More than 25 years ago when I first spoke about family offices in this part of the world where I live and work, people would lean forward, eyes wide, as though I had just revealed a secret passage behind the bookshelf. It was niche, unfamiliar and genuinely intriguing. Fast forward to today and things have…

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point to a range of 3.75%-4.00% which came as no surprise to investors. Fed funds futures had put the probability of a hike at better than 90%. Variable-rate borrowers will feel it relatively quickly while those with fixed-rate mortgages will be largely insulated from the…

There is an interesting thing about difficult people. They can be out of your life for hours, days or even years, yet somehow continue to occupy space in your mind. I have experienced this myself. Someone says something unpleasant, behaves badly or creates unnecessary problems, and long after the encounter is over, the conversation continues…

I asked a trader friend what he made of the repeated use of the word “temporary” by Trump officials. He laughed: “Temporary compared to what?” Fair point. Washington manages the narrative but the market manages the shortage. And it is the shortage that ultimately moves the price of diesel. Chevron CEO made a similar point…

Back from a trip. Back to the home office. “No proper office ah?” Heard that one plenty of times. Truth is I have been working from home for years long before it was fashionable and long before it needed an excuse. No traffic, no wasted hours getting anywhere, and when a client in New York…