FCA extends credit card payment freeze until October July 1, 2020 A credit card payments freeze could be extended for another three months for customers still suffering from the economic impact of coronavirus, the financial watchdog said today. After imposing a three-month pause on repayments for those struggling amid the fallout of the pandemic on the economy, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said firms must [...]
How Fintech can help during and after COVID-19 June 29, 2020 | Sponsored In the coming weeks, tools that support the financially vulnerable will come to the fore. Fintech has the capacity to support the most vulnerable with affordable credit and promote financial wellness. The COVID-19 crisis has sent shockwaves through the UK economy. Many companies have applied for business support, with around 8.7 million jobs currently furloughed [...]
Can Fintech and big data transform a post COVID-19 landscape? June 29, 2020 | Sponsored COVID-19 has transformed the world in a short space of time, possibly forever. With this change brings opportunity, and Fintech has the potential to be part of a brighter future. The SARS-CoV-2 virus epidemic has generated widespread strife and conflict in economies across the globe. Virtually overnight, consumers shifted their activities online. There is an [...]
Innovation and decentralisation are key June 29, 2020 | Sponsored The financial services industry is held back by rules imposed after the 2008 crash. We need to move forward. To liberate the financial industry, decentralisation is the way ahead. One of the unexpected side effects of of social distancing and the lockdown has been the uncovering of a lot of pain points in the business [...]
Three behavioural biases to watch out for during a crisis June 25, 2020 | City Talk Nick Kirrage walks us through the most common behavioural biases investors suffer from and how to overcome them. At the best of times, investors are at risk of succumbing to certain behavioural biases that can cloud judgment and impair decision-making. In highly stressful and unpredictable times like the Covid-19 crisis, there is a greater propensity [...]
Big tech vs the market: what you need to know June 23, 2020 | City Talk Big tech has led the global market recovery in the wake of Covid-19. Can the dominance of the FAMAGs continue? On 8 June the S&P 500 of US stocks recovered all their Covid-19 losses for 2020. The so-called FAMAGs (Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Alphabet (Google’s parent company)) led that recovery. Even before the pandemic, [...]
Out of crisis comes opportunity… for fraudsters June 18, 2020 | City Talk ‘Out of crisis comes opportunity’ is usually said with positivity in mind. In the current context, for example, entrepreneurs discovering ways to successfully diversify their business. What is less frequently spoken of, though, is how bad practice and criminality can emerge, grow or even thrive during a crisis. Criminals see opportunities in crises, too. So, [...]
A new ‘superfund’ scheme for pensions June 18, 2020 Pensions minister Guy Opperman announces a significant step towards transforming retirement saving The consolidation of defined benefit pension schemes into “superfunds” has the potential to deliver more secure retirement incomes for workers, while allowing employers to concentrate on what they do best: running their businesses. That’s why I welcome the Pensions Regulator’s interim regime for [...]
Exclusive: Investors dash for cash savings despite historically low interest rates June 16, 2020 Investors are retreating to cash savings as they adapt strategies during the pandemic, despite central banks slashing interest rates. An independent survey of more than 900 investors, commissioned by broker HYCM, shows the most common asset class is cash savings – 73 per cent – followed by private pensions. A third of all investors surveyed [...]
Watch out for too much money — and the return of boom and bust cycles June 15, 2020 Money is growing at record rates in peace time the US, at least by modern standards. The quantity of money in the US (as measured by M3) rose by 7.5 per cent in April 2020. With further strong money growth in May, the annual rate of growth of money has shot up to a shocking [...]