In much of Europe, mid-August is when the tempo drops. Offices empty, emails slow to a trickle, and for a few languid days you can drive across Rome or Paris with barely a touch on the brake. The workers’ day off on 15 August — or Ferragosto, to give it its Latin name — is not just a public holiday; it’s shorthand for the deep summer pause across much of the continent. Even financial markets, those famously restless barometers of

On the Monday just passed, I was faced with one of my pet peeves. As part of my ongoing effort to explore the less-pricey offerings that London has on offer, I hopped on the tube to Canary Wharf to explore the Canary Roof Palace Gardens for the first time, having enjoyed the Barbican Conservatory a few months earlier. While exploring the shopping centre there I encountered a much hated obstacle that I just had to face. Stairs. This was not

A couple of weeks ago I found myself with a free day in New York. I did the usual touristy things — Empire State, Central Park, Broadway show… However, one thing in particular stuck with me — as I was walking along Seventh Avenue, I found myself confronted by not one but nine billboards, all advertising the new Superman film. Each was strapped to the side of the same building. Now, Times Square is famed for its excessive advertising, but

Some readers will be familiar with our recent study on the economics of different ways to decarbonise aviation. One option we didn’t explore was not flying where an alternative mode of transport to get to your destination exists. My wife and I put this option to the test on this year's family summer trip from London to Lithuania (where I am writing from now). With two kids. Ages 1 and 4. In an EV. Was it worth it? I’d love

As a hybrid worker, commuting from my flat in Lewisham to our office in Hoxton twice a week can feel like quite a chore, particularly when my commute for the other three days consists of a three-foot distance between my bed and my desk. Recently, flustered from having conquered both the DLR and Tube at rush hour, I climbed the escalator at Old Street station only to be engulfed by a mass of purple posters plastered with slightly too-perfect-looking faces,

I have a confession. It was Father’s Day recently and so, being the good son that I think I am, I wrote my father a card. I wanted to incorporate a pun in the message that was comic book themed to match his interests and ‘bad’ enough to achieve the level of dad humour he is notorious for. This however was a struggle, perhaps because I am not yet a father myself and so not privy to this kind of

When he was a young man, my father-in-law, Anthony (Tony) Morgan, CMG, ret. (more usually known as ‘Mogs’), once remarked to his mother-in-law that he found the peas on his plate to be unusually tasty. It was just a courtesy, really. He could equally well have remained silent or have made a remark about the weather. It was lightly done. The meal had been proceeding as they usually did. Perhaps he felt it was his turn to say something. Perhaps

There is an outbreak of war (trade or real): buy the dip. Financial scandal uncovered at a health insurance company: buy the dip. An expensively valued meme stock misses earnings: buy the dip. No matter the catalyst, I have a friend who will always justify his plans to buy the dip (BTD), while encouraging me to do the same. I’ve been receiving similar advice for many years. During 2009, my Money & Banking professor told us that it was a

It has become a Fathom tradition that, upon returning from holiday, Fathomites will write a blog post tangentally related to their travels. I recently came back from a trip to Taiwan and it’s the nation’s capital (or more precisely its tallest building) that serves as the inspiration for this week’s blog. For those who don’t know, Taipei (the capital city of Taiwan) plays host to the Taipei 101 tower, once the tallest building in the world. On the face of

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) credit has exploded in popularity since the pandemic. With its tempting zero-percent interest rates offered to anyone who can pass a ‘soft’ credit check, it is not hard to see the appeal. Sure, it can make sense to spread medium-size, infrequent purchases into several payments to ease the liquidity constraints of a monthly paycheck. But with BNPL payment now available on food delivery services such as Uber Eats, has it gone too far? For those