RED TAPE MUST BE SHREDDED NOT LOOSENED March 4, 2012 THE coalition government has been talking the talk on economic growth in recent weeks. But it isn’t yet walking the walk. Well, they might occasionally be taking a few tentative, baby steps in the right direction. But it’s not enough. It’s nothing like enough. In his budget later this month, the chancellor should announce a [...]
Beat Europe’s economic blues by setting sights upon a brighter future March 4, 2012 MONEY, as they say, makes the world go around. Capital drives innovation and as success begets success the fruits of previous endeavours are ploughed into products and services of future creative destruction. Silicon Valley is the modern pinnacle of this virtuous cycle of money, brains and optimism. It’s all too easy to compare our failings [...]
Sipps are a tasty cocktail but are too neat for some March 4, 2012 ON THE face of it, self-invested personal pensions (Sipp) appear to be the perfect way for everyone to save for the future – offering the investment trinity of value, flexibility and choice. But Sipps aren’t always and everywhere the right choice – it could pay to weigh up the pros and cons. THE TRANSFER MARKET [...]
Fixing rates is a safer option March 4, 2012 ALONG with discussing our regularly inclement climate, house prices and mortgages are a national obsession of the British. However, according to the latest research from unbiased.co.uk, there is room to take the level of interest in the interest we pay on our mortgages up another notch. Unbiased.co.uk has recently found that only 49 per cent [...]
Banks and financial shares lift FTSE on liquidity surge March 1, 2012 BANKS and other financial stocks, buoyed by central bank infusions of money into the system, helped Britain’s top share index rebound yesterday with fund manager Man Group surging after it reported client outflows have slowed. London’s blue-chip index closed up 59.74 points, or 1 per cent, at 5,931.25, erasing the 1 per cent drop on [...]
US stocks return to the highs of 2008 March 1, 2012 US stocks rose yesterday, moving back to 2008 highs, after a jump in bank shares and further upbeat data on the labour market, though sharp gains in oil prices limited the advance. After losses on Wednesday, the rebound took the S&P 500 back above its 1,370 resistance level, which is seen as key to maintaining [...]
Bernanke helps to push FTSE to two week low February 29, 2012 BRITAIN’S top shares ended lower yestesrday, in spite of getting intial support from the European Central Bank making cheap loans available to lenders, after bearish comments from US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke hurt sentiment. The UK benchmark suffered a late sell-off, closing down 56.40 points, or one per cent, at 5,871.51, its lowest close [...]
Shares retreat on profit taking and Fed speech February 29, 2012 US stocks slipped yesterday, snapping a four-day winning streak after comments from US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke disappointed investors hoping for a strong signal of more stimulus. The Fed chairman’s comments drove the dollar up 0.7 per cent against a basket of major currencies and sent materials lower. Gold fell five per cent in [...]
Financial service jobs rise in February 2012 February 29, 2012 MORGAN MCKINLEY FINANCIAL SERVICES AS THE top graph clearly shows, there have been many ups and downs in the City hiring market over the last five years. The fluctuations in financial services hiring are traditionally seasonal, with Christmas, bonus season and mid-summer being the less active periods of the year. However, over the last five [...]
