Crowd2Fund launches Exchange, a secondary market for trading crowdfunding investments October 14, 2015 City investors are getting an exchange to trade crowdfunded investments, as a crowdfunding marketplace launches today. Crowdfunding platform Crowd2Fund is opening “The Exchange”, where investors will be able to sell off debt and equity investments and access their capital. It'll join the likes of InvestDen, which has also opened a secondary market for investments made [...]
How to make smarter crowdfunding investments? Crowdrating wants to solve that puzzle October 14, 2015 Crowdfunding is booming. But for investors, choosing where to place your money can feel like a minefield. A so-called agency is launching today, with the aim of helping investors make decisions hopes to change that, by giving all crowdfunding campaigns a rating of “gold”, “silver” or “bronze”. Crowdfunding campaigns grew by a staggering 420 per [...]
Why public sector pensions need a radical overhaul October 14, 2015 A fortnight ago, I delivered a call to arms to the Government, detailing the need for immediate action to address the parlous state of UK public pensions. The estimated total shortfall is a staggering £1.7 trillion, across funded and unfunded public sector schemes. This exceeds UK GDP. On the basis of a 2012 ONS study, [...]
Pension freedoms: Six months on, savers still held up by four-week wait to access lump sums October 13, 2015 Retirees hoping to make use of the new pensions freedoms are being held up for weeks by admin hurdles, research has found. Since April this year, anyone over the age of 55 has been able to take some – or even all – of their pension as a lump sum. The new rules wiped [...]
Jupiter Fund Management draws in new assets despite difficult market conditions October 12, 2015 Jupiter Fund Management reported that its assets under management (AUM) were up five per cent in the last nine months, despite AUM falling by over £800m during the previous quarter. The FTSE 250-listed financial services sector firm saw net inflows slow from £498m in the second quarter to £77m in the third, combining with a [...]
Lack of funding for small businesses could cost the UK up to £2.9bn October 12, 2015 The UK’s small businesses are being stymied by a lack of funding, which is holding the UK's economy back. A lack of funding from high street banks since the recession, has slowed small business growth and could have cost the UK economy as much as £2.9bn of potential turnover in the last five years from SMEs, according [...]
“Top-up” pension scheme to start tomorrow October 11, 2015 Applications for the new "top-up" pension state pension scheme will start tomorrow, which allows pensioners to boost their retirement income by up to £25 per week for a one-off payment. Existing pensioners and those who reach retirement age before 6 April 2015, who are entitled to the state pension are eligible for the scheme. Pensioners can [...]
Travelodge could be snapped up for £1bn as private equity firms close in October 11, 2015 Hotel chain Travelodge has reportedly caught the eye of several private equity firms and could be sold for £1bn instead of floating on the stock market. Advent International is interested in buying the group, as well as a number of other firms, according to the Sunday Times. Deutsche Bank was appointed in July to advise [...]
Pension freedom? There’s more to do before savers are really trusted with their money October 8, 2015 Six months ago, George Osborne kicked off what looked like an enormous shake up of the pensions industry – new freedoms that would give those with defined contribution pensions the ability to take their entire pension as a lump sum, with the first 25 per cent free of tax and the usual rate of income [...]
The future of education finance is here – enter new crowdfunding platform EdAid October 8, 2015 There is a new alternative lending platform on the scene, and it’s called EdAid. While we’re familiar with those crowdfunding and peer-to-peer platforms that offer loans to businesses, equity stakes in startups and invoice trading opportunities, EdAid is doing something a bit different: it’s creating a competitor to the government’s Student Loans Company, and giving [...]