Investment

Truss could slash personal taxes in ‘investment zones’ under economic plans

Liz Truss is considering plans to slash personal taxes in addition to business levies in new “investment zones” as she seeks to set the wheels of her economic strategy in motion. The proposed “investment zones”, dubbed “full fat freeports”, were a staple of Ms Truss’s campaign for the Tory leadership. Under her plan, Ms Truss said these areas would benefit from a low-tax burden, reduced planning restrictions and regulations tailored on a case-by-case basis. Ministers are also said to have discussed whether environmental protections could be watered down in these areas to c

Property Consulting

Number of £5million-plus mortgages in UK goes up by two thirds:

 Figures from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) show the number of property sales with mortgage loan values of more than £5m leapt from 169 in 2020 to 279 last year – a 65% increase. It will be no surprise that the vast majority of this megabucks real estate is in and around London. Last year 220 mortgage loans of £5m-plus were secured on properties in Central and Greater London, compared with 49 in the other regions and 10 that were classified by the FCA as “unknown”. Property prices increased by around 10 per cent over the past two years, with the global health pande

Investment

Investors see inflation as top concern in the market:

While nearly nine out of 10 survey respondents credited their financial adviser with helping them remain confident during this period of rising inflation and market volatility, the challenge for advisers continues to mount. The SSGA survey revealed that among those working with a financial adviser, about three-quarters have discussed inflation with their adviser, including how inflation will impact their investment goals in both the short and long-term. The survey of nearly 250 investors with at least $250,000 worth of investible assets showed that about half agreed it is

Property Consulting

Property company secures hat-trick of lets at £14m development

Frasers Property has secured the three lettings at the biggest speculative new build scheme at Hillington Park – Scotland’s largest industrial estate – in over 25 years. The new lets span a total gross floor area of 18,820 sq ft and, following the arrival of Kayfoam earlier this year, bring the occupancy of the modern West 100 & 200 scheme to over 33% in less than five months following its completion. The strategic decision by Frasers Property to invest £14m in a speculative development to meet demand for modern industrial and logistics space in the Greater Glasgow mar

Investment

Top concerns of Asia- Pacific investors:

A survey  revealed their most prominent concern is how to manage current market volatility and geopolitical risks and how to better diversify their portfolio to mitigate these risks. About 68% of the investors in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan and Australia have realigned their portfolios to better weather current market conditions. Many have also put money into “safer” assets like cash and gold. Some are investing in private assets including private equity, private debt, real estate and infrastructure investments, with those in S

Property Consulting

China cuts mortgage rate as property crisis deepens:

China’s central bank has cut its mortgage rate as officials work to support the crisis hit property market. The bank has lowered the five year loan rate by 1.5%, which is the biggest cut in history. Lockdowns due to the country's strict zero-Covid policies are also affecting businesses and consumers. Home sales in China have fallen for 11 months in a row, official data shows. That is the longest slump since China created a private property market in the late 1990s. Several Chinese developers have halted building work on homes that had already been sold, because of concerns

Property Consulting

Can we buy our shared ownership property outright and let it out?

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, under the terms of your shared ownership lease you are not allowed to let your home if you only own a part of it (although you are usually allowed to have a lodger who lives with you). To be able to staircase to 100%, you’ll need to pay to get a valuation done by an independent Rics-qualified valuer. Then you need to calculate whether the money you inherited will be enough to cover 75% of the valuation or whether you’ll need to increase your current mortgage to be able to buy your home outright. If you switch to a buy-to-let mort

Investment

Why University Endowments Should Hire Investment Firms Owned By Women And Minorities:

By 2050, the majority of  people in the United States will be members of racial minority groups. However, U.S. businesses  are struggling to build workforces that reflect the changing face of our society. The challenges for Black and Hispanic people are most obvious at the highest reaches of corporate management, including among investment firms. While many women with college degrees have ample opportunities to enter the job market, many still struggle to gain equal footing as their careers progress, especially at the upper reaches of big companies. Though they constitute

Investment

THG Shares Dip After SoftBank Investment Option Is Ditched

THG Plc shares fell after the British online shopping emporium said it had ended a deal with SoftBank Group Corp. due to “global macroeconomic conditions.” Speculation has been mounting for months that SoftBank, one of the world’s largest strategic investors, would not exercise the option. SoftBank had the right to exercise an option to buy a 20% stake in the UK company’s Ingenuity business, which helps third party businesses sell goods online. There has been no comments since as to why the contract between the two parties was terminated. ________________________________

Property Consulting

Calling all property buyers: Elizabeth line is connecting Greater London closer to the capital

Buying a property in London, particularly for first time buyers is often very difficult for ideal location, space and price. However, the launch of the Elizabeth line as it is now known, is potentially life-changing. For those wanting to get on to the property ladder, there’s a new housing development within easy reach of the capital. The new Metalworks complex built on throwing distance from Slough train station. These high-quality properties not only offer extra living space, which is at a premium in the capital, but their prices are also up to 45 per cent lower than tho