SECCL TAKES UP RESIDENCE IN OCTOPUS’S GARDEN; SHADE STATUS UNCLEAR

A few quick thoughts on the announcement from Octopus today that it will acquire Seccl for £10m subject to regulatory approval. Normally I’d do these in the Wednesday Update, but it’s Thursday today and it’s only just been announced. Why are people so inconsiderate? Anyway, Seccl is a really interesting business, run by Hugo Thorman […]
THE TOP CLASS WEDNESDAY UPDATE SAYS ONE WEEK TILL THE KIDS GO BACK TO SCHOOL

Oneweektilthekidsgobacktoschool Oneweektilthekidsgobacktoschool Oneweektilthekidsgobacktoschool Oneweektilthekidsgobacktoschool Not that it’s been a long summer or anything. Actually, it hasn’t. Time was that the financial industry would pack up and stop doing interesting things with all the enthusiasm of MPs heading off for a nice break with only about 10 weeks to go until the biggest constitutional shift in […]
THE TOP CLASS WEDNESDAY UPDATE HAS GOT ALL THE NUMBERS WITH IT

Ah, Edinburgh in August. A heady mix of rain, street theatre artists, rain, a million tourists wandering aimlessly ON THE ROAD WHERE I AM GOING, rain, fifty thousand Tristrams and Jacintas proving how alternative they are by dying their hair blue and getting mandala tattoos, and rain. It’s no wonder this is the biggest arts […]
THE TOP CLASS WEDNESDAY UPDATE RESUMES NORMAL SERVICE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT

Hello again, it’s me back from a month away, and I’m disturbed to see that you all kept reading and engaging with the Top Class Wednesday Update at normal levels while I was away. How am I meant to promote deep feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness in my team if you’re all unfaithful like this? […]
TOP CLASS WEDNESDAY UPDATE DOESN’T STOP FOR A NEW PRIME MINISTER

No doubt we’ve all heard quite enough about that particular tale, so let’s not linger. Right, as the boss continues basking on foreign shores, it’s my turn to keep his metaphorical chair warm. FAIR HAS TO BE FAIR FOR ALL Treating customers fairly is, happily, firmly embedded in the industry. It sits quietly in the […]
THE TOP CLASS WEDNESDAY UPDATE ASKS FOR HELP WHEN IT NEEDS IT

Well hello there. Mr Barrett has kindly passed on the metaphorical baton to cover for the gaffer, who is currently enjoying his well-earned-I’m-sure summer hols. Big shoes to fill. Mind you, a few months back I spoke at a thing and some unnamed darling came up to me and said that, when they closed their eyes, I sounded […]
THE TOP CLASS WEDNESDAY UPDATE DON’T LIKE CRICKET, OH NO, IT LOVES IT

Week two of the boss man’s holiday is normally when he finally switches off, and radio silence is maintained. I last saw/heard from him 5 days ago via Strava, heading off for a walk in 32-degree temperatures. I’ll give it a couple more weeks before I send for a search party. Anyway, on to the […]
THE TOP CLASS WEDNESDAY UPDATE NEVER TAKES A HOLIDAY…

If you are a regular reader of this email, boy did you get a classic end of season cliff-hanger at the end of last week’s episode. The boss has gone off on his hols, tossing the keys to the TCWU machine in the direction of his drones from sector 7g. Will the update be sent? […]
THE TOP CLASS WEDNESDAY UPDATE WILL HAVE A LARGE GLASS OF RED, THANKS

There are many fine things about being Scottish. Our sense of fun; our ability to withstand hours in hot sunshine, and our famous athleticism are but three. Maybe the best thing, though, is that we get school summer holidays nearly a month earlier than the English, which means two things. Firstly, our holidays are cheaper, […]
THE TOP CLASS WEDNESDAY UPDATE WILL FAN THE MOONBEAMS FROM YOUR SLEEPING EYES

Ah, siblings, it isn’t long until the summer solstice, when all right-thinking financial planners free themselves from the shackles of capacity for loss, centralised investment propositions, RMAR returns, PI excesses and primary platform relationships, strip down and go for a right old dance around the nearest set of megaliths. I think we’re all ready for […]