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Why Am I Being Asked to Fill Out a US Tax Form in London?

Why Am I Being Asked to Fill Out a US Tax Form in London?

Imagine this: you’re a perfectly respectable UK company, opening an account with a perfectly respectable UK prime broker, when suddenly you’re handed a document called a W-8BEN-E. The name alone sounds like something dreamt up by a malfunctioning robot. You blink at your broker. “But… we’re in

Shelf Life to Share Price – Princes Eyes a £700m London Listing

Shelf Life to Share Price – Princes Eyes a £700m London Listing

Princes is one of those names you meet on the supermarket shelves long before it makes an appearance in the financial news. Tinned tuna, corned beef, even those tins of peaches stacked quietly in the cupboard – the kind of staple you reach for on a Tuesday night when inspiration runs

When Charges Collide – Priority Battles in Structured Finance

When Charges Collide – Priority Battles in Structured Finance

Security interests are a bit like a crowded pub on a Friday night. Everyone thinks they’re next to be served, but only one person actually gets the pint first. In structured finance, that jostling is called priority – and who gets served first can mean the difference between a full

Who Guards the Guardians? The Depositary in UK UCITS Funds

Foundations of Finance

Who Guards the Guardians? The Depositary in UK UCITS Funds

In our earlier article on UCITS in the UK, we looked at what makes these funds tick. Today we turn to one of the most important – and least glamorous – characters: the depositary. If UCITS were a theatre production, the fund manager would be the star on stage, the investors the

Private Party: Soho House Checks Out of the Stock Exchange

Private Party: Soho House Checks Out of the Stock Exchange

If you’ve ever sipped a martini in a swoon-worthy armchair, debated oat milk vs cow over avocado on toast, or waited three months for a “local” members’ club to let you in – chances are, you’ve brushed up against the world of Soho House. The global club-hotel-restaurant-spa-gym-creative-community hybrid has

ETFs Explained: The Tracker Funds That Took Over the Market

ETFs Explained: The Tracker Funds That Took Over the Market

If investing were cooking, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) would be the ready meals of the market. Pre-packaged, neatly labelled, and promising a balanced mix of ingredients – all you have to do is pop one in your portfolio. They’re sold as cheap, transparent, and convenient. And much like that supermarket lasagne,

Self-Directed Pensions – The Legal Lowdown on SSAS, SIPPs and Their Overseas Cousins

Self-Directed Pensions – The Legal Lowdown on SSAS, SIPPs and Their Overseas Cousins

If you’ve ever scrolled through the small print in pension paperwork and thought you’d stumbled into a bowl of alphabet soup – SSAS, SIPP, QROPS, QNUPS – you’re not alone. Structured finance collects acronyms like other people collect fridge magnets, and the pension world is just as guilty. So,

Cars, Commissions and Courtrooms – Why Bank Shares Just Went Up Despite a Hefty Bill

Cars, Commissions and Courtrooms – Why Bank Shares Just Went Up Despite a Hefty Bill

It’s not often you hear “consumer compensation scheme” and “bank shares rise” in the same breath, but here we are. This week’s big finance story involves mis-sold car finance, a Supreme Court twist, and a market reaction that looks – at first glance – to defy common sense.

Capital Protection in Structured Products – The Fine Print Behind the Promise

Capital Protection in Structured Products – The Fine Print Behind the Promise

If structured products were a buffet, capital protection would be the bread rolls. Comforting, familiar, and usually the first thing people reach for – but not quite the whole meal. In our earlier guide to structured products, we explained how these made-to-measure investments combine a steady, sensible bond with a more

Mastering the Repo – What the GMRA Actually Does

Mastering the Repo – What the GMRA Actually Does

There’s a certain type of document that keeps global finance running – quietly, efficiently, and with absolutely no interest in going viral. The Global Master Repurchase Agreement – or GMRA – is one of them. Behind its perfectly neutral name is one of the most widely used and quietly powerful contracts in

Behind the Mic: How Podcast Publishers Took Over the Show

Behind the Mic: How Podcast Publishers Took Over the Show

If you still think podcasting is just two mates chatting about football in a shed, it’s time for a rethink. The shed’s been soundproofed, they’ve got a producer, a sponsorship deal, and someone from Spotify on speed dial. Podcasting isn’t a cottage industry anymore – it’s

Borrowed Time: A Brief History of the UK’s National Debt

Borrowed Time: A Brief History of the UK’s National Debt

If the UK’s finances had a diary, the National Debt would be the dog-eared, tea-stained volume marked “Do Not Open – Contents Still Outstanding.” It’s been lurking in the national accounts since the late 17th century – outlasting monarchs, market crashes, and more Prime Ministers than you can shake a

Mind the Hype: The Law on Financial Promotions in the UK

Mind the Hype: The Law on Financial Promotions in the UK

Why This Matters Tempted to post about your new investment scheme on LinkedIn? Thinking of slipping a few promising numbers into your next client newsletter? Careful now. In the UK, encouraging people to invest in anything – be it a bond, a business, or a baffling crypto token – is likely to

Beyond the Music: Bieber’s Family Office and the Business of Being Rich

Beyond the Music: Bieber’s Family Office and the Business of Being Rich

Pop star. Chart-topper. One-time Calvin Klein poster boy. And now… head of his very own wealth machine. Justin Bieber, never one to stick with convention, has reportedly launched a family office – RBCx Holdings (short for Royal Bible Club, naturally) – following the $200 million sale of his music catalogue to Hipgnosis

The VIX Files: Reading the Market’s Mood Swings

The VIX Files: Reading the Market’s Mood Swings

If the financial world had a mood ring, it would be the VIX. Known formally as the CBOE Volatility Index, the VIX doesn’t tell us whether markets are going up or down – it tells us how nervous investors are about what’s coming next. Consider it the financial world&

So, You’ve Got a Company Secretary – The Board’s Secret Weapon

So, You’ve Got a Company Secretary – The Board’s Secret Weapon

Three cheers for the company secretary – the corporate world's unsung hero, part compliance officer, part governance guru, part calendar-wielding miracle worker. While the title might not send heart rates soaring, the modern secretary is anything but a paper-pusher. This article explores the legal and practical responsibilities of company

Vine Britannia: Can England’s Wine Boom Weather the Storm?

Vine Britannia: Can England’s Wine Boom Weather the Storm?

It wasn’t just the crisp acidity or the hint of stone fruit that caught our attention. It was the bottle. We’d just tasted a Chardonnay from The Heretics – a bold new producer tucked into the North Essex hills – and immediately went digging for more. The wine was brilliant.

Credit Linked Notes – Where Yield Meets Risk (and a Lot of Legal Paperwork)

Credit Linked Notes – Where Yield Meets Risk (and a Lot of Legal Paperwork)

Bonds are fine – steady, predictable, polite. But if you want something a bit more exciting (and don’t mind a bit of legal risk on the side), a Credit Linked Note might just be your thing. They look like ordinary bonds, but with one key difference: your return doesn’t

Short Selling Explained: What it is, How it Works, and Why it Matters

Short Selling Explained: What it is, How it Works, and Why it Matters

Short selling sounds dodgy, doesn’t it? Like something whispered in back alleys or done just before a courtroom sketch artist gets involved. But in the world of finance, it’s not only legal – it’s often essential. In this Insight, we’ll give short selling the once-over – what it

Green Dreams, Paid Monthly – The Rise of Energy-as-a-Service

Green Dreams, Paid Monthly – The Rise of Energy-as-a-Service

How eEnergy and Redaptive are changing the rules of engagement (and repayment) for energy efficiency upgrades Let’s face it – we’d all love a building that practically runs itself on sunshine and a clean conscience. But upgrading your office building to something worthy of a sustainability Pinterest board doesn’

Green Bonds – Same Old Debt, New Green Wrapper

Green Bonds – Same Old Debt, New Green Wrapper

Green bonds are having a moment. They look like ordinary bonds, walk like ordinary bonds, and default like ordinary bonds – but they come with an environmental promise stitched into the marketing. Governments love them. Banks issue them. Investors queue up to buy them. And everyone else wonders whether this is

Syndicated Lending: When One Bank Just Isn’t Enough

Syndicated Lending: When One Bank Just Isn’t Enough

You know the saying, “If you want something done properly, do it yourself”? Well, syndicated lending is the exception that proves the rule. When borrowers need hundreds of millions (or billions) of pounds, they don’t go knocking on one bank’s door – they throw a party and invite the

So, You Want to Start a Political Party…

So, You Want to Start a Political Party…

If you’ve spent the past week doomscrolling and wondering whether Succession was a documentary, you may have seen it: Elon Musk has launched his own political party, and he’s called it – brace yourself – the America Party.

Guarantees in Securitisation: A Legal Safety Net (With Strings Attached)

Guarantees in Securitisation: A Legal Safety Net (With Strings Attached)

“If they don’t pay, I will.” That, in a nutshell, is a guarantee under English law – a promise by one party (the guarantor) to step in if another party (the principal obligor) fails to do what they said they’d do. Usually, that’s handing over money – but it

Picking a Corporate Vehicle: Not Just a Matter of Taste

Picking a Corporate Vehicle: Not Just a Matter of Taste

Ltd, LLP, CIC, CIO – the UK loves an acronym almost as much as it loves a well organised queue. But behind each of these lies a different type of legal structure, each with its own quirks, perks and pitfalls. Picking the right one isn’t just a box-ticking exercise for