For just under half of UK adults, working from home has become the ‘new normal’. Lockdown restrictions put in place to slow the spread of Covid-19 have forced companies to rethink their working practices and whether or not they, ultimately, need to have all of their employees in one place, all of the time. So, […]
In complex times like these, it is important to not be overwhelmed by the abundance of information and to select and interpret the news we consume. The global response to the coronavirus pandemic has seen governments inject, in many cases, unprecedented stimulus packages into their economies. The result has been potentially disorientating fluctuations in valuations […]
As we gear up for the end of 2020, the global outlook is a lot more positive than it was just a few weeks ago. While the Covid-19 situation in both the US and Europe is challenging, positive steps are being taken. Volatility is decreasing, a number of potential vaccines are emerging and the uncertainty […]
In the first article of our Science of behaviour series, we introduced you to one of the most common obstacles that prevents us from achieving our goals – the present bias. In this instalment, we’ll look at a technique that can help us to overcome this bias, a way to “trick” our brains into […]
For most of 2020, interest rates have been at a real low. The impact of Covid-19 on the economy has been considerable, prompting the Bank of England to lower the base rate to 0.1%. In the 10 or 15 years before the 2008 financial crisis, interest rates were hovering between 4% and 8%, a healthy […]
After over four years of negotiations, the UK and the EU are still yet to agree on a concrete future trading arrangement after Brexit. Various iterations of the UK government have tried, but a number of key issues have held up talks. With no deal now seemingly the most likely outcome, many see now as […]
Early on Monday morning, pharmaceutical multinational Pfizer announced its development of a potential Covid-19 vaccine, found to be more than 90% effective in protecting people against the virus. Finally, after a year plagued by social restrictions, rising case numbers and economic turmoil, the world had some news to be cautiously optimistic about. Monday was, consequently, […]
Negative asset prices have crept their way into the world of investing over the last decade. In 2009, the Swedish Riksbank lowered one of its key interest rates into negative territory, the first major central bank to do so. With negative interest rates now the norm in Europe and a particular oil contract even settling […]