Goodbye QE, hello uncertainty The Federal Reserve in the US has been looking to extract itself from its quantitative easing (QE) programme over the last 18 months, but feared if it did so too soon, it would cause turmoil in the financial markets. It has finally concluded, having made $4 trillion (£2.5 trillion) of bond purchases, that it is [...]
Helen Archer, and why the cost of childcare is crippling women’s careers When I was a child, Radio 4 was permanently on in the kitchen, and I still listen to it at every opportunity. I have never been a great fan of the Archers, but it has been a constant in my life, despite the banal story lines. One of the current dramas in Ambridge [...]
Twice as Nisa: Why new rules mean everyone can be a small business investor The Chancellor announced in his Budget this year that the government was going to make it possible to hold loans to small private companies in the new Isa (Nisa). A consultation period is ongoing – with a detailed Treasury paper just released – and it is hoped it will soon be possible for investors to [...]