Author: Lucas

Rental insurance has become a top priority for letting agents and landlords who are “racing” to take out policies, according to lettings platform Goodlord. The imminent introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act in May is “focusing minds across the sector”, the proptech firm says. Major jump There was a 41% increase in demand for rental insurance products between September and December last year. And this major jump in demand coincided with the Renters’ Rights Bill securing Royal Assent on 27 October. We saw an absolute explosion in rent protection demand as soon as the Bill cleared the final stages.” Oli…

The international financial system is moving into a new era, which is being called “The Stablecoin Sovereignty Era.” Countries are questioning the supremacy of the US dollar, but simultaneously, digital dollars in the form of stablecoins are growing at an unprecedented rate. This is a very contradictory situation. Are we seeing the beginnings of de-dollarization, or are we moving into a new era of digital dollarization?At first, de-dollarization appears to mean that countries are attempting to decrease their reliance on the US dollar for trade, for reserves, and for international payments. However, digital dollarization paints a very different picture, one…

Mine Supply Weakness and Recycling Constraints The production remains the most significant issue in 2025. Global refined output dropped to 1.45 million ounces in Q2 2025, down from 1.54 million in Q2 2024. South Africa, the world’s top producer, was hit by heavy rainfall in Q1, and Q2 output still came in 8% below 2024 levels. The WPIC expects South Africa’s total mine supply to fall 6% this year. On the other hand, analysts forecast a 4% decline in Zimbabwe and a 26% drop in North America. However, they expect Russia to see a minor 1% increase. Meanwhile, the recycling…

South China”s Guangdong province will spare no effort in promoting and accelerating the coordinated development of manufacturing and service industries in 2026, according to the province’s top official. Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged the vast number of entrepreneurs and practitioners in the province to embrace the advent of the intelligent era, enhance the level of coordinated development of the two sectors based on the artificial intelligence technology foundation. The move aims to jointly shape the overall advantages of Guangdong’s “advanced manufacturing plus modern services” and jointly foster new…

Savings accounts have battled their way back onto Brits’ radar, offering attractive rates to beat the Bank of England’s base rate and inflation. But when it comes to getting more bang for your buck, they have some stiff competition from tax-efficient pensions, for those who already hold an emergency savings pot.Inflation is slowing, with the latest data for January putting CPI inflation at 3%. Consequently, the Bank of England is gradually reducing the base interest rate – it is currently 3.75%, with the next BoE decision due on 19 March.The best cash savings account rates are currently around 4.5%, and…

When 76% of insurers have deployed AI but half the workforce is looking to leave, the technology strategy and the talent strategy are not the same strategy.gettyThe insurance industry’s AI transformation is real and accelerating. Claims automation, algorithmic fraud detection, underwriting models processing risk at scales no human team could match. Deloitte’s survey of 200 US insurance executives finds that 76% have already implemented generative AI in at least one business function. Yet the gap between implementation and scaled deployment remains the defining execution challenge of the moment. The efficiency gains where scaling has occurred are measurable and the competitive…

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 25: A trader is reflected in a market screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on August 25, 2015 in New York City. Following a day of steep drops in global markets, the Dow Jones industrial average rallied early in the day only to fall over 200 points at the close. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThis double agent of stocks, could be a strong investment in your portfolio. Most people know that businesses can be a private or public company. A business may choose to sell common stock or preferred…

Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Friday assured that Hong Kong’s economy could sustain plans to issue more bonds to fund infrastructure projects, saying the debt-to-GDP ratio in the city remains “very safe”. In his latest budget, the minister announced plans to raise the borrowing ceiling for bond issuance from HK$700 billion to HK$900 billion to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis and other public works projects. On RTHK’s phone-in programme on the budget, a caller and university student surnamed Chui raised questions over the government’s ability to repay debts. “How confident are you that the economic returns of the…

There’s an iconic scene at the end of the 1985 film “Back to the Future” when Doc Brown returns from… There’s an iconic scene at the end of the 1985 film “Back to the Future” when Doc Brown returns from 2015 to warn Marty McFly and his future wife, Jennifer, that their future children have “problems.” Moments later, they climb into a flying DeLorean. Marty surveys the pavement and questions the lack of road space for takeoff. Doc responds with sly confidence: “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” [Sign up for stock news with our Invested newsletter.] Four…

Fourteen commercial property agencies launched Go To Commercial on Tuesday, bringing 1,100 listings to a platform born from what its founders call years of frustration with existing search tools. The rebellion started in Leeds. While residential property buyers have spent two decades scrolling through Rightmove and Zoopla, commercial agents across Yorkshire say their sector has been left patching together fragmented platforms, many of them repurposed residential systems that miss how business property actually trades. Rising portal fees and rigid long-term contracts pushed the frustration to breaking point. Andrew Steel watched it happen from inside Michael Steel & Co, his Leeds…