The pound slipped to a two-year nadir as news that Moody’s Investor service became the first ratings agency to downgrade the UK from its triple A score since 1978. Domestic and foreign-currency government bond ratings have had their scored lowered to an AA1, though the outlook on these ratings remains stable. In a statement the…
Departing chairman of Novartis, Daniel Vasella was set to receive a payout of $78m over six years, supposedly for consulting services and a very strict non-compete agreement. But the generous ‘golden gag’ package- as the payout has been dubbed by the media- caused waves of protests in Switzerland, a country on the verge of a…
With the number Americans applying for unemployment benefits at an all time low, things are looking up for those looking for a job. Just last week, the number of applicants fell by 27,000 indicating that hiring is steadily improving. These trends are not volatile, evidenced by Jim O’Sullivan, an economist at High Frequency Economics. In…
The European Commission has announced plans to demand global manufacturers importing goods into the EU to apply a ‘made in’ label to all their products or risk sanctions. The World Trade Organisation is a staunch critic of such labels which it describes as making little sense in a world of globalised supply chains. Similar regulations…
More than 90% of business in the United States are family owned, but less than a third will survive in to the following generation. With the prevalence of small and medium sized business, the intricacies of business succession planning must be considered as a part of your retirement plan. Preoccupied with 401Ks and SEP-IRAs the…
The British chancellor has proposed a ring fence separating high-street retails banking from investment banking branches within institutions will need to be ‘electrified’ with severe sanctions. Osborne will publish the Banking Reform Bill giving regulators the power to split banks up if they do not comply fully with new rules designed to protect British taxpayers….
The power of video is at an all-time high in today’s marketing environment. Data gained from the B2B Demand Generation Benchmark Survey for 2012 found that video is used by over 90% of marketing respondents, beating out the percentages of those who use white papers, case studies, and live demos with reps. As suggested in…
China has been planning a proposal to convert over $1tn of Chinese-owned land in the US into ‘development zones’ that could see the establishment of Chinese business and citizens in North America. The proposal would mean China would own American businesses, infrastructure and valuable land. In exchange for the investment the US government would guarantee…
If you’ve successfully gotten a contract to rent an apartment, one of the first things to consider to make your new home unique to you is decorating. Here are four styling tips to help make your new home an extension of your personality. Some people think that having an apartment means lowering their housing expectations….
In the final quarter of 2012, the most important for retailers, the online shopping giant’s revenue grew by 22 percent to $21.3bn, about $1bn short of Wall Street forecasts. Reported holiday sales in the US were disappointing across the board, despite growth of 14 percent, according to ComScore, a research group. Amazon profits have diminished…
