Managers of Wealth

Want to be Prime Minister? Go join Goldies, Merrill, Deutsche Bank

In the US, Robert Rubin was a Goldman Sachs co-chairman before he was President Bill Clinton's Treasury secretary.

The ugly side of wealth management

Like medieval medicine, the success rate of active fund management is based mostly on faith rather than scientific fact.

FED Up? by James Klempster, Portfolio Manager, Momentum Global Investment Management

“This week’s news will be dominated by the Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) decision on whether or not to increase interest rates.

Keeping its power dry - St. James's Place Market Bulletin

Last week, members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) found themselves once again to be largely of one mind on the question of interest rates, as members voted 8–1 for no change to the Bank of England rate of 0.5%. The pound rose slightly after

Fight breaks out over high-yield funds

He says, “Most of their concerns stem from a lack of understanding. They might have expertise in one area of the market and not others. Those who know ETFs don’t raise concerns.”

Golden facts on financial advice: Staying one STEP ahead

I heard an excellent new word this week; infobesity. It means the sheer quantity of information available makes decision-making more difficult.

“If you know the News, you probably saw that there was No News”

If I look back over my past few talks and my scribblings for the last six months, it's very clear to see that there are some fairly fundamental themes running along, all of which seem to take it in turns to grab a headline every so often.

Fed meets amid 'growth scare': Coutts Global Markets Weekly

Global markets are waiting with bated breath to see whether the Federal Reserve (Fed) will finally lift US interest rates from their longstanding position near zero this week.

Wealth management business to reach $19b in 10 years

"Developing wealth management services will help commercial banks turn their focus from taking deposits to managing financial assets and thus retaining clients amid a growingly fierce competition," Ma said.

Schroders reflects on the recent market volatility in China

He believes a more fundamental issue in China is the fact the economy is transitioning from an investment to a service based economy and is therefore set to grow more slowly in the future.

Asian Family Offices as Cornerstone LPs by Matthew Egerton-Warburton, Withers

Over the past two decades a substantial amount of private wealth has been created in Asia. There are now a large number of newly wealthy individuals and families in Asia grappling with the problem of maintaining and growing excess capital.

The Changing Face Of Wealth

The rich are different, we are told. So what does a typical billionaire look like?

Wealth Manager Websites - What's Going Wrong? by Dominic Gamble

Another report has been published this week highlighting the perpetual achilles heel of the wealth management industry - bad websites.

Coutts September Real Estate Perspective

Sterling strength is enticing UK buyers into the European holiday homes market

Tax avoidance and the law of unintended consequences by George Bull

From the perspective of tax authorities worldwide, tax avoidance is a massive example of the operation of the law of unintended consequences. At a time when tax authorities around the world are rushing to crack down on tax avoidance, it’s therefore

Back to school: An education for parents too by Penny Lovell

The extra pressure involved with children going back to school isn’t purely linked to extra “school admin” – preparing sports kits, sewing labels, school runs, paperwork – it is financial too.

The Sixth Rule of Investing: Understanding & Visibility by Justin Urquhart Stewart

We may teach schoolchildren economics, but rarely do we teach them finance.

Who let the doves out? Coutts Global Markets Weekly

Over recent weeks the doves have been out in full force, with even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) joining the chorus with an unusual request for central banks to hold off raising rates. But we are maintaining our view that global economic fears are

‘Chaos and carnage’ threaten emerging market-focused hedge funds

Top of his list of concerns is the fact that an imminent US rate rise is expected to trigger further volatility across emerging markets.

The Art of Alternative Investment – A New Asset Class

Trust in alternative investment took a significant plunge during the financial crisis of 2008 and deterred investors worldwide.

Comment & Analysis