Opinion

Stuart Gray, senior director of investments at Willis Towers Watson and manager of Dundee-based Alliance Trust, discusses the risks of diworsification. Most investors are familiar with the term diversification – avoiding risk in an investment portfolio by ensuring a spread of assets. Diworsifi

Several recent well-documented cases of ransomware – malicious software used by criminals to encrypt information until a ransom is paid – highlight a growing danger to both private and public sector organisations, writes James McGachie, legal director at DLA Piper. Research by

William Cullen, senior manager of specialist firm Dunedin Advisory, discusses the options available for Scottish residents who are struggling financially. With the increasing cost of living - many facing hiked up utility bills running into hundreds of pounds per month and increases in many other ess

Andrew McNamara, head of business services & outsourcing for Scotland at BDO LLP, discusses the impact of short-termism on Scottish firms. Scotland has a rich business history. It’s a country ripe with entrepreneurial talent, ambition and drive, and every day I see first-hand the exciting

Kevin Hollister, founder of pension calculator site Guiide, responds to the P&O scandal, highlighting what this means to those affected and their pensions. When members are made redundant, or even when a scheme is just closed to future accrual, they may make pension decisions that are not in the

Martin Bell, partner and head of tax at BDO in Scotland, outlines what Scottish businesses are looking for in today's Spring Statement. Overall, we are expecting more of an economic update than a tax-focused Statement. Given the current inflationary squeeze on household income, consumer spending and

Paul Denton, CEO at Scottish Building Society, discusses the impact of the rising cost of living on the ability to save. The cost-of-living crisis is impossible to ignore. At the start of the year, inflation reached its highest recorded level since 1992 and the affordability of goods and services ha

Speaking ahead of the Spring Statement tomorrow, Vishal Chopra, head of tax in Scotland for KPMG UK, highlights his predictions. The Spring Statement wasn’t intended to be used to launch significant new tax-related measures, but an intensifying cost of living crisis, coupled with what many exp

Yvonne Dunn, partner and financial services technology expert at Pinsent Masons, discusses the opportunities made available to businesses through open finance. A 10-year road map strategy published for Scotland’s fintech hub has highlighted “open finance” data as a key theme.

Helen Mill, Aberdeen-based business coach and facilitator of The Alternative Board, offers advice to all business owners on planning an exit strategy. You have devoted a huge part of your life building up your business to where it is today. It has given you the chance to do what you love. You have m

Craig Kennedy of Dentons examines coming changes to property ownership transparency in the UK. Recent events in Ukraine have resulted in a revival of the UK's Economic Crime Bill, which aims to make it much harder for overseas entities to hide wealth in UK property. The Bill made rapid progress thro

John Rodger, part­ner and prop­erty spe­cial­ist at ac­coun­tants Chiene + Tait, discusses how the built to rent sector can help ease the UK's housing crisis. A range of global firms, including Scotlandfounded institutional investor Abrdn, have been ramping up their level of

Cryptocurrency is playing an incredibly important role in supporting the people of Ukraine, fulfilling the function it was initially created for, according to The Scotcoin Project CEO and cryptocurrency expert Temple Melville. Research from blockchain tracking company Elliptic found cryptocurrency e

Michael Reid, managing partner at Meston Reid & Co, discusses the intricacies of entering an insolvent liquidation process. The Meston Reid & Co insolvency team has already assisted a number of companies to enter an insolvent liquidation process, with many directors citing the ongoing effect

Douglas Grant, managing director of Conister, CEO at Manx Financial Group PLC, discusses why the UK Government must significantly reduce their leveraging of SMEs. As the successful vaccination and booster rollout continues in the UK and with restrictions subsiding, you would be forgiven for thinking