Financial innovation: top to bottom

Companies in the US and UK, faced with a lack of willingness from the banks to lend, have been raising money by issuing ‘mini-bonds’ direct to customers. Similar to the debentures issued by the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, they can offer customers a mix of goods and services (tennis tickets, chocolates, shaving …

Bank of England may shift QE into riskier assets

As concerns mount over the state of the economy, George Osborne has said that he sees no barriers to a further round of quantitative easing, possibly moving into riskier asset classes than gilts. Adam Posen, an external member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, is expected to call for the Bank to do exactly …