The UK’s biggest banks are bracing themselves for another £2bn on their PPI bill October 18, 2016 Britain's largest banks are set to add billions to their collective bill for payment protection insurance (PPI) mis-selling in the next two weeks. According to Sky News, executives at Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Barclays are in the process of finalising top-up provisions, amounting to around £2bn in total – due to be [...]
Leeds wealth manager aims to take revenues north with London firm takeover October 18, 2016 Leeds-based wealth management company the Private Office (TPO) has acquired a London financial planning firm. The cash and equity deal for PQR Financial Planning will strengthen TPO’s London presence and create a platform for further growth, the firm said. The combined business, which also includes TPO sister company SavingsChampion.co.uk, will have a turnover of £8.5m. [...]
Discretionary fund managers are expecting “choppy waters” after Brexit vote October 18, 2016 Discretionary fund managers (DFM) are anticipating “choppy waters” after the Brexit vote, a new study has found. Seven in 10 believe the UK’s Leave vote poses a threat to investments, while 55 per cent cited weak global GDP growth and 52 per cent geopolitical uncertainty. The findings were based on a CoreData Research study conducted in [...]
Green bonds could be a good solution to raise sustainable funding for long-term investments October 18, 2016 In a world with too little growth and where most central banks continually miss their inflation targets, there is an acceptance that stimulus measures are not working as hoped. It has been left to the central banks and monetary policy to generate a wealth effect and discourage saving in a bid to promote investment and economic [...]
How to break into hard-to-access funds October 18, 2016 Now more than ever, portfolio diversification is critical. Recent market upheaval following the Brexit vote has begged the question: how diverse should a portfolio be? What should this look like in practice? And given that funds tend to be the most straightforward way for individuals to invest, what alternatives are there to mainstream quoted equity [...]
Five ways government can cut the soaring cost of car insurance for honest drivers October 18, 2016 The rising cost of insurance understandably concerns many motorists. The average comprehensive motor insurance premium has risen by 10 per cent over the last year. Today we lift the lid on what is driving up the costs of motor insurance, and what is needed to give hard-pressed honest motorists a break. Lifting the Bonnet on [...]
Seedrs is expanding further into Europe with a new Berlin office October 17, 2016 Seedrs, the UK equity crowdfunding platform, is expanding with a new office in Berlin after gaining a financial passport to operate across the continent over the summer. The latest location is its third outside the UK adding to an office in Amsterdam which opened in July and a software development office in Lisbon. It will also serve [...]
Are you part of a failed final salary pension scheme? Your income could be about to rise October 17, 2016 Pensioners involved in failed final salary schemes will receive a boost in their incomes from next year, the government has said. The Pension Protection Fund safeguards final salary schemes if employers fail and they cannot provide the money to employees they were promised. But anyone who is an early retiree, or who is not yet retired [...]
Young women are much more likely to be insolvent than young men October 17, 2016 Higher expenses are contributing to a far higher insolvency rate among young women than young men. According to accountancy firm Moore Stephens, women accounted for 65 per cent of personal insolvencies among the under-25s in the last year and 53 per cent of those among 25-34 year-olds. Read more: What does a gender pay gap [...]
Electra Private Equity shares up as it announces investment shake-up plans October 14, 2016 Electra Private Equity's share price jumped two per cent this morning after it announced plans for a company shake-up. Under the scheme, the private equity firm will move from having a listed investment trust to a "corporate" structure from next year. It also plans to launch a £200m return of capital to investors in the fourth quarter [...]