- Managers of Wealth - Europe - Wealth, private banking and asset management news and opinion

Top pension fund assets hit $15 trillion

Total assets of the world’s largest 300 pension funds grew by over 6% in 2013 to reach a new high of almost US$15 trillion.

Non Cleared Derivatives Industry Survey

New regulations governing the margining of non-centrally cleared OTC derivatives are rapidly being developed.

Athens or Beunos of the North - Edinburgh? by Justin Urquhart Stewart

As the Referendum on independence rolls towards us, sadly I feel that emotions are rising ahead of the logic on economic strength and capability.

Back to the future by Tim Price

Much of what we think we know isn’t necessarily so.

Barclays complaints fall by a quarter in first half of 2014

Customer complaints at Barclays fell by a quarter in the first half of 2014, the bank said on Friday, led by a decline in cases relating to the mis-selling of loan insurance. The bank said total complaints fell 26 percent year-on-year, dropping to 284,00

Private Wealth Inflows Buoy Hedge Funds To $2.9 Trillion – Preqin

Despite competition increasing in the past 12 months, 64% of managers of pooled hedge fund products reported their assets had increased

Average bonuses rise 4.9 per cent

Bonus payments in the UK rose to £40.5bn in the year to April, up almost five per cent on a year ago.

British Nationals Send Powerful Message to Property Investors Across the World

UK, India and Pakistan top Dubai real estate investor list for start of 2014 as countdown begins for 13th edition of Cityscape Global

SEI Poll: DC Schemes To Change Outdated Default Strategy Design

Sixty-Two Percent of Respondents Expect Pension Scheme Members Will Keep Monies Invested via Flexible Drawdown Post Retirement; 25 Percent Believe Members Will Purchase an Annuity

Independence Referendum: Scotland’s Exit Won’t Have A Significant Impact On The UK’s Ultra Wealthy Numbers

Wealth-X data shows there are 10,910 ultra high net worth (UHNW) individuals (defined as those with at least US$30 million in net assets) in the UK with a combined net worth of US$1.38 trillion.

Demand for Islamic Sovereign Bonds on the Rise, Says BLME

One of them, Bank of London and the Middle East, doesn’t appear to have any hard feelings about it and applauds the rise in sovereign sukuks as they will help accelerate the development of the global Islamic finance market.

Advertised UK salaries rise for first time since crisis, jobs website finds

The average advertised salary in July 2014 rose to £33,873, a 0.9% advance on the previous year.

The significance or otherwise of European fund correlations

Poor Returns from Statistics

La "less than belle" France by Justin Urquhart Stewart

It's easy to make simplistic comparisons, but this year I found a stark difference in attitude between what I saw in the French economy as opposed to that of Perfidious Albion on the other side of La Manche ('The Sleeve').

Time to step up to the plate

European Hedge Funds

AIMA publishes ‘The Case for Hedge Funds’

The 28-page booklet summarises the themes that AIMA has explored since 2008 as it sought to demonstrate the value of the world’s hedge fund industry to investors, financial markets and the broader economy.

Property bounces back to the top of the IMA leader table - Cofunds

The property sector has returned to the top of the IMA leader board, as the bestselling sector with the highest percentage of net sales in July, according to figures from Cofunds, the leading general investment platform in the UK.

Global survey finds good CSR makes good business sense

A survey of 2,500 businesses in 34 economies finds that businesses are being driven towards more socially and environmentally sustainable practices not simply by brand building or altruism, but because it makes good financial sense.

Regulations and market growth drive wealth managers towards outsourcing bonanza

Wealth Managers are embracing a breadth and depth of third party services not seen in other markets.

Confidence hits a new high with more money in pocket

The decrease was driven by further falls in spending on gas and electricity, food and drink and fuel.

Comment, Analysis & Research