What do the PM and the Chancellor want us to do? According to the FT, “In a letter to the investment industry, the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak said UK institutional investors needed to “seize the moment” and use their “hundreds of billions of pounds” to back assets that often carry a longer termContinue reading “What’s all this with “Big Bang” investments in the future growth of the UK?”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Does consumer protection protect consumers?
No clear responsibility The key principles that underlie most investor protection or ‘treating customers fairly’ can be simply expressed. Here are some practical things a fund management company can do to attract and retain the loyalty of its customers. Give the customer what they paid for Don’t take advantage of the customer. Offer the customerContinue reading “Does consumer protection protect consumers?”
The system leaves small investors out
Why is £268,000,000,000 earning almost no return? Why does £268 billion sit in Cash ISAs earning almost nothing?. Out of the 22 million ISA investors there are more than 15 million cash only ISA subscribers, of whom 60% made no further subscription in the latest year for which data is available from HMRC . ThisContinue reading “The system leaves small investors out”
Pension system is broken
The IFS report on pensions just underlines how ridiculously complex what should be a simple system of saving for old age has become. The glossary of pension terms published by the Institute of Actuaries,(recommended for insomniacs) has about 120 entries ( I think – I couldn’t be bothered to count them all) Good luck (ifContinue reading “Pension system is broken”
Not trained to think outside the tick box?
The more detailed regulations that flutter down like leaves in autumn, the more training is needed to ensure that everyone is trained in ever more detailed activities. But do those trained understand why they are being trained and what for? But don’t worry. So, as long as all your employees have been through the rightContinue reading “Not trained to think outside the tick box?”
A flawed model
Blurred responsibilities and commercial conflicts of interest make this an unsatisfactory model for protection of investors in investment funds. I argue that the principal reason behind the collapse of the Woodford fund is a governance model that is profoundly flawed since it is riven with commercial conflicts of interest. The FCA is reviewing the model.Continue reading “A flawed model”
Are Assessments of Value valueless?
Why aren’t fund managers getting ‘Assessments of Value’ right? The short answer is, according to a recent CFA Society UK analysis, that assessments of value often don’t give the right information, or are difficult to understand, or are lengthy and poorly structured. On top of that, not to put too fine a point on it,Continue reading “Are Assessments of Value valueless?”
Is ESG just greenwashing?
I examine the great variety of definitions and consider the various initiatives to standardise descriptions – EU, IFRS, CFA Are managers real converts? Conversion on the road to sustainability Many companies are busy announcing their conversion to the ESG religion. So, bad guys have revelations on the road to Damascus and turn into St Paul.Continue reading “Is ESG just greenwashing?”
