UK

The Twin Peaks Of Uk Banking Reform

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Hector Sants, Chief Executive of the UK banking regulator the Financial Services Authority (FSA), has announced what he describes as a ‘Twin Peaks’ approach to the future of banking regulation in the UK. Speaking at a briefing to the British Bankers’ Association in London on February 6th, he gave an update on the progress of reform in the British financial supervision system.

Don’t get too excited. Mr. Sants didn’t have much to say on the subject of David Lynch’s cult TV drama of the 1980s. There was no mention of Agent Cooper, Diane, the Log Lady, Laura Palmer or even about a damn fine cup of coffee and a slice of cherry pie. It was all about the restructuring of bank regulation in the UK and the replacement of the FSA by two new regulatory bodies: hence “Twin Peaks”.

As the British Government set out in its White Paper of June 2011, by early 2013: “the FSA will be abolished, and replaced by two new organisations called the Financial Conduct Authority, or FCA, and the Prudential Regulation Authority, or PRA, a subsidiary of the Bank of England”.

These two bodies will create a ‘Twin Peaks’ style regulatory model similar to those already in force in the Netherlands and Australia.

The FSA and The Bank of England are jointly responsible for implementing the government’s plan for reform, but their timetable is based on the assumption that The Financial Services Bill goes through the lengthy British legislative procedure without a hitch.

Although the FSA will no longer exist in its current form, the current staffing level of 4000 will be maintained and the FSA IT system will also be retained.

The Twin Peaks model divides financial supervision into two separate entities responsible for prudential regulation (the PRA) and conduct regulation (the FCA). Nevertheless, regulatory data will only be collected once, and a common data infrastructure will be retained, Mr. Sants assured his audience. Between the two new bodies there will be a system of “independent but coordinated” decision making.

The PRA will concentrate on providing effective resolution mechanisms, and the FCA will focus on consumer protection.

In his concluding remarks Mr. Sants stressed the importance of behavioral and cultural change by both regulators and financial firms in a “new world of judgement-based regulation” which must be embraced by all concerned. I don’t know if Agent Cooper would approve, but I’m off now for a damn fine cup of coffee and a slice of cherry pie. Let’s hope there are no fish in the percolator…

Land Banking A Great Investment For Long Term Capital Growth

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Land banking, over the longer term, has shown better average gains than either shares or property, and with less downside risk, with an average UK growth of 920% in 20 years!

Once the preserve of rich, today, even smaller, in the know investors are taking advantage of this opportunity to make substantial capital gains.

Land Banking – What is it? Land banking simply involves the acquisition of land, which does not enjoy planning consent, in advance of expanding urbanization.

With the granting of planning consent, the price of an open space parcel, not yet subject to urban development pressures, normally rises in value.

Land Banking in the UK In 2004 alone, agricultural land in the UK appreciated in value between 16% and 30%, depending upon its geographical location.

In fact, over the past 20 years, the AVERAGE increase in UK Land has been a staggering 920%! In many instances, investors who have bought land in the right place at the right time have exceeded these average gains.

Not only has land risen in value dramatically, it has risen in a smoother upward path with less downside volatility than either stocks or property.

UK Demand Exceeding Supply The UK is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe and has a rising population driven by a huge influx of migrants from overseas.

Two facts will illustrate the potential of land banking in the UK:

There is a need for up to 3,500,000 new homes over the next 15 years, rising to 4,400,000 new homes over the next 20 years.

Over the last 30 years, the demand for new homes has increased by 30%. In the same period, house-building rates have dropped by over 50%.

Supply must catch up with demand, and buying land in the UK therefore offers investors a great opportunity to make substantial capital gains.

Location is the Key! Under developed land, such as Greenbelt, agricultural and forestry, is cheaper than land that currently enjoys planning consent. The way to make big capital gains in land banking, involves buying land in specific areas in the hope of future development.

Pre-planning purchase of green belt, agricultural and forestry land is nothing new. Astute investors have been doing it for years.

Investors simply need to study specific areas for the likelihood of future planning permission being granted, which will lead to an increase in the value of the plot purchased.

How to Make Big Land Banking Capital Gains Every developer knows that each town and city must grow outward, and the land most available is agricultural, greenbelt and forestry.

Land without planning permission which is subsequently included in a local authority’s unitary development plan (UDP), will potentially benefit from a significant increase in value.

With the granting of a change of use, a site’s value can increase substantially. However, the change of use category granted, i.e. residential, commercial recreational etc, will ultimately dictate the change in value of the plot.

Land Banking Risks Any investor considering land banking needs to give careful consideration to site selection, and purchase sites which are within the path of progress and future urbanization, but also have a high probability of future development.

Land Banking is a long-term investment, as resale durations and amounts are variable.

Taking Advantage of the Land Banking Opportunity There are many specialist companies catering for international investors wishing to own UK land. An investment in land can be cheap, as many developers buy plots, divide them, and sell them in smaller parcels.

Introduction To Land Banking

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Land banking has proved to be one of the most prominent pockets of investment these days. It is seen as an effective method of creating personal wealth. Statistics reveal that about 20% of the people in the UK are land owners and they have reaped substantial benefits of land banking. Until recent times, it was tough to take advantage of the method, but things have changed for the better as this mode of investment has been made accessible to a wider audience. Simply speaking, land banking involves land acquisition which does not include planning consent for expanding urbanization. The price of an open plot of land that is not susceptible to the pressures of urban development. Once urban expansion starts to grow, the price of the land shoots up.

Why should you invest in Land?

Investing in land is a sure shot way to reap substantial capital gains. That is because there is hope for the value of the plot to increase in the future. Since the property is real, the land that is put up for sale is tangible, visible and can be visited and treaded over. It is a finite resource and the secret of success to invest in a plot of land is to purchase a plot in a place where it is scarce and the economy is developing. With the growing economy, there should also be a growth of population which will make the premium price of the land to expand at a rapid rate.

Banking in land is a cheap technique of investment as compares to other investment patterns like property. The value of land keeps increasing on a regular basis in a lot of countries as often demand exceeds supply. Moreover, certain tracts of land also gain the planning permission to permit construction.

Bank in Land to Maximize your Profits

If you are to make money by investing in land, you need to make the investment at the right plot of land, at the right place and at the most opportune moment. Land grows in value with every succeeding year and this is why it is a good idea to invest. Equity markets, bonds, banks, jewelry, foreign currencies etc have their highs and lows, but land prices continue to rise without ever slowing down. Moreover, with the populations rising, there is an acute shortage of housing caused by life expectancy, immigration and rise of nuclear homes. Changing planning policies also engender the boost for residential development.