Javed Bashir: Zephyr Global Index

UK Taxes & The Leaky State

Javed Bashir — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:53:08 GMT

Every few months, headlines announce that Britain’s interest bill has hit another record. The numbers are vast tens of billions a year, sometimes more than the country spends on schools or the justic…

Wargaming the Financial System

Javed Bashir — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 12:53:17 GMT

Imagine if we could conduct financial crisis simulations the way generals conduct war games. Instead of armies and territory, the pieces on the board are banks, hedge funds, currencies, commodities, and credit markets. Systemic risk modelling can be thought of as a “war game for money,” a strategic simulation of financial chaos. This concept, long familiar in foreign exchange circles where currency crises are battled like strategic conflicts, can be expanded across all asset classes. The stakes are high, financial meltdowns can ravage economies just as wars do, yet our tools to anticipate and navigate these crises remain primitive. It’s as if we’re using maps and pushpins in an age of real-time strategy software. To protect the global financial system, we need to dramatically upgrade how we war-game market risks.

Business Confidence in the Post-Brexit UK

Javed Bashir — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 15:02:02 GMT

Since the 2016 EU referendum, the UK’s economic confidence has fluctuated wildly, shaped by both domestic decisions and global crises. The Institute of Directors (IoD) Economic Confidence Index serve…

Smart Glasses: Will They Replace Mobile Phones by 2030, or Create a Zombie Generation?

Javed Bashir — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 02:36:02 GMT

The idea of smart glasses replacing mobile phones by 2030 is gaining attention, spurred by technological advancements and bold predictions from tech companies. However, the leap from mobile devices t…

Western Tech Companies Compromised

Javed Bashir — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 22:39:30 GMT

Following the recent "Exploding Pagers" attack in Lebanon, allegedly linked to Israel, concerns have arisen about the security risks Western tech companies face due to their deep reliance on Israeli …

The £1 Trillion Proposal

Javed Bashir — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 22:58:57 GMT

The Capital Markets Industry Taskforce (CMIT) recently issued a bold proposal, calling for a £1 trillion investment over the next decade to achieve a 3% annual growth rate for the UK economy. This figure, equivalent to £100 billion per year, aims to stimulate growth by addressing long-standing underinvestment in key sectors such as energy, housing, and venture capital. However, beneath this ambitious proposal lies a tangled web of vested interests, potential risks to pension funds, and a critical question: is this plan truly in the best interest of the country, or is it designed to serve the financial sector's agenda?

A Call for Investment—But At What Cost?

The CMIT, which represents influential leaders from the financial services sector, argues that the money needed to revitalise the UK economy is readily available within the £6 trillion long-term capital held by the pensions and insurance sectors. According to the taskforce, unlocking this capital would help close the economic gap between the UK and its G7 peers, boosting productivity and creating jobs in areas that have seen years of neglect.

Navigating the New World Order

Javed Bashir — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 05:31:04 GMT

In a rapidly evolving global landscape, understanding the intricate forces shaping the economy is more critical than ever. Recently, an analysis highlighted five pivotal trends—escalating debt cycles, internal conflicts, shifting geopolitical power, climate change, and technological disruption—each interconnected by the common thread of widening inequality. This analysis sheds light on the challenges and opportunities for institutional investors navigating these turbulent waters.

While these trends individually present significant challenges, their intersection, driven by the deepening divide between the wealthy and the rest, forms the bedrock of the current global instability. As we delve into these issues, it becomes clear that strategic foresight and adaptability will be key for investors seeking to thrive in this new world order. This article aims to expand on the original insights and analysis building the foundations for future posts, offering a deeper exploration of the geopolitical impacts and how they are reshaping global markets, focusing on actionable strategies for investors.

Difficulty of Delivery

Javed Bashir — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 02:05:40 GMT

Previously Unpublished: but written on 26-08-2020 - reflecting the views at the time.

A century ago, as World War One raged and the Spanish Flu swept across the globe, societies underwent profound tr…

Decade of Discovery

Javed Bashir — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 01:36:03 GMT

First published: 26-08-2020 14:43 - Updated On 20-12-2021 Decade-of-Discovery - Republished.

One hundred years ago, there was World War One and the Spanish Flu that killed over 50 million people and i…

Decade of Dissonance

Javed Bashir — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 01:22:26 GMT

First published: 30-07-2020 12:43 - Updated On 28-08-2024 Decade-of-Dissonance - Republished.

We have lived through a decade of dissonance and could now face a decade of mass disruption and uncertain…