Money Marketing
10 January 2007

  • Lund leaves SJP with 4m payoff

    11 Jan 2007

    St James's Place chief executive Mark Lund has quit in what SJP calls a joint agreement. He joined SJP three years ago and became chief executive in September 2004. He is leaving with an estimated 4m payoff.

  • Short list for protection award

    11 Jan 2007

    Friends Provident, Legal & General and Royal Liver are on the short list for best overall protection provider at the Lifesearch Protection Awards 2007. Royal Liver won the award last year.

  • 272M in Standard shares unclaimed

    11 Jan 2007

    Over 235,000 Standard Life policyholders have yet to claim a total of almost 90 million shares following the company's flotation.

  • 34% of smokers believe cancer is down to fate

    11 Jan 2007

    Nearly half of people in the most deprived areas of the UK believe that getting cancer is down to fate rather than lifestyle.

  • 70-Year battle for war bond payout

    11 Jan 2007

    The Government has come under fire for failing to pay back the £1.9bn it owes to citizens who bought war bonds despite finally paying off its World War Two debt to the US last month.

  • Academic arguments

    11 Jan 2007

    The importace of assest alloctation has been widely overstated by the academics and time is better spent choosing the best quality fund managers to run your money. But after a problematic 12 months for many managers, who are the names to follow in 2007?

  • Adviser Fund Index: Looking back at predictions

    11 Jan 2007

    In the mid-season questionnaire, the AFI panellists made several predictions for the end of 2006. More than 70 per cent of respondents correctly predicted that the FTSE 100 would be above 6,000. On the last day of trading - December 29 - it closed at 6,220.80.

  • Advisers carry can and costs over PTA

    11 Jan 2007

    Positive Solutions had 1,000 policies in pipeline and says U-turn hit IFAs.

  • Advisers hail the third coming of Mott

    10 Jan 2007

    Bill Motts' dramatic decision to come out of retirement and return to day-to-day fund management is like the third coming according to Hargreaves Lansdown head of research Mark Dampier.

  • Advisers turn to Sipps post A-Day, claims Investec

    10 Jan 2007

    More than a quarter of pensions advisers think attempts to simplify the sector have been a hindrance to consumers, with many claiming that it has in fact made the process more complicated, says Investec Private Bank.

  • Advocate wants to give advice

    11 Jan 2007

    Aviva policyholder advocate Clare Spottiswoode says policyholder advocates should get exemption from the Treasury to give financial advice.

  • Age rules could push up group protection rates

    11 Jan 2007

    Group income protection premiums could rise by 50 per cent due to the new age discrimination rules, warns Legal & General.

  • All change

    11 Jan 2007

    The New Year brings new impetus to make changes to our businesses and time is of the essence.

  • Asda confirms tie-up with Lifesearch to sell protection products

    15 Jan 2007

    Asda has confirmed it will be selling life and protection insurance through Lifesearch in what is thought to be the first partnership between an advisory firm and a supermarket.

  • Aviva chief to retire

    10 Jan 2007

    Aviva has announced that group chief executive Richard Harvey will be retiring on July 11 2007.

  • Banks aiming to thwart FSCS deal

    11 Jan 2007

    Aifa says Treasury is under fierce lobbying pressure to break up consensus.

  • 'Biba looking in rear-view mirror at FOS'

    11 Jan 2007

    Aifa warns insurance brokers that no change on watchdog funding could rebound on them.

  • BM removes signed declaration requirement

    10 Jan 2007

    BM Solutions will be removing its signed standard declaration, claiming to be the first lender to do so.

  • Boulding slams proposals for 5,000 non-pensionable earnings under NPSS

    11 Jan 2007

    Proposals to make the first 5,000 of earnings non-pensionable under the national pensions savings scheme discriminate against women and would never be permitted under employment law, says Legal & General pension strategy director Adrian Boulding.

  • Bright Grey on threesixty panel

    11 Jan 2007

    Threesixty has added Bright Grey's life products to its protection panel which can be accessed on its online quotation service. It is the seventh firm on the panel.

  • Broker Talkback

    11 Jan 2007

    Will this year's Isa season be the best yet?

  • Bupa withdraws from Irish market over court judgment

    11 Jan 2007

    Bupa has pulled out of the Irish market in a move that could see 300 job losses following a High Court judgment that would have forced it to pay out an estimated 20m.

  • Carat fashion

    11 Jan 2007

    Zena Campbell, sales manager at sub-prime specialist broker Swift Group, was Diamond Lil for the night at the Council of Mortgage Lenders' Las Vegas Casino night at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

  • Child trust funds near 2.5 million

    11 Jan 2007

    Almost two-and-a-half million child trust funds have been opened since launch in April 2005, with three-quarters being set up by parents.

  • Clare spottiswoode

    11 Jan 2007

    The deputy chairman of British Energy and former head of Ofgas is the policyholder advocate for Aviva's inherited estate and has had a varied career, including a stint at a division of disgraced US energy giant Enron. Describing her ideal job mix as economics, government policy, regulation and freedom to make decisions, she tells Nicola York about her passion for bringing a new perspective to industries which persuaded her to take the Aviva role.

  • Clark joining Gartmore

    11 Jan 2007

    Simon Clark has joined Gartmore as head of asset manager sales. Clark joins from Hendersons and will be responsible for building on existing relationships with key London discretionary accounts and run the asset manager sales team.

  • Commercial breakdown?

    11 Jan 2007

    Chris Salih looks at whether commercial property is heading for a fall.

  • Correspondent's Week

    11 Jan 2007

    This week by The Scotsman personal finance editor Rosemary Gallagher.

  • Dampier picks Neptune and SLI as top two

    11 Jan 2007

    Russia and China funds both returned over 50%.

  • 'DB deficits offer opportunity for advice'

    11 Jan 2007

    A-Day rule changes present a major opportunity for advisers with clients whose defined-benefit pensions are facing deficits, says Skandia.

  • Diversified assets fund from Swip

    11 Jan 2007

    Scottish Widows Investment Partnership is offering a diversified assets fund investing in equities, bonds, property, cash and alternative assets. The fund is jointly managed by Jeff King and Ken Adams and aims for a return of cash plus 3.25 per cent a year.

  • Edeus delivers 24-hour remortgage completion

    15 Jan 2007

    Edeus says it has delivered the first 24-hour remortgage completion on its instant funds service.It comes after the lender launched its point of sale offer service in September. Managing director Alan Cleary says: “The instant funds service has been consistently delivering us a five-day application to completion cycle on remortgages over the past four months, but this is the first opportunity to demonstrate what its express service can really achieve.”

  • Emerging concerns

    11 Jan 2007

    In terms of growth potential, Western economies have been outpaced easily in recent years by countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. In these emerging markets, low wages and the ample supply of labour have attracted production and service activities from abroad. Strong global demand for often essential commodities from these emerging markets has fuelled their economies even more.

  • Eton rifles

    11 Jan 2007

    How the Special Commissioners used a man's lifestyle as ammunition in determining his domicile and residence status.

  • F&C gives wider scope to fixed-interest fund

    11 Jan 2007

    F&C has renamed its fixed-interest fund as the UK corporate bond fund as part of a number of changes to bolster its presence in the core investment-grade portion of the sector.

  • Fee enterprise

    11 Jan 2007

    No apologies from me this week for returning so soon in the new year to the subject of fees and commission. The reason for doing so is the dozen or so emails which pinged their way into my mailbox last week following my first column of 2007 on this issue.

  • Fourth year of rises for pension funds

    11 Jan 2007

    The average UK pension fund return was 8.8 per cent in 2006 marking the fourth consecutive year of positive returns.

  • FSA adds to Disp confusion

    11 Jan 2007

    The IFA Defence Union has called for clarification of the complaint-handling requirements of retired advisers after the FSA confirmed they were not subject to Disp 1 rules.

  • FSA clampdown on insurance advertising

    16 Jan 2007

    The FSA has warned insurance firms to stop using savings claims in their advertising which could mislead consumers or they will face regulatory action.

  • FSA steps up crusade against rogue PPI providers

    11 Jan 2007

    The Financial Services Authority will undertake further mystery shopping and thematic work in the payment protection insurance market.

  • FSA warning that the Sipp clock is ticking

    11 Jan 2007

    The FSA is understood to have only received a handful of applications for Sipp regulation, just three months before the statutory regime is implemented.

  • FSA warns of enforcement action on TCF

    11 Jan 2007

    The FSA says enforcement action is looming against firms which have not responded to its well publicised messages on treating customers fairly.

  • FTBs hit by income multiple high

    16 Jan 2007

    First-time buyers saw affordability pressure continue to bite as income multiples reached their highest-ever level in November

  • GMAC claims 75% growth in lending

    11 Jan 2007

    GMAC-RFC claims its 2006 lending was five times the market rate of growth and says it believes this to be the strongest growth of any major lender last year.

  • Government change of heart over NI refunds

    16 Jan 2007

    The Government has pledged to compensate people who pay more national insurance than necessary to qualify for their basic state pension after previously refusing to pay refunds.

  • Government should pay war bonds

    11 Jan 2007

    Perhaps many of your readers will agree with me that confidence and trust are two of the most critical factors for people making financial plans and saving for their future. In this regard, I am delighted that we have now finally repaid our Second World War debt to the US.

  • Guidelines fail to end conflict of interest

    11 Jan 2007

    Draft guidance from The Pensions Regulator will not protect advisers from conflicts of interest when advising on transfer sweeteners, warns IFA Robert Reid.

  • Halifax pledges not to do a Paymentshield

    12 Jan 2007

    Halifax General Insurance has pledged to continue the payment of trail commissions on its home insurance or accident, sickness and unemployment insurance policies.

  • Harman says Government was wrong to reject pension verdict

    11 Jan 2007

    Potential future deputy prime minister Harriet Harman has distanced herself from the Government's handling of the occupational pension crisis and admitted it was wrong to reject the Parliamentary Ombudsman's report.

  • Hartford's hits and myths of retirement

    11 Jan 2007

    Managing director Enos reveals that company has had to shelve some plans due to clouded pension legislation.

  • IFA shows value of advice with 50k boost

    11 Jan 2007

    The Axa Avenue experiment has proved the value of financial advice, with IFA Saran Allot-Davey saving 10 families 50,000 over the course of a year.

  • IFA sues Sesame over indemnity clause

    11 Jan 2007

    A former DBS member is taking Sesame to court over an indemnity clause in his contract.

  • In denial

    11 Jan 2007

    Two current industry issues prove the adage that you get what you pay for.

  • In the out door

    11 Jan 2007

    The wrangle over contracting-out advice is coming to the fore.

  • In the system

    11 Jan 2007

    Many of us will be reflecting on what the year ahead holds. The markets have certainly taken a turn for the better, with the FTSE ending the year above the 6,000 mark.

  • Income cover aims to fill deferred gap

    11 Jan 2007

    British Insurance is offering a product which pays out a regular income on long-term illness or injury.

  • Industry warns Government initiatives are failing savers

    12 Jan 2007

    There is continuing concern the Government’s economic and fiscal polices are deterring people from saving, according to the ABI’s latest survey of senior executives.The quarterly ABI/Populus survey of the insurance industry found 37 per cent of executives believed Government policy initiatives were having a negative effect on the personal savings market and only 8 per cent believe they are having a positive effect.The net score is -29 per cent, 17 per cent lower than July’s findings. ...

  • Interest rates increased to 5.25 per cent

    11 Jan 2007

    The Bank of England has increased interest rates to 5.25 per cent.

  • Is the end to end nigh?

    11 Jan 2007

    Sam Shaw considers the possibilities of a major sourcing merger.

  • Isa sales fall in November but big surge is forecast

    11 Jan 2007

    Net Isa sales were negative in November despite continued strong performance from the stockmarkets and Treasury Economic Secretary Ed Balls' commitment to maintain the tax wrapper.

  • Jelf hires John Hiew to consult on private client proposition

    15 Jan 2007

    Jelf Group has hired John Hiew on a consultancy basis in a bid to grow and develop its private client proposition.

  • Jelley reveals Pet hates of IHT planning

    11 Jan 2007

    Skandia expert warning estate planners to prioritise chargeable lifetime transfers over Pets.

  • JLT unveils group Sipp but holds back on pricing

    11 Jan 2007

    Jardine Lloyd Thompson has introduced a group self-invested personal pension and predicts that other major pension providers will follow suit.

  • JOHCM recruits Rhydderch as COO

    11 Jan 2007

    Ex-Aberdeen Asset Management managing director David Rhydderch is joining JO Hambro Capital Management as chief operating officer. He will have responsibility for business planning, risk, operations and human resources.

  • Kayes joins SimplyBiz to head advisory board

    11 Jan 2007

    Former Tenet chairman Barry Kayes has joined SimplyBiz in a move that will see him set up an advisory board at the firm.

  • Lehman hires former RBS stalwart Kaszczak

    16 Jan 2007

    Lehman Brothers has appointed former RBS stalwart Louis Kaszczak as its intermediary business development executive.

  • LibDems call for generic advice service to be fast tracked

    16 Jan 2007

    The LibDems have welcomed the Government’s taskforce to design a national generic financial advice service but have called for the scheme to be implemented sooner than proposed.LibDem Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable says he is glad the Government has “finally woken up” to the needs of millions.But Cable says it is “shocking” the scheme will not be up and running until 2012.Cable says: “It would seem that even the Government now recognises that while millions remain eligible for ...

  • London repos hit 10-year high

    11 Jan 2007

    Repossessions in London have increased to their highest levels in 10 years according to data from the Department of Constitutional Affairs, the Council of Mortgage Lenders and Fitch Ratings. London's repo rate is now around double that of the North.

  • Managers see bond revival

    11 Jan 2007

    Bonds are expected to deliver stronger returns this year, with global interest rate rises expec-ted to slow.

  • McKenzie in move to the DWP

    11 Jan 2007

    Lord McKenzie of Luton has been appointed Parliamentary under-secretary for the Lords at the Department for Work and Pensions. He is currently a spokesman for the Treasury and Government Whip for the DTI.

  • Mifid poses PI passport problems

    11 Jan 2007

    Advisers looking to passport into Europe under Mifid need to act quickly to ensure they get the correct professional indemnity insurance requirements, says PYV.

  • Neptune stars

    11 Jan 2007

    The fast-growing Neptune Investment has, I believe, a higher percentage of four-star and five-star Standard & Poor's ratings on its eligible funds than any other group. I have chosen as my top fund for 2007 its Russia and Greater Russia fund.

  • New CEO at Morley FM

    16 Jan 2007

    Current chief executive at Scottish Widows Investment Partnership Chris Phillips has been appointed new chief executive at Morley Fund Management.

  • New CEO for Home & Capital Trust

    10 Jan 2007

    Home reversion provider and equity release manager Home & Capital Trust has appointed Graeme Marshall as the new chief executive.

  • New manager for Fidelity US fund

    11 Jan 2007

    Vatis moves from Pictet in bid to bring back glory days of Muresianu.

  • New Year revolutions

    11 Jan 2007

    Retail financial services can finally shake off the bad image of the past.

  • No trust in HMRC's knowledge

    11 Jan 2007

    I was somewhat surprised to learn in last week's Money Marketing that HM Revenue & Customs is looking to tax gifts to an absolute trust for minors as a chargeable lifetime transfer. This appears to misunderstand what an absolute or bare trust is all about.

  • Now it's a U-turn on protected rights cash

    11 Jan 2007

    The industry is bracing itself for yet another pension U-turn after the Government appeared to back down on proposals to free 100bn by removing restrictions on protected rights.

  • NPI under fire as signature dispute holds up divorcee's pension transfer

    11 Jan 2007

    NPI has been criticised for refusing to transfer pension assets to a divorcee without the signature of the former husband.

  • NU's SRI team measures impact of obesity on industries

    11 Jan 2007

    Norwich Union's socially-responsible investment team is assessing the risks and opportunities posed by the world's obesity problem on the food production, retailing, healthcare and leisure sectors.

  • On the double

    11 Jan 2007

    Money Marketing news editor James Phillips had all the luck in the run-up to Christmas, managing to bag himself two iPods in one day.

  • On the trail of a new pay deal

    11 Jan 2007

    Sam Shaw looks at novel ideas on broker renumeration.

  • Online interviews show fund facts

    11 Jan 2007

    Bates Investment Services has linked up with asset.tv for a series of online interviews with fund managers of key funds that it recommends to clients.

  • Our strength lies in being diverse

    11 Jan 2007

    I am pleased that Nic Cicutti is continuing the debate in his column about the possible demise of the "old model adviser".

  • Out of Context

    10 Jan 2007

    "I have been here three months. I had the microchip fitted this morning. Fidelity is a wonderful company."Fidelity' PR David Butcher "Oh look, we have a new boss. It is definitely an improvement."Fidelity's Sam Slater after Money Marketing editor takes PR Richard Miles' seat at lunch "Couldn't you hire someone 30-plus, single, good looking? We would give him lots of stories."Fidelity's Sam Slator

  • Pearl increases equity backing of closed with-profits funds

    11 Jan 2007

    Pearl Group has increased the equity-backing ratio in the closed Pearl and London Life with-profits funds in a move designed to improve returns.

  • Pearl to distribute £500m inherited estate to policyholders

    15 Jan 2007

    Pearl Group has announced it will begin distributing its £500m inherited estate to its one million with-profits policyholders.

  • People want private ops but don't know cost

    11 Jan 2007

    Nearly 60 per cent of people would consider paying for medical treatment rather than wait on the NHS but many are ignorant of the cost of paying for treatments such as replacement knee operations.

  • Pink announces successor to Tony Jones

    16 Jan 2007

    Pink Home Loans has moved swiftly to replace outgoing managing director Tony Jones by replacing him with Mutual One MD Barry Meeks.

  • Plain English guide to Isas

    11 Jan 2007

    T Bailey Asset Management has published a plain English guide on the recent changes to the Isa regime for investors. Advisers can obtain free bulk copies from the multi-manager specialist to send to their clients by calling 08451300005.

  • Play your cards right

    11 Jan 2007

    Statistical techniques are increasingly used to predict financial returns and reduce portfolio volatility.

  • Poison attacking industry

    11 Jan 2007

    Regulation of financial services was introduced in this country in 1986. The remit of the regulators was to protect the consumer and what a brilliant job they have done. Today, a once thriving and successful financial services industry has all but been brought to its knees.

  • Popularity of wrap rises among IFAs

    15 Jan 2007

    Two-thirds of IFAs are very likely to recommend wraps in the future up from just over 50 per cent a year ago according to a survey by Watson Wyatt.

  • PPI rules face rethink

    11 Jan 2007

    The FSA is looking at changing the rules on payment protection insurance as it is not convinced they are protecting customers adequately.

  • Praise for outgoing Pink MD

    11 Jan 2007

    Outgoing Pink Home Loans managing director Tony Jones has been credited with helping transform service and grow the network and club in his four-year spell in charge.

  • Principles and promotions

    11 Jan 2007

    Egg acted promptly after my column last month about their materially non-compliant advertisements and by the following weekend included reference to the extended ERC period on the two-year product they were then advertising and, to their credit, they did not try to justify the previous adverts.

  • Product matters

    11 Jan 2007

    Woolwich is one of the more recent recruits to the lifetime tracker market, which seems to be burgeoning as lenders seek new ways of retaining customers.

  • Protected rights could lose out

    11 Jan 2007

    It looks as if last December's pre-Budget report may contain yet another change for the pension industry.

  • RBSIP beats birthday deadline for online applications

    11 Jan 2007

    Royal Bank of Scotland Intermediary Partners has moved to enable online applications for brokers.

  • Reality will bite

    11 Jan 2007

    December's stockmarket performance was pretty much to be expected but I confess the rush with which the New Year was ushered in caught me a little by surprise.

  • Regulation with benefit of hindsight

    11 Jan 2007

    As Simon Burgess suggests in Money Marketing last week, we, like many other firms, are looking forward as 2007 kicks off, not least with our new name of Harvest IFM. Regrettably, as usual, the FSA is not. Despite Mr Burgess' praise for the FSA in bashing as many firms as possible for having missold PPI, the same old question arises - what regulations in existence at the time of these misdemeanours are the perpetrators deemed to have breached?

  • Renewal pledge to B-A retirees

    11 Jan 2007

    Burns-Anderson's retirement solutions scheme is guaranteeing to pay up to 70 per cent of a retiring network member's renewal income for at least seven years.

  • Repackage deal

    11 Jan 2007

    Clients will be willing to pay for experience and a different approach.

  • Resolution roadshows

    11 Jan 2007

    Resolution Asset Management is running a series of roadshows in February featuring talks from a range of its property, equity and bond fund managers. Starting on February14 in London, it visits Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow and Manchester, ending in Leeds on February 22.

  • Retail review kicks off

    11 Jan 2007

    The FSA's retail distribution review committee on professionalism and reputation meets for the first time this week to thrash out fundamental questions on the future of the advice sector.

  • Royal Liver updating cancer cover

    11 Jan 2007

    Royal Liver has added two types of cancer to the conditions covered by its critical-illness policies following the Association of British Insurers' recent changes to the definitions.

  • Sense of release

    11 Jan 2007

    Mortgage Trust got the year off to less than convincing start.

  • Seven Dials enters Fof arena with European property fund

    11 Jan 2007

    UK commercial property analysts Seven Dials Consulting has entered the fund of funds market with a European commercial property fund.

  • Shock return for Mott

    10 Jan 2007

    Bill Mott is making a shock return to fund management in a move that will see him reunited with his former Credit Suisse colleague Ian Chimes.

  • Skandia support tool for IFAs

    11 Jan 2007

    Skandia is adding an Isa campaign support tool to its IFA platform, enabling advisers to produce tailored direct-mail campaigns with prepopulated application forms, covering letters and key features documents.

  • Small brokers singled out in mortgage probe

    11 Jan 2007

    FSA's quality of advice investigation finds that 75% of smaller firms lack robust processes.

  • Standard Life Investments launches two global Reit funds

    10 Jan 2007

    Standard Life Investments has launched two new global property funds aimed at institutional and retail investors in the UK and Europe.The global Reit fund, for UK investors, and the global Reit focus fund, primarily aimed at European markets, will invest largely in Reits or securities and companies principally engaged in real estate activities on a global basis.Both funds will be managed by Andrew Jackson with Svitlana Gubriy as deputy manager, the same management team behind the ...

  • Standard Life warning on age and trusts

    11 Jan 2007

    Standard Life is writing to 4,000 advisers to clarify its position on the age of beneficiaries named in absolute trusts.

  • Standard queries advice

    11 Jan 2007

    Standard Life has raised concerns over the quality of advice given to customers after it found that only 20 per cent of people switching out of its with-profits pensions were aware they might be giving up guarantees.

  • Survey shows IFAs look for strength

    11 Jan 2007

    Over half of IFAs would reject a financial product if they thought the provider was not financially strong enough to provide support.

  • Tesco and Axa link up to offer PMI

    10 Jan 2007

    Tesco Personal Finance has linked up with Axa PPP healthcare to offer private medical insurance but Bupa has criticised the venture.

  • Thames River to cap fund at 250m

    11 Jan 2007

    Thames River Capital will close its 230m property income and growth fund to new investors when it reaches 250m.

  • The China set

    11 Jan 2007

    The Chinese effect is likely to spread out to other Asian equity markets during this year.

  • The tips are down

    11 Jan 2007

    I have always wondered whether fund managers, top quality IFAs or industry commentators such as Mark Dampier and Justin Modray, who I respect highly, are best at predicting where the most attractive future investment returns are to be found.

  • The transparent truth

    11 Jan 2007

    The endless debate over commission versus fees obscures the fact that what is really needed is complete transparency of consumer charges, says Harry Katz, principal of Norwest Consultants.

  • Thoresen leads basic advice taskforce

    15 Jan 2007

    The Treasury is to launch a basic advice taskforce headed by Aegon chief executive Otto Thoresen aimed at providing free basic advice to all.The nationwide scheme aims to be up and running within five years to coincide with the introduction of Personal Accounts.The scheme will cost around £50m a year with the costs shared between industry and Government.Economic secretary to the Treasury Ed Balls says: “Financial decisions are difficult. Financial products are complicated and ...

  • Tiner resigns

    16 Jan 2007

    FSA chief executive John Tiner is to step down in July after six years with the regulator and is aiming for a post in the private sector.Tiner joined the FSA in April 2001 as managing director of the consumer, investment and insurance directorate and was appointed chief executive in 2003.Tiner says: “By the time I leave in July, I will have spent six years at the FSA, almost four of them as chief executive. The job has been immensely enjoyable and it has been a privilege to lead ...

  • Tories have a dream for FTBs

    11 Jan 2007

    Community land trusts were pioneered by the Levellers and backed by civil rights champion Martin Luther King.

  • Tories host summit to thrash out ASP and PTA U-Turns

    16 Jan 2007

    Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mark Hoban is hosting a summit at the House of Commons tomorrow to discuss the Government’s Pre-Budget changes to ASPs and PTA.

  • US lenders go bust in sub-prime downturn

    11 Jan 2007

    Experts downplay risks to UK adverse lenders and cite differing market conditions.

  • Vantage becomes biggest direct wrap

    11 Jan 2007

    The Hargreaves Lansdown Vantage wrap account has reached 7.6bn of assets under management making it the UK's biggest direct-to-consumer wrap account.

  • Vertex sold to US private equity group for £217.5m

    15 Jan 2007

    Vertex has been sold to a consortium of US-based private equity firms for £217.5m.

  • Watchdog probes FSA on unauthorised firm

    11 Jan 2007

    The independent Complaints Commissioner is investigating the FSA's handling of a complaint against a Colonial Mutual subsidiary that was not authorised for nine years.

  • We will fight on the landfills

    11 Jan 2007

    Torquil Clark Holdings chairman Don Clark sends out a Churchillian rallying cry for firms to cut back on waste.

  • Wind-ups of change

    11 Jan 2007

    In this article, I will conclude my discussion about the impact of the winding up or closure of final-salary pension schemes on their members.

  • Women take cover

    11 Jan 2007

    Helen Pow says women's protection premiums are higher than for men as the statistics show that females claim earlier but the increased rates are not putting off women from taking out insurance.

  • Women's reform

    11 Jan 2007

    No one ever said reforming pensions was easy. What seems like a good idea can come a cropper faced with reality.

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