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…
In these uncertain times it’s now more important than ever to look past the short-term day to day noise and remain focused on the longer term. Quite simply, investing for the long term gives your capital the greatest chance of growing in value. But this means holding your nerve during periods of significant stock market…
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…
Stuff happens. Complex instruments designed to package up and take the risk out of subprime mortgages blow up in the face of the banking industry. The world’s fifth largest economy votes to leave the European Union. A newly elected president raises tariffs (or threatens to) on goods coming from his country’s biggest trading partners. Attacks…
The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) has been with us since 1993 and no one can deny that it has had a major impact on the willingness of individuals to support high risk, but potentially very high reward small and medium-sized companies. When HMRC totted up the figures for a report published in May 2018, around…
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….
In April of this year, the Financial Conduct Authority published new proposals aimed at improving transparency on the part of asset management firms when they report to their beneficiaries. In particular, the FCA focused on the question of whether or not asset managers were providing value for money in terms the balance between charges…
Average residential property rents are set to rise sharply over the next few years, according to research by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. And while the findings indicate that many smaller landlords are opting to get out of the market as new taxes kick in, for those that remain, demand for properties will remain…