Uncertainty is, and always will be, part of economic cycles. No forecasting capability could have factored in the impact of the pandemic in which we find ourselves and the consequent uncertainty of what the future holds. Having operated in the funding market for over 10 years, it has become clear that capital requirements will significantly…
There was a time – and wasn’t too long ago – when Liverpool could stake a claim to being the centre of the cultural universe. It wasn’t just about the Beatles. Then as now, the city was a thriving hub for music, poetry and the visual arts, all existing within the larger context of an…
As 2019 closed, we can look back on a year that has seen platform lending exhibit at least some of the characteristics of a market that has moved beyond the exuberance of youth into a period of rather more sedate and slightly troubled maturity. Growth in the market has continued, but commentators have pointed to…
From an investment perspective, we are living through strange and jittery times that may ultimately lead to greater diversification. Let’s start with the strange. Around a quarter of bonds sold around the world are now said to be paying negative returns when the rate of interest is mapped on to the premium paid to buy…
The United Kingdom’s December began with yet more political drama in the shape of Parliamentary deadlock over the agreement paving the way for withdrawal from the European Union and a subsequent vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister. The vote failed and Theresa May resumed her attempts to win support for her exit deal….
Platform lending has been with us for around eight years now – ever since the launch of Funding Circle, in fact – but for many investors, it remains an untried concept. Yes, this corner of the financial services industry has grown rapidly since 2010, in terms of those who lend and borrow through the available…
The tenth anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers has been marked by a predictable and perhaps also very necessary round of stock taking on the part of commentators, policymakers and the great and the good of the financial services industry. A decade on, the question that is mainly asked is: ‘could it all happen…
There is nothing wrong with a safety first approach to investment strategy. Indeed, many investors – perhaps the majority – will choose to hold tried and trusted assets over a long time frame in order to secure a predictable and reliable income, coupled with an acceptable level of growth. In practice, that might mean…
