Before 1916, nationalists in Ireland had sought to craft a better future for themselves within the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ireland, as it was then). After 1916, independence was the goal. And, after independence was secured a century ago, Ireland consistently availed of every opportunity to further loosen its bonds with Britain.
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Mind the gap: impact investing through public markets
With a deadline of 2030, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a comprehensive list of challenges, both environmental and socioeconomic, that we face as a planet.

The Limitations of a Financial Advisor
by David Lunn
There are too many vested interests in maintaining the status quo. If the system worked perfectly for the consumer there would be no need to regulate and hence a much smaller role for regulators.

Europe’s “Man on the Moon” moments
The European equity market was one of the worst-performing in 2020 amid the ravages of COVID-19, with many stocks also subject to dividend limitations. However, as we move through 2021, we believe Europe should see the benefits of a V-shaped economic recovery as the dissemination of a vaccine will benefit all economies.

Global outlook: Recovery versus Stagnation
Investment outlooks often fail to survive first contact with reality but it remains useful to have a starting framework which can be adapted over time.

Why listed private equity is worth a look
Much has been written about alternative asset classes over the past decade, and it’s easy to see why. With bond yields at all-time lows, interest rates either near zero or negative, and equity market returns expected to be lower in the years ahead, investors have been seeking alternative asset classes that can deliver attractive returns.

Your Pension – Your Priority
by John Harkin
Every year there is a crazy rush to make annual backdated contributions to pension funds and then it is forgotten for another year. There has to be a better way!

Pension reform or hot air?
by Paul Murray
The government published its Interdepartmental Pensions Reform and Taxation Group (IDPRTG – that rolls off the tongue so easily) report on the 13th of last month.

Why was the Ant Financial IPO suspended?
by Samir Mehta
My remit is not politics. Yet everything is politics nowadays. Look no further than the suspension of the highly anticipated IPO of Ant Financial (AF). That it happened after attracting US$3 trillion in demand, and a couple of days prior to its listing, is unprecedented. None of us is privy to the actual reasons, but we could try connecting the dots.

The green tsunami to come…
In recent years, a wave of sustainability projects and goals have mostly been led by Europe. Last year, the EU announced its Green Deal which will be a core pillar of the political agenda for the future. And recently it agreed a €750 billion recovery package to revive the European economy from the coronavirus. How are these two announcements connected?

Income with growth in 2021: Commercial Property?
by Tim Wang
While a dramatic rise in inflation is not a likely scenario, the risk of moderate inflation over the medium term has increased. As such, “income with growth” should be an important part of a portfolio allocation strategy given accelerating economic growth and a potential reflation environment. Real estate can be an effective vehicle to help achieve this investment objective.

The four “M”s: why the 21st century belongs to Asia
Asia is on course to dominate the 21st century, bringing a wealth of investment opportunity.