Breaking the current Brexit impasse could land Theresa May in even deeper trouble December 18, 2018 Despite efforts by the Labour party and other political opponents of the government in the House of Commons, it now looks very unlikely that Theresa May will put her Brexit proposal to a parliamentary vote this side of the New Year. But there may still be plenty of public disagreements and political wrangling ahead when [...]
The next generation of City high-flyers are turning their backs on university December 13, 2018 When the alarm clock goes off and 19-year-old Luke Johnson has to get out of bed, shower, and put on a suit, ready to catch his train into the City, he may think wistfully for a moment of his friends from school who are still snoring away at university. “I did have a great offer [...]
Want to master the art of negotiation? You need emotional intelligence December 13, 2018 With so much focus on the detail – or lack thereof – in the UK’s proposed agreement for leaving the EU, you could be forgiven for thinking that deal-making is a technocrat’s art. For the negotiation teams here in the UK and Europe, technical expertise and competences about the issues at stake are, of course, [...]
Time for a brave new online pension world December 12, 2018 Imagine a free, user-friendly, online service that offers you information about all of your pension savings at your fingertips, available in your own home and on your mobile. That’s why the government has championed the pensions dashboard, harnessing digital to make planning for retirement easier in the digital age. As we all know, most parts [...]
Why investors should be wary of star managers December 12, 2018 For a long time, it seemed like Neil Woodford could do no wrong. That was until 2017, when the UK’s best known fund manager seemed to lose his magic touch – and since then, the returns from his three popular funds have been struggling. His flagship Woodford Equity Income fund has lost investors almost 10 [...]
The future of corporate training lies in virtual reality December 11, 2018 Virtual training is being hailed as the “new Powerpoint” for corporates when it comes to training up staff. And as virtual reality (VR) continues to rise in popularity across the social community, it is no surprise that organisations are looking to embrace this immersive technology as a replacement for existing, more traditional methods. No more [...]
Can Interserve clean up its mess, or is it destined for the same fate as its failed rival Carillion? December 11, 2018 It feels like we’ve been here before, doesn’t it? It was almost a year ago when outsourcing giant Carillion collapsed, and now there are some worrying signs that rival FTSE firm Interserve could wind up suffering the same fate, serving a huge blow to UK businesses and the livelihoods of its 75,000 employees. On Sunday [...]
Own, loan, or Drover: How the subscription economy is shaking up the car industry December 7, 2018 Felix Leuschner looks far too young to have founded three successful businesses. This German-born entrepreneur was just 23 when he launched what became Europe’s largest marketplace for gaming goods, where players could trade virtual products. After selling that company just nine months later, he moved to London and started a fast-fashion website called Stylistpick, collaborating with [...]
Is DIY investing a cheap trick? December 6, 2018 As passive investors, we sometimes get asked by clients and prospects: “Why don’t I just invest in passive funds and exchanged-traded funds (ETFs) directly myself?” And at first glance, DIY investing may seem like the cheapest way to invest. But some professional services can actually work out as a much more cost-effective means of investing, [...]
How the UK can work with Japan to make the world a safer and more stable place December 4, 2018 The language of diplomacy can sometimes be very general. Diplomats and politicians invoke the idea of “partnerships” and “strong bilateral relations” without making clear to their citizens why they matter or what the benefits might be. Talk about trading opportunities gives a sense of something practical emerging from these sorts of relationship, but trade and investment is just [...]
