Author: Jordan

The Bank of England has today held the Base Rate at 3.75%, maintaining its current position as policymakers continue to balance inflation concerns against wider economic growth.While the decision was widely expected, landlords and property investors will still be watching closely for any indication of where borrowing costs could head during the second half of 2026.Why was the Base Rate held?The Bank of England uses the Base Rate to help control inflation, which remains above its long-term target of 2%.There were a lot of competing influences coming up to the June Base Rate announcement, with an increase a possible outcome.…

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 18. The potential of Islamic social finance must be unlocked, as it remains an underutilized tool, Rami Mahmoud Ahmad, Vice President for Operations of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, said during a panel session on enhancing IsDB 2026 resilience within the IsDB Group Annual Meeting in Baku, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event. ​”The potential of Islamic social finance must be unlocked—this is an underutilized instrument. As a true global resilience mechanism aligned with the principles of development finance and civic responsibility, zakat, waqf, and sukuk shape an ethical, inclusive, and trust-based financial architecture, particularly effective…

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Homeowners with some tolerance for uncertainty might find that an adjustable-rate mortgage is worth considering as a way to get a low introductory rate before the adjustments kick in. This loan type can be a particularly good choice if you’re aiming to rent out for flip the property, or when you know you intend to move before the loan’s fixed-rate period ends. Keep reading and we’ll explain how ARMs work, consider when an ARM is worth considering as an alternative to a fixed-rate mortgage, and look at ARM rates from a few top lenders. You can see the previous business…

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Starting July 1, changes introduced in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year will add new caps on federal student loans, as well as restrictions on loan forgiveness and repayment programs. The result, student loan experts say, will be a greater reliance on private loans to cover financial gaps. Graduate students will be particularly impacted, according to Robert Farrington, a personal finance expert and founder of The College Investor.”Previously, graduate students could take out Graduate PLUS loans up to the cost of attendance,” Farrington told CNBC Select. “That program is ending, though, and now federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans for grad…

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For endowment and foundations, alternative investments have overtaken public equities as the largest allocation within these institutions’ portfolios. Based on data collected in January, this group of investors allocated 36% of their assets to alternatives, up from 22% in 2023, according to Morgan Stanley’s 2026 endowments and foundations survey. For comparison, allocations to public equities stood at 35% in 2023 and dipped to 27% in this year’s survey. Public non-U.S. equity investments fell to 17% from 20%; public fixed income declined to 14% from 16%, cash and cash equivalents dropped to 4% from 5%, and other asset classes dipped to…

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Alternative investments have become an important part of the portfolio composition conversation for investors. The reason is not merely fashion or complexity. Alternatives can offer access to assets, structures and return opportunities that mutual funds are not designed to provide. Mutual funds serve a very important purpose. They are regulated, transparent, liquid and hence suitable for a wide base. In India, mutual funds operate under regulations and a detailed rule book on portfolio construction, valuation, liquidity, disclosures, borrowing, derivatives usage and concentration limits. These rules protect investors and make mutual funds one of the most efficient vehicles for listed equity,…

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Regional leaders, investors, and development partners gathered in Barbados this week to explore new ways of financing Caribbean food systems, with a strong focus on attracting equity investment and positioning the sector as a major opportunity for economic growth and resilience.Based on a United Nations Caribbean press release, the high-level Food Systems Investment Forum, held under the theme “Mobilizing Equity Capital for Resilient Food Systems in the Caribbean,” brought together Ministers of Agriculture and senior officials from across the region, as well as representatives of international financial institutions, private investors, and development agencies. The event sought to advance a shared…

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Vietnam, alongside international bodies, is now racing to standardise valuation methods and build data architecture needed to turn intangible assets into something that can be traded. How the world values ideas Nguyen Hoang Giang, Deputy Director of the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IPVN) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said putting a price on IP is a critical step to commercialising research outcomes. Vietnam’s legal framework already enables intangible asset valuation, and international methodologies can be applied. Yet IP valuation remains a knotty problem for regulators, valuation firms, universities, research institutes and businesses, all of whom are hunting…

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