Finance

Over the past few decades, governments have sought to address the housing crisis by focusing on one primary solution – constructing new-build properties. While the construction of residential new-builds will naturally play a pivotal role in rectifying the current imbalance between housing supply and demand, commentators have criticised the targets set by the Government as being simply unattainable.  

When Chancellor Sajid Javid goes to the dispatch box to deliver the 2020 Spring Budget on 11thMarch, those of us involved in the UK property market will be watching on with great interest. This is the first budget of new parliament, and the first budget of a new decade. And unlike recent fiscal statements, this looks set to deliver some substantial reforms.

Regardless of the outcome, the UK’s 2019 General Election promised to be a pivotal event. After nearly a year of Brexit delays, political infighting and general market uncertainty, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to call a general election in December was seen as an attempt to deliver a majority government.

Hong Kong (HK) has often grabbed global headlines, but lately, it has been doing so for the wrong reasons. The island has been gripped by protests over an extradition bill that seemingly would empower mainland China at the expense of HK locals. The Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 was proposed following a murder case in 2018.

In the decade succeeding the financial crisis, one of the biggest developments in the world of wealth management has been the rise of the family office. But what is a family office, and how has their proliferation already begun to change how ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNW) manage their assets?

Recently, Iran has been experiencing increased tensions with the United States and its allies over the rollback of the Iran nuclear deal. These hostilities will affect decision-making matrices for all of the important players in the world of finance and banking.

New residential and commercial building developments are going up at impressive rates across the country, transforming the face of UK towns and cities. Beyond just boosting local economies and attractiveness of these areas, increased construction efforts are also working feverishly to support the growing demand for affordable and accessible housing.

Facebook has decided to launch a digital currency named Libra. It has given various details about the currency via its currency whitepaper. The deployment of Libra will have serious implications by bringing new individuals into the financial net all over the world.

India and Pakistan have preferred to sit on opposing sides since their births as nations. Unfortunately, this acrimony continues whenever these two nuclear-armed nations meet in regional organizations. This lack of ability to limit tensions to bilateral forums has paralyzed the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).

Electric power production has been at the core of recent industrial revolutions. With the onset of the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions, this role will become only more central as even decision-making  becomes electrified. The rise of renewable energy is of central importance.