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Forrest Nelson valids Emile Servan-Schreiber.
Ricochet effect eyed as housing market teeters
LONDON (Reuters) - As the credit crunch brings a decade of cheap mortgage finance to an end it is not just the foundations of the housing market, but its economy too, that are shaking.
MPs call for tighter rules for insurers’ surplus
LONDON (Reuters) - The Financial Services Authority has failed to develop clear principles to regulate the uses of surplus assets held in insurers’ with-profits funds and is not protecting policyholder interests, MPs said on Thursday.
Mortgage approvals dive to record low
LONDON (Reuters) - New home loan approvals fell at their sharpest annual pace in at least a decade to hit a record low in May, figures shows, raising fears the housing slowdown is about to escalate into a crash.
Summer currency deals warm up
The heat is on among foreign currency providers to offer the best deals for holidaymakers this summer. Providers say the less attractive euro/sterling exchange rate makes it even more important for those travelling to Europe to find the best offer.
Track the index or keep track of the managers?
Increasing numbers of retail investors are choosing to switch their money out of actively managed funds and into index-tracker fund products.
Private banks come in to their own for large loans
High-street lenders may be turning away borrowers looking for large and complex mortgages, but the doors to some of the private banks are still very much open for business
Benefit of a holiday home becomes less taxing
Britons who own second homes through limited companies will no longer face a UK tax bill just for staying in them, under new legislation in the Finance Bill that is currently going through parliament
AXA taps appetite for investments with guarantees
LONDON (Reuters) - French insurer AXA is set to tap UK appetite for investments with guarantees, hoping to cash in on a segment that could make up 40 percent of the growing annuity market within a decade, its UK head said.
Make the most of a ‘des res’ in the season
Wimbledon is almost upon us, and those with a SW19 postcode may be feeling rather smug. Short-term lets are going for 1,500 per week for two-bedroom houses more than enough to pay for a holiday abroad.
Inflationary fears prompt a rebalance of portfolios
Equity fund managers are now repositioning their portfolios to take advantage of sectors that are likely to hold up well in an inflationary environment
Summer currency deals warm up
The heat is on among foreign currency providers to offer the best deals for holidaymakers this summer. Providers say the less attractive euro/sterling exchange rate makes it even more important for those travelling to Europe to find the best offer.
Paring back the risks
Higher inflation poses a challenge to pension fund managers who must deliver a set return to fund payments to scheme members in bull and bear markets.
Inflationary fears prompt a rebalance of portfolios
Equity fund managers are now repositioning their portfolios to take advantage of sectors that are likely to hold up well in an inflationary environment
Should savers wait for the rate?
LONDON (Reuters) - The war in the fixed-rate savings market is heating up, with many products now paying 7 percent or more — and some experts say it might be worth waiting for the numbers to go even higher.
Borrowers told to fix rates ahead of further rises
Borrowers coming to the end of a short-term mortgage deal any time this year should secure a new offer now, according to brokers, as rates may not yet have peaked.