Economics & Markets

What Donald could teach Theresa
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What Donald could teach Theresa

13 mins. to read

A massive reform of the US tax code is underway. Britain could learn lessons from our American friends. Mr Trump’s corporate tax cut clears the Senate In the wee hours of Saturday 2nd December the US Senate passed a bill to cut corporate income taxes (taxes on company profits – what the British call corporation…

The Future of Money: Cash, Crypto or Gold?

The Future of Money: Cash, Crypto or Gold?

26 mins. to read

We think of money as an objective reality – but in fact it is just a conceptual construction of the human mind. It does not exist in nature; animals have no notion of it; even humans managed to live for countless millennia without it. The history of money is the history of civilisation. It has…

Brexit, the Tory Ultras and the Corbyn Threat
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Brexit, the Tory Ultras and the Corbyn Threat

13 mins. to read

This morning a deal has been struck in Brussels. But will the Tory ultras buy it? And will Labour gain ground if they don’t? Sufficient progress? The breakthrough deal that was supposed to happen on Monday (04 December) was supposedly scuppered by the Ulster Unionists. In fact, much opposition to Mrs May’s original deal was…

Cash, crypto or gold?

Cash, crypto or gold?

14 mins. to read

Which would you rather own – $42,000 in a bank account, four bitcoins on your hard drive or a kilo of gold bullion under your bed? Cash versus gold Cash is useful stuff but you wouldn’t want to carry too much of it: it is bulky and can be easily lost or stolen. Money in…

Mellon on the Markets

Mellon on the Markets

5 mins. to read

Two trips to Australia in two weeks is not a recipe for a Juvenescent life. Bottom line, if you have to do it, go Emirates. It’s way better than BA, sadly, which has dropped all pretence of service in favour of short term profits. I went the second time to speak at a conference known…

Budget 2017: Mr Hammond’s timely reprieve

Budget 2017: Mr Hammond’s timely reprieve

14 mins. to read

UK government finances are under extreme pressure. But there is no need to panic – yet. Chronicle of a death foretold Mr Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, rose to the despatch box on Wednesday like a condemned man given one last chance beneath the gallows to plead for his life. It would have to be…

Cryptocurrencies for dummies

Cryptocurrencies for dummies

14 mins. to read

Has anyone invited you to invest in bitcoin recently? Do you really know what it is? And why did the Chinese ban it? The future of money My lead article in the December edition of the Master Investor magazine will be entitled The Future of Money. Not very Christmassy, you might think. But we need…

How to prepare for the coming tax onslaught

How to prepare for the coming tax onslaught

11 mins. to read

“There are certain things that cannot be adequately explained to a virgin by either words or pictures. Nor can any description I might offer here even approximate what it feels like to lose a real chunk of money you used to own.” – Fred Schwed, US Investor   “The only difference between the taxman and…

One year of Trumponomics
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One year of Trumponomics

13 mins. to read

Exactly one year after Mr Trump’s election as 45th President of the United States, what evidence is there that Trumponomics will work? Happy anniversary! This first real week of autumn has been one of anniversaries. First, we marked 500 years since an academic friar by the name of Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to…