Quantative easing isn't working

So the Bank of England is extending its so-called "Quantitative Easing" (QE) policy and creating another £50 billion of new money to buy Government bonds (gilts), on top of the £275 billion of "magic money" it has already conjured up, supposedly to stimulate the economy.

So far, there is precious little evidence that QE is actually stimulating the economy.

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It's easy to go green

It is not unusual to open a newspaper and find a debate about renewable energy, but if you don't know your carbon capture from your ethanol extraction processes, don't panic, you will probably never have to.

Green investments or "clean-tech" as it is now more commonly known, is one of the most important, fascinating and buoyant sectors to emerge out of the 21 st century.

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Telepathy more likely than a single currency

Currency and the future of it has been the subject of some debate in the past few months. As it won't have escaped your attention, the most notable project to create a single all powerful currency for an entire region - the euro - has come under serious threat.

This turmoil has led many to think about the possible break-up of the Eurozone and how that might work.

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Let's not neglect India

With the UK economy teetering on the brink of recession again, one can detect in some quarters a reaction, almost bordering on delight, that the so-called "Indian economic miracle" has suffered a few setbacks during the past few months.

It is true that the recent economic news from India has been disappointing.

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What do investors look for in a start up?

When it comes to investing in start-ups there are two theories that guide me. First, the notion that most business plans will change once assumptions "meet the market". Second, the notion that an early-stage start-up is a hypothesis with many assumptions.

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Country conundrums

Entering 2012 it is obvious that the problems of the Eurozone are not going to be sorted out quickly or in a neat and tidy way.

There continues to be no sign of countries working together and managing the situation, and the "Merkozy" alliance does not fill one with confidence. Announcements on the fate of Hungary and whether countries are going to get a ratings downgrade does not help either.

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Could this be a second crisis of state socialism?

In 2011, an important centenary passed pretty much unremarked. On December 16 1911, the National Insurance Act received royal assent. It was the well-intentioned Act that destroyed the friendly societies and entrenched state welfare.

At the time, British government spending was under 15 per cent of GDP.

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It's a data dilemma

The increasing volume of electronically stored information means that deciding how to store and where to locate data is a key issue for any business. Storage of vast amounts of electronic data can be expensive and inconvenient.

The advent of "cloud computing" is an example of the creative ways in which documents may now be stored.

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Why care needs care

I would like to highlight an issue that is likely to affect us all, directly or indirectly. As more and more of us are living longer, how will we pay for the care of frail, elderly family members?

Many might never have never considered this, or think that the government will cover the cost. That is not usually the case. Anyone with assets or income over £23,250 has to fund themselves.

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Unemployment is the big enemy

One of the most worrying consequences of the current economic malaise is the inexorable rise in unemployment in the UK.

In November, Government figures showed 2.62 million people without jobs. That is 8.3 per cent of the work-force, the highest over the past 15 years.

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