Politics & Policies

When Tricolor Holdings, a subprime auto lender in the US, collapsed into bankruptcy this September, many market participants dismissed it as an isolated failure. The company specialised in providing financing to borrowers with little or no credit history, packaging those loans into asset-backed securities (ABS), and selling them on to investors. The fraud allegations, including suggestions that collateral may have been pledged twice, seemed more like a potential corporate scandal than a systemic event.

The UK now holds the uncomfortable distinction of having the highest long-term borrowing costs among G7 nations. Last week, 30-year gilt yields nudged above 5.6%, levels not seen since 1998. Even the 10-year gilt yield, the market’s benchmark, remains the highest in the group, signalling deeper structural and cyclical concerns.

For Generation X, retirement planning has often been described as a squeeze, and with good reason. Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen Xers sit awkwardly between two more fortunate cohorts: Baby Boomers, who largely benefited from generous defined benefit pensions, and Millennials, who have at least caught the tailwind of automatic workplace enrolment. Gen X, by contrast, missed out on both.

When UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves declared regulation a “boot on the neck of businesses” at the Mansion House dinner, she wasn’t just addressing City elites – she was firing the starting gun on a new era of economic risk-taking. Her sweeping pledge to roll back financial red tape wasn’t just a policy shift; it was a commitment to reform. It was an ideological pivot, aligning Britain with a broader global trend: the return of animal spirits.

The prospect of a UK wealth tax has once again ignited debate across boardrooms, investment houses, and political circles. In a country grappling with fiscal gaps and social priorities, the idea sounds seductively simple: tap into the wealth of millionaires and billionaires to fund public services and bridge social divides.

In 2025, a three-day outage at Barclays served as a stark reminder of how dependent financial institutions have become on complex, fragile systems. The failure, which was traced back to legacy infrastructure, left millions unable to access basic services and cost the bank millions in compensation. Similar disruptions have become increasingly common across the sector, underscoring a deepening vulnerability at the heart of digital finance.

Donald Trump’s push to scrap the capital gains tax raises deeper questions about fairness, wealth, and society’s future.

Imagine a world where wealth grows untaxed – not just lightly taxed but completely untouched by the government’s hand. No matter how many millions – or billions – you make from the sale of stocks, property, or private equity, none of it is shared back with society. That world may not be far off if Donald Trump follows through on what’s fast becoming one of his most provocative promises: to eliminate capital gains tax entirely from 2025.

Financial markets thrive on diversification. Investors spread risk across asset classes, sectors, and geographies to avoid overexposure to any single failure. It’s an ironclad principle; too much concentration increases vulnerability.

Inflation, the rise in prices over time, has shaped economies for centuries but is still a mystery to many. From coin debasement in ancient Rome to global inflationary crises today, its impact has driven wars, economic collapses, and policy shifts. Understanding inflation’s history helps us anticipate its future. So, let’s explore how inflation has evolved over time.

The push for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investments has triggered mass divestment from fossil fuels. Institutions like pension funds and university endowments are prioritising cleaner portfolios, citing moral and environmental imperatives.