from. But life assurance is one of the fundamental pillars of shrewd wealth planning, and avoiding the subject is one [...]
Meet the investment banker who gave insurance a whirl October 14, 2012 AFTER the chaos of last year, 2012 has so far been something of a relief to the insurance industry. A perfect storm of floods in Australia and Thailand, the Japanese tsunami and nuclear disaster and the earthquake in New Zealand made 2011 the second most expensive on record for the Lloyd’s of London market, and [...]
Universal set to spin off label to meet EU rules in EMI takeover July 15, 2012 UNIVERSAL Music is planning to sell British label Virgin Records in order to comply with EU regulations following the music publisher’s £1.2bn deal to buy record label EMI. Virgin, which has been owned by EMI since Sir Richard Branson sold the record company for £560m in 1992, is included in the takeover agreement, but competition [...]