With fixed rates having risen in recent weeks and now looking a tad overpriced, especially for longer term fixes, tracker products are booming again due to headline rates with a “1” at the start.
Whilst HSBC have stolen all the headlines with their 1.99% lowest rate ever malarkey, (actually the lowest rate I remember was 0% for 6 months!), Woolwich have quietly taken up the fight and slipped in a stepped tracker product starting at 1.98% !
The other day I caught, almost by accident, the new Apprentice type programme on BBC which I found fascinating. Fascinating because the new SirAlan is none other than the French design genius Philippe Starck – brilliant, off the wall and tremendous fun to watch. Anyway, his way of looking at things I can really relate to and it could also apply to our own ethos at Coreco.
For those that don’t know, according to Wikipedia “Philippe Starck is a French product designer and probably the best known designer in the New Design style. His designs range from spectacular interior designs to mass produced consumer goods such as toothbrushes, chairs, and even houses.”
Like many people I was glued to the telly watching Monty’s glorious stubborn stand against the Aussies together with an inspired Anderson. Talk about a lesson in standing firm in the midst of tough times, this was classic Ashes and left me bounding into work the next day determined to see off whatever is bowled at me.
What it does go to show is that being adaptable and having the guts and determination to stand firm goes along way. Like many of us out there, I have had my fill of being bullied and put into situations not of my own making, having to stick up for people or things I don’t believe in. Don’t get me wrong, I have always been outspoken, but tried to do it behind closed doors, well at least until some things went a bit too far!
After deciding to watch the last few minutes of the tennis which turned into an enthralling hour or so and a hot sleepless night punctuated by a restless little boy crying, I dragged myself out of bed before 6 am to the hallowed halls of the BBC to do a live TV interview on house prices.
Although the usual nerves kicked in, I enjoyed it even if being interviewed standing up was new! Actually, standing up was a good way of doing it and Simon Jack is a very good interviewer who keeps things flowing and certainly knows his stuff.
There are many reasons why I love working in Broadgate right in the heart of the city, apart from being on the doorstep of the major banks and many of our clients. One of them is undoubtedly the arena in the middle which stages various events, such as yesterday lunchtime watching the Lions game on a big screen with my colleague, and general rugby legend, Rob Henderson, who played in these games not so long ago.

Rob Henderson