Only a few of years ago, a decision by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee not to raise interest rates would barely have generated a murmur. The economy seemed stable and whilst interest rates may have confounded the future plans of savers to a degree, they conversely meant that things like mortgage repayments were affordable. That, of course, was before the first impacts of Brexit began to be felt and in advance of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. So, this week's narrow vote in favour of leaving interest rates on hold for the first time since

This week has seen the resumption of the UEFA Champions League, football's most lucrative club competition. When the tournament's group fixtures were announced last month, there was intense excitement for players, pundits, press and fans alike. Yet I suspect that there will have also been a degree of apprehension too. That's because knowledge of the fixtures is more than a cue to squad rotation for managers and a scramble for tickets by supporters. It also provides criminals at home and abroad with the playing schedule for the sport's elite and best-paid performers in the months to come. After all, a

Broadway Insurance Brokers has cemented its place as one of the most dynamic names in the UK's insurance industry by being named in two of the country's most prestigious professional rankings. Chief Executive Daniel Lloyd-John has become the only broker outside London to feature in the latest classification of leading advisors to high net worth clients compiled by Spear's magazine. In addition, Broadway is the sole company from the north of England included in a list of the Five-Star Brokers published by Insurance Business magazine. Mr Lloyd-John has described the rankings as a testament to the commitment made by both

The financial services industry makes up one of the key pillars of the global economy. Bearing in mind the enormous number of lives which it affects, it is only right that there are controls in place to ensure that it acts in a fit and proper manner. In the UK, overseeing the sector falls to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It was created by an act of parliament a decade ago as one of the mechanisms to regulate how the industry functions. Even though the regulatory framework which it is responsible for maintaining has changed markedly in the years since,

Good taste is something which many of us aspire to. It is, however, entirely subjective. That said, there are certain things about which a good number of people agree the merits of. When it first featured in Scottish official records during the 15th-century, whisky (or 'whiskey', as it's spelt by equally renowned Irish distillers) was known as 'aqua vitae' - literally, the 'water of life'. Since then, it has been the favoured tipple of many famous figures through the ages, becoming a lucrative commercial commodity in the process. Figures released by the Scottish Whisky Association in March this year, for

It doesn't seem too long ago that wearing training shoes was something done only when playing sport or dressing down at the weekend. Nowadays, the type of trainers you wear might indicate that you have serious wealth. That's because everyone from those with their eye on fashion trends, Premier League footballers, movie stars and even auction houses realise that certain sneakers are highly collectable. The decision by the American tennis star Stan Smith to lend his name to a tennis shoe made by Adidas in the early 1970s convinced sports brands that celebrity endorsements could boost sales. However, the intervening

Traditionally, winter is the time of the most acute stress on the National Health Service (NHS). The season of sniffles and bad weather is when we might expect the availability of support to be stretched to its fullest extent. However, there are indications that this month has perhaps shown the degree to which pressures on the NHS are now year-'round. Figures released within the last fortnight have shown that 7.5 million individuals in England were waiting for routine hospital treatments at the end of May: a new record. Unsurprisingly, Government is keen to find ways of tackling the problem, aware

As I write, I'm looking at some very grey skies and a very wet garden. Even so, we don't need to be professional meteorologists to see that this summer is already hotter than last year - and 2022 was, if any of us need reminding, the warmest year on record. Things in the UK may not, of course, be as extreme and as damaging to life or property as the heatwaves which continue to bring such discomfort to mainland Europe. Nevertheless, we should remember that change in the patterns of the passing seasons has an increasingly important bearing on the

It wasn't too long ago that the quiet whisper of electric car engines on the nation's roads was still drowned out by the steady chug of petrol and diesel equivalents. However, the latest vehicle sales' figures illustrate how traffic is now very much different compared to what it was only a few years ago. In fact, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), just over half of all new car registrations are electric or hybrid. A closer look at the data reveals more detail about Britons' current driving preferences. There are, for instance, three times more hybrid

One look around the roads of any town or city will illustrate how the popularity of cycling has transformed the UK's transport infrastructure in recent years. Many organisations - cultural, environmental, sporting and political - have realised that a rise in the number of individuals opting for two-wheels instead of four has enormous benefits. In fact, back in 2020, the Government led by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself a keen cyclist, announced a £2 billion initiative to encourage even more people to follow his lead. The venture was, said the then Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps,"a once in a lifetime

Cyber crime may seem like a relatively recent phenomenon. In fact, using technology either to access information or hold an organisation's corrupted systems to ransom has been happening for decades. Last July, one of the world's leading IT companies, IBM, published the 17th edition of its authoritative report tracking data breaches across the globe. It revealed that the average cost of such attacks was £3.5 million - up almost 13 per cent in the space of only two years as the volume of major incidents has increased. Just months later, the Harvard Business Review assessed that the risks associated with

Many psychologists over the years have remarked upon the very real impact which the change in seasons has on our physical and mental well-being. However, even those who would not consider their lives to be blighted by the condition known as 'Seasonal-Affected Disorder' would acknowledge a tendency to behave differently in the depths of winter compared to the height of summer. Better weather tempts us from our homes to the great outdoors. Lighter evenings encourage socialising or a post-dinner stroll. That such activities do not go unnoticed by others is something which occurred to me as I looked over fresh

That the world of business moves quickly is surely not in doubt. Anyone requiring any proof need not cast their minds back decades. Just three years ago, the nation was subject to the first phase of lockdown in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Even so, whilst the pandemic has cost more than 222,000 lives in the UK alone, the country seems to have rapidly returned to normality since the last restrictions were removed in March last year. Having said that, there there are number of impacts arising from the world's experience of coronavirus which look like being

Not too many years ago, the idea of living a so-called 'double life' would have raised eyebrows. Now, of course, a considerable proportion of the UK population do so, with one foot planted firmly in actuality and another online, as regular users of social media. According to one recent estimate, for instance, just over 31 million Britons had accounts on one of most vibrant platforms, Instagram, in December last year. Instagram is popular, in part, not just because of a high volume of cute cat videos but due to glossy lifestyle-related content. Images of exotic foreign holidays, haute couture, handbags

One of the insurance industry's most dynamic businesses is set to experience an unfamiliar fall. However, award-winning Broadway Insurance Brokers is keen to point out that it's all for a good cause. Client Executive Lauren Winstanley has volunteered for her first parachute jump in May to raise funds for an organisation helping former service personnel adjust to life after a career in the armed forces. She will be one of 15 individuals taking part in the skydive in aid of the charity Veterans into Logistics in Lancaster in May. Lauren said: "During the working week, I'm part of a team

We get to know Joseph Hooper​ - Corporate Client Executive at Broadway Insurance Brokers. How do you like to start the day? Getting out for a run, then giving the Nespresso Machine a seeing to. Doesn’t always happen, but it’s the ideal start! Where did you grow up? Rochdale until I was 11, then Northwich for a few years. My accent is all over the show. What’s your greatest fear? Failure. Then Spiders. Who inspires you? Peter Manchester, of course. What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? Me and my step brother decided it would be a good idea to get

Broadway Insurance Brokers has crowned a "remarkable" year by picking up a prestigious insurance industry award. The firm, which launched less than three years ago, collected the Commercial Lines Specialist Broker of the Year title at the National Insurance Awards. It comes only weeks after Broadway revealed that it had doubled the number of employees and clients in the space of a year and increased the amount of Gross Written Premiums (GWPs) which it generates more than threefold over the same period. Martin Lilley, Broadway's Director of Corporate Clients, said that the latest recognition illustrated the kind of momentum which has

We get to know Matt Rawsthorne - Private Client Executive at Broadway Insurance Brokers. We recently welcomed Matt Rawsthorne to Broadway’s Private Clients team as Client Executive. Matt arrives at Broadway after eight years at the Reich Insurance Group, and with this, brings a unique insight from both corporate and private insurance divisions. We sit down with Matt for 20 quick-fire questions…   How do you like to start the day? A run followed by breakfast with my son, Louie.   Where did you grow up? Stockport   What’s the best part of your job? Getting to know clients, building

Few things have the capacity to stir the soul like culture. Music, film or fine art can move us to a state of exhilaration or despair but can also touch our bank balances too. It is something counted on by the leading museums and galleries at home and abroad. The latest figures show that the world's 100 leading art institutions attracted 71 million visitors between them during the course of 2021. There are seemingly plenty of people with the means and the motivation not just to gaze in awestruck fashion at works by famous artists like Botticelli, Basquiat and Banksy

We get to know Jacqui Shaw - Client Executive at Broadway Insurance Brokers. Earlier this year, we welcomed Jacqui Shaw to Broadway's Private Clients team as Client Executive. Jacqui brings with her over 37 years of experience in the insurance profession as a renowned private client specialist. We sit down with Jacqui for 20 quick-fire questions... How do you like to start the day? Taking our 2-year-old energetic boxer dog Luna for a walk Where did you grow up? Macclesfield What’s your favourite book? The book of lost names What’s your favourite song of all time? Pink ‘So What’ What

We get to know Karen Waugh - Client Executive at Broadway Insurance Brokers. How do you like to start the day? With a hug from my husband. What’s the best part of your job? Meeting people whether that be clients, insurers or introducers. What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? Booked a cruise whilst watching Cruising with Jane MacDonald on TV! How would your friends and family describe you in three words? Loyal, fun and sparkly! What’s your favourite song of all time? My Way by Frank Sinatra as it reminds me of my dad Who’s your favourite movie

You don't necessarily need me to tell you that we live and work in a world which is, in some senses, very much different to that which existed only three years ago. Many of our long-established patterns were completely and perhaps irrevocably changed by the pandemic. However, certain familiar elements - including some which are decidedly unwelcome - have gradually returned. Take crime, for instance. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published crime figures for England and Wales covering the 12 months to September last year. They are comprised of what the ONS describes as the first face-to-face interviews

Before any journey of any real length, it's always necessary to devote at least a few moments' thought to some priorities. Where are we heading and why? How do we plan to get there and how quickly do we intend to arrive? Along the way, it might even be useful to stop and check that we're on the right track. That can be particularly important to reassure those who are going with us, who we might have left behind or for those individuals who we plan to meet at our destination. Setting out or revising an intended direction of travel

Of all the personal possessions which we might own over the course of our lives, arguably few carry as much significance as a watch. Beyond their basic function of telling the time, they can be loaded with sentiment and status - often, for instance, being among the most cherished objects handed down to successive generations. Buying a designer watch is also a relatively common way for men and women to reward themselves for personal or professional success: a way of showing themselves and the wider world that they have achieved anything notable. Whatever the reason, watches are of value and,

  Over the last two decades, the international delivery industry has undergone something of a paradigm shift. The advance of short-form electronic communication, such as texts, e-mails and even video calls, has led to a steep decline in the number of letters handled by national postal services around the globe. Last month, the Universal Postal Union - the United Nations' agency which co-ordinates the worldwide postal system - issued figures showing just how severe the drop has been. They detail how, in 2021, Royal Mail saw 22 per cent less mail than the year before. Royal Mail's own latest annual