Forward guidance was not the appropriate policy for the Fed – but Janet Yellen pulled it off December 17, 2015 Over the last few months, Fed chair Janet Yellen has led a train of Federal System governors in guiding financial market expectations towards an interest rate “lift-off” at the central bank’s December meeting. This week, more than six years into an economic recovery, it finally happened – but how successful has forward guidance been? [...]
Q: As Jean-Claude Juncker says the EU wants a fair deal for Britain, does it have more to lose from Brexit than the UK does? December 17, 2015 Daniel Hannan is a Conservative MEP for South East England. He blogs at www.hannan.co.uk, says Yes David Cameron began by promising to opt out of social policy and employment law, disapply the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, repatriate control of criminal justice, and curb the power of the European Court. All such talk has been [...]
Osborne must deliver on challenger pledge December 17, 2015 Two years ago, chancellor George Osborne said that the British banking system was verging on oligopoly – and needed a “reset”. “One of the prices we are paying for the financial crisis is that our banking sector is now dominated by a few big banks,” he said. “I want new faces on the high street. [...]
Why everything you think you know about diversity is wrong December 17, 2015 Since TED launched 25 years ago, over 1bn people have listened to their talks and behavioural science has become mainstream. Blink, Influence, Slow, Nudge, Quiet, Switch, Drive, and even some books with more than one syllable titles have become international bestsellers. We’re all psychologists now. Except in the boardroom. What corporate bosses might have gleaned [...]
Trump’s a chump: Why Americans won’t let him anywhere near the presidency December 16, 2015 After the events of the past week, everybody seems to be working himself or herself into a right lather over Donald Trump, fearing he could be the next US President. According to the bookies, Trump is at 9/4 to win the Republican nomination and 6/1 to go on and win the presidency. President Trump and [...]
Confidence restored: Bank audit has turned a corner post crisis December 16, 2015 In the aftermath of the financial crisis, the question on many people’s minds was: where were the auditors? There were clearly lessons to be learned. Banks were not giving enough information about the risks they faced. Investors were unclear about the work the auditors were doing. Dialogue between bank supervisors and auditors was lacking. So [...]
Q: As Mark Carney expresses concern over lending to landlords, should we be worried about the buy-to-let boom? December 16, 2015 Simon French is chief economist at Panmure Gordon, says Yes The growth of the buy-to-let sector has increased the amount of flighty investment capital in the UK property market, posing a direct risk to financial stability. Any downturn in sentiment towards property as an asset has the potential to be amplified by buy-to-let investors withdrawing [...]
The City is a litmus test for PM’s European Union renegotiation December 16, 2015 David Cameron heads for Brussels tomorrow with a significant weight on his shoulders. The Prime Minister knows that it’s a crucial point in his efforts to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU – and then, subsequently, to convince the British public that he’s done enough for them to vote “Remain”. You may see a lot [...]
Energy security and lower prices must take priority after Paris climate change agreement December 15, 2015 George Osborne told Conservative Party Conference four years ago: “We’re not going to save the planet by putting our country out of business… so let’s at the very least resolve that we’re going to cut our carbon emissions no slower but also no faster than our fellow countries in Europe.” These encouraging words alerted many [...]
We’ve reached peak Christmas jumper: How to predict 2016’s must-have fashion December 15, 2015 What would you buy Jeremy Corbyn for Christmas? Printable answers only, please. But somehow a Christmas jumper seems appropriate. First, it would match the 1980s-style shell suit he wore the other day. Second, he might like one featuring a portrait of Stalin and the slogan “Teacher, Leader, Friend”, a phrase in widespread use in the [...]