After nine months of running in Norwich, the bicycle sharing company Ofo has decided to remove its fleet of 1,000 yellow bicycles from the city’s streets this summer. The company has said they will instead be focusing on “other key UK markets”, such as London. The company, which described itself as the first dockless bike…
Finance
Tesla struggling in ‘production hell’
Electric cars are becoming more and more common on UK roads. It’s no longer odd to see a car drive past without making so much as a whisper, and with electric car technology becoming better by the day, we should expect this to become the norm. The UK government has already realized the need to…
Finance
Warning issued over record debt levels
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast strong and broad-based growth for 2018 in its’ biannual World Economic Outlook report. However, beyond the near-term optimism, the IMF has expressed the need to use growth to reduce government debt. Since the financial crisis global debt has surged to 225 percent of world GDP in 2016. Government…
Finance
Saving up to fly the nest
For a student leaving university, one of the main considerations is where they want to live. Going back home to Mum and Dad can be a daunting prospect, having just enjoyed three years of total freedom and independence. But increasingly this is becoming the most realistic solution for many young people. Renting property makes it…
Finance
Brexit spells trouble for graduates
If you are anything like me, you are probably sick of Brexit. For two years now it has been in every news bulletin and headline, spreading fear and concern among many in the UK. One group of people who should be particularly concerned about the deal that the UK strikes with Brussels is students. It…
Finance
The Finance Roundup
UK borrowing falls to lowest level in 11 years It is good news for the UK economy. Government borrowing has fallen by £3.5bn in the past year, making last year the lowest year of borrowing for 11 years. It means that the budget deficit is being reduced at a faster rate than expected. Public debt,…
Finance
Tax leaves cavity in wallets
The introduction of a new sugar tax on soft drinks has meant that consumers could end up paying more for their favourite fizzy drinks. The ‘Soft Drinks Industry Levy’, or ‘sugar tax’, was first announced in 2016 in the hopes of putting pressure on soft drinks manufacturers to reduce the sugar content of their drinks,…
Finance
Threshold raised for student loans
From 6 April 2018, university graduates were able to earn more before they begin to repay their student loan. Changes to student finance increased the repayment threshold for English and Welsh undergraduates who started during or after September 2012 from £21,000 to £25,000 a year, with the threshold to be adjusted annually to remain in…
Finance
US job market faces slow growth
The US is the world’s biggest economy. However, the beginning of 2018 saw it faced with difficulties in its labour market with slow growth rates and a static level of unemployment. The US Department of Labour reported that the previous month of March saw the number of jobs available on the market stand at only…