A collection of our thoughts, opinions, (and sometimes general musings) on everything to do with all aspects of business finance, commercial finance, small businesses, and general news about ASC Finance for Business.
Miscellaneous
Pensions Pots & Policies for Mortgages
Another initiative which probably won’t take off, but it’s worth a comment. The latest idea is that parents use their pension pot to create a deposit for their kids to buy a residential property. Sounds great, but let’s look at it in a bit more detail. I’m not referring to the technical complications and rules...
After recently announcing the go ahead of a government and privately funded Business Bank to provide small and medium sized businesses with a greater access to finance, Vince Cable has highlighted another route to finance for these businesses. At a recent conference Mr Cable showed the Community Development Finance Association (CDFA) that the Government is...
. . . a question that comes up a lot when a new 007 flick is about to hit the big screen. Fear not, this article is not a review of which James Bond actor is the epitome of a secret agent, although feel free to let us know if you have a favourite. This...
Why do banks introduce a standard variable rate for their mortgages? Would it not be easier just to have a base rate plus, rather than individual standard rates which are in fact anything but standard? We already have the tool of an APR which in theory is supposed to assist in comparing the costs of...
I read a recent article on the BBC website titled; ‘Small businesses struggling to raise finance’ in reference to a recent survey which suggested “an increase in refusals for finance”. The business minister explained last week his plans to establish a new bank with the following message: “the Government understands the frustration felt by many...
Plans for a new state funded bank - Hurrah (or maybe not!)
The business secretary has just announced plans for a new lending initiative. Sounds promising, until you look at the small print; A couple of comments to err on the side of caution: It is suggested that it will take another 18 months or so for the scheme to go live. That is clearly too long....
There was a recent survey in the news on business finance with the results claiming that small businesses are struggling to raise the money they need to expand. It reported that around 42% of businesses that applied for a loan were turned down which also accounted for a decline in business confidence. Here at ASC...
Was it worth it? The financial cost of hosting the games
A few weeks ago we wrote a blog on whether the Games were good for small businesses. Now, after a spectacular closing ceremony, we ask: was it worth it? At a cost of over £11bn the ‘legacy’ of the games is going to be under some pressure to pay back the money it borrowed from...
A throw away phrase during the Olympics about British mentality and how to communicate with the locals prompted the following thought; when you go to a pub it is very easy to speak to the person next to you and even buy them a beer and have a good chat. If you then go on...
