Money Marketing
11 May 2005
-
A financial planner's view - Barry Laymond
12 May 2005
Do we need multi-manager funds and are they really the panacea for those wishing to entrust their monies to investment houses?
-
Abbey made FSA threat after fee error
12 May 2005
Abbey has been forced to apologise to Abacus Assurance Financial for threatening FSA action against the broker for the return of money that it had incorrectly paid to another company.
-
Aberdeen appoints new emerging markets head
13 May 2005
Aberdeen Asset Managers has appointed Devan Kaloo as head of global emerging market equities based in London.
-
ABI appoints McCarthy to head up pensions
17 May 2005
-
ABI working on anti-fraud network
11 May 2005
-
Absolute move for Merrill
12 May 2005
Merrill Lynch is introducing what it claims is the first long/short fund with hedge fund characteristics.
-
Advisers alerted to expat business as overseas move grows
12 May 2005
IFAs have a growing opportunity to advise clients living abroad as increasing numbers of Britons are deciding to live overseas, says the Association of International Life Offices.
-
Aifa's view - David Severn
12 May 2005
Looking back at the 1999 report establishing Aifa, it is interesting to note the enthusiasm and optimism about the extent to which technological developments were thought likely to revolutionise the way that people do business.
-
All or nothing
12 May 2005
Philip Scott looks at rise and fall of the giant UK All Companies sector.
-
Back book to the future
12 May 2005
Borrowers have been encouraged to move between mortgage deals but now lenders face the problem of encouraging them to stay. Mortgage Intelligence managing director Sally Laker looks at how lenders are approaching the challenge of client retention
-
Bankhall says it's business as usual, despite Old Mutual talks with parent
13 May 2005
Old Mutuals early stage discussions with Skandia looking at a total buyout of the firm will have no immediate effect on Bankhall, Skandias UK-based IFA support business.
-
Barings brings long-short fund to UK
11 May 2005
-
Big profits from protection on the high street
12 May 2005
Banks and lenders are making huge profits from payment protection insurance and mortgage payment protection des-pite the plans being flagged up as areas of concern by the FSA.
-
Bonds on the run
12 May 2005
In 1999, I invested 100,000 in with- profits bonds because I wanted a regular flow of income and the prospect of some capital growth without too much investment risk. I already had some with-profits endowment policies which seemed to have done well. I thought I had done the right thing at the time but now I am not so sure. Should I cash them in and invest elsewhere?
-
Brodie wants networks to tailor menus for IFAs
12 May 2005
Network IFAs should demand a bespoke payment menu if they want to make it clear that their firm is cheaper than their network's average rates, says Master Adviser chief executive Doug Brodie.
-
Charity begins at Calais
12 May 2005
Aegon head of business media Adrian Camm-idge is undertaking a gruelling 1,300-mile bike ride across France to raise money for a local cancer charity.
-
Chilton on Mortgages
12 May 2005
Topically, I should be reviewing the first six months of FSA regulation which passed over the bank holiday. Instead, I am going to focus on the cost impact of the Victorian approach that the majority of lenders are burdening the industry with, perhaps appropriate at a time when MG Rover collapses due to years of failing to move with the times.
-
Compulsion could be back on agenda
12 May 2005
The appointment of David Blunkett as Work and Pensions Secretary has increased the likelihood of compulsion, according to leading figures in the industry.
-
Concert to boost tsunami appeal
12 May 2005
The Bournemouth Philharmonic will play Prokofiev's Peter and The Wolf in May to support the Financial Services Charitable Foundation/Money Marketing tsunami appeal.
-
Correspondent's Week - Harvey Jones
12 May 2005
I am typing this while gazing across green fields dotted with sheep and hares. Yes, I am one of those irritating freelancers who's fled the rat race for the slower pace of life in the farmers' belt in Suffolk. And, to be quite frank, I miss you all.
-
Cummings confident over fee instalments for loan firms
12 May 2005
Association of Mortgage Intermediaries director Chris Cummings says he is confident that an announcement will be made "very soon" by the FSA on mortgage intermediaries pay- ing their regulatory fees by instalments.
-
Dalton Strategic Partnership launches Greater China opps fund
16 May 2005
-
Did projections put policies out of focus?
12 May 2005
The thorny issue of endowment misselling has been stirred up again after IFA Defence Union chief Evan Owen called for a suspension of all misselling cases against IFAs while the confusion caused by Lautro projections is resolved.
-
Doubt removed on Hips but FTBs face problems
12 May 2005
A smaller majority may dent Labour's plans to expand the nation's housing stock but the market's focus remains firmly fixed on first-time buyers, the economy and home information packs.
-
Drawdown drawbacks
12 May 2005
Client fund size is the main barrier to recommending drawdown to clients, according to a GE Life survey conducted in association with Money Marketing.
-
Editorial: A hard road for Blunkett
12 May 2005
It almost seems like a case of another day another pensions minister under Tony Blair's Government. Former Home Sec-retary and Education Secretary David Blunkett is the new Work and Pensions Secre-tary. He replaces Alan Johnson, who had been making the right noises about pension reform although admittedly without completing any major initiatives.
-
Elderly use equity to boost pensions
12 May 2005
Homeowners released 1.5bn of equity out of their homes to boost their pensions last year, and more would consider doing so if the process were less complicated.
-
Ellis is out of line with members
12 May 2005
I entirely agree with the comments of Harry Katz and Alan Parkinson regarding John Ellis and the Personal Finance Society.
-
Equities equable as gap fears grow
12 May 2005
The investment industry says the re-election of Labour will not make much difference to equity markets but is encouraging the Government to address the savings gap.
-
Equity-release risk is too high for Nationwide
12 May 2005
Equity release still threatens to become a misselling scandal, according to Nationwide chief executive Philip Williamson, who is ruling out a launch of a release product by the society in the short term.
-
Executive stress
12 May 2005
Standard Life marketing technical manager John Lawson shows how taking out an executive pension plan before A-Day can bring big knock-on benefits.
-
Experience counts as much as exams
12 May 2005
As one of the people referred to by Filip Slipaczek in his letter last week, I find his comments are typical of the pomposity and portentousness shown by some ex-Sofa members about lesser-qualified advisers.
-
FARROW's VIEW
12 May 2005
I have an abiding memory of Ian Botham marching up the pavilion steps at Lords after bagging a pair in the famous 1981 Ashes series. You could hear a pin drop as, in a show of disgust, the MCC members turned up their noses and blanked him. It was as though they were saying: "Look here, Botham, your maverick manner and cavalier ways aren't cricket, old boy."
-
Fed aims to cool inflation
12 May 2005
Schroders chief economist Keith Wade analyses the implications of the latest rate rise in the US and looks at investment opportunities around the globe.
-
Fee fie
12 May 2005
Our panel discuss whether recent hikes in fund charges can be justified and predict where value will come from in the next 12 months.
-
Freedom offers rate cuts for punctual payments
12 May 2005
Freedom Lending is setting up a sub-prime mortgage range that rewards adverse-credit borrowers with records with lower rates for making payments on time.
-
FSA calls for reduction in KFI length
17 May 2005
-
FSA pledges crackdown on phoenix companies
12 May 2005
The FSA is to clamp down on phoenix firms amid pressure from IFAs and trade bodies angered by increased Financial Services Compensation Scheme levies.
-
FSA says IFAs are still failing fairness test
12 May 2005
The FSA is still finding widespread evidence of poor advice in the IFA market, according to managing director retail markets Clive Briault.
-
FSA set for FSCS rethink
12 May 2005
The FSA is understood to be looking at restructuring funding blocks for FSCS fees following criticism that some sectors have been paying too much.
-
FSA warns on India outsourcing
11 May 2005
-
FSCS steps in to assist Whiteley customers
11 May 2005
-
Gartmore - Gartmore Fledgling Trust
16 May 2005
GartmoreGartmore Fledgling Trust
-
Gartmore is adding M&G fund to boost large-cap exposure
12 May 2005
Gartmore has added the M&G capital fund to four multi-manager funds to increase UK large-cap exposure through a fund which it describes as "benchmark-aware but not benchmark-constrained".
-
Hanging on the telephone
12 May 2005
The impact of Marconi's share price collapse highlights the effect that a single stock can have on a fund manager's performance.
-
Hard choices on software
12 May 2005
Increasing numbers of life companies are reporting that as much as 70 per cent of their new business for certain products is being originated electronically.
-
Hedge probe to report in June
11 May 2005
-
High cost of the high street
12 May 2005
The FSA is sweeping into the MPPI market to look at lenders' prices and practices.
-
Home reversion to be regulated within 18 months
17 May 2005
Todays Queens speech will include plans to regulate the home reversion side of the equity release market.
-
Hornbuckle switches to plc and plans float
12 May 2005
Hornbuckle Mitchell is set to become a public limited company by the end of the month, with a view to listing on Aim next year.
-
Idol threat?
12 May 2005
Sounds like fun in store at the Jersey-based Active Asset Management property investment fund AGMs.
-
IFAs react to Old Mutual plans to buy Skandia
13 May 2005
IFAs have been reacting to news that Old Mutual is in talks to stage a total buyout of Skandia.
-
Inappropriate for PFS members to air concerns in public
12 May 2005
As a member of the Personal Finance Society and one of its regional volunteers, I am very concerned that some members of the society seem to think it a good idea to conduct a discussion with the society through the pages of Money Marketing.
-
Independent view - Tom Warwick
12 May 2005
The general election is over and soon the daily ritual of clearing a path through the numerous election publicat- ions which seem to fall through the letterbox every time you are not looking will seem like a dim and distant memory.
-
Inflation figures to hit seven year high, says MPC
16 May 2005
-
Invesco Perpetual chief warns of further rate rise
12 May 2005
The UK market faces another interest rate rise before the rate cycle hits its peak, stifling equity returns, warns Invesco Perpetual head of investment trusts Andrew Watkins.
-
Investment view - Brian Tora
12 May 2005
Getting the asset allocation right is far more important to investment performance than stockpicking.
-
James buys CW for 1.2m
12 May 2005
IFA Timothy James & Partners has bought CW Financial Consultants, the financial services arm of Citroen Wells Chartered Accountants, for 1.2m.
-
JO Hambro closes Japan Fund
12 May 2005
-
Julian Gibbs
12 May 2005
Since 2003, when New Star took over the running of its property trust, it has grown from around 135m to well over 480m, despite not being eligible for Isas.
-
Keydata launches residential property fund
12 May 2005
-
L&G goes beyond bare minimum
11 May 2005
Legal & General has established a fourth issue of the protected capital and growth plan 2, a FTSE 100 linked guaranteed equity bond that provides a full capital return plus a minimum level of growth after six years.
-
L&G races off
12 May 2005
The Legal & General accelerated growth investment plan 2 is a guaranteed equity bond which offers geared exposure to the FTSE 100 index over a six-year term.
-
'Leave IT to the experts'
12 May 2005
Technology has become too complex for IFAs and they should leave it to specialist firms, Positive Solutions marketing manager Daniel Harrison told delegates at Money Marketing Live.
-
Leeds & Holbeck launches new fixed rate mortgage
16 May 2005
-
Legal & General - Protected Capital & Growth Plan 4
13 May 2005
Legal & GeneralProtected Capital & Growth Plan 4
-
Lenders move quickly to boost first-time sellers
12 May 2005
First-time sellers are set to be targeted with products from Halifax, Birmingham Midshires and Abbey through deals with Premier Mortgage Services.
-
Lifetime's experience
12 May 2005
The FSA's regulations have undoubtedly been a major burden on those operating in the lifetime mortgage sector. This is endorsed by many product providers as well as our own experience.
-
Lime launches GI introducer facility
13 May 2005
Lime, the Tenet Groups insurance and mortgage specialist arm is improving its general insurance proposition by introducing a GI introducer facility.
-
M&G appoints new marketing services director
17 May 2005
-
Malone claims profit slump shows need to focus on FTS
12 May 2005
The tumbling profits of estate agents and housebuilders are a warning that the mortgage industry should change the way it targets the market, according to Premier Mortgage Management managing director John Malone.
-
Man Investments - MGS Diversified Opportunities
12 May 2005
Man InvestmentsMGS Diversified Opportunities
-
Market clarity will see profits soar, says Millfield chief
12 May 2005
Advisers could quadruple their profits after depolarisation if they make clear what part of the advice market they are in, but they risk misselling if they do not make it clear, says Millfield chief executive Paul Tebbutt.
-
McQuaker to lead Fof revamp with Husselbee set to leave Henderson
12 May 2005
Henderson Global Investors director of multi-manager John Husselbee is to leave the group in June as the firm sets out plans to revamp its fund of fund business significantly.
-
Mellon emerges with debt portfolio
16 May 2005
Mellon Global Investments has added the Mellon emerging markets debt portfolio to its Dublin-domiciled Mellon Global Funds range.
-
'Menu means independent advice can only be offered face to face'
12 May 2005
Origen chief executive Gareth Marr is warning that the new payment menu system means that independent advice can only be offered face to face rather than over the phone or electronically.
-
Merrill Lynch Investment Managers - Merrill Lynch UK absolute Alpha Fund
11 May 2005
Merrill Lynch Investment ManagersMerrill Lynch UK Absolute Alpha Fund
-
Millfield sets up mortgage club
12 May 2005
Millfield Group is setting up a mortgage club this week, with development director Steve Cox leading the new venture.
-
Mortgage Express - 4.99% Fixed Rate Buy-to-Let
11 May 2005
Mortgage Express4.99% Fixed Rate Buy-to-Let
-
Muslim money
12 May 2005
A few financial services firms are finally turning to offering products suitable for Muslims.
-
N&P offers BTL mortgages to first time landlords
17 May 2005
-
Newton chief slams 'rip-off' fund charges
12 May 2005
Many investment funds are a rip-off, with hidden charges often bringing the total expense ratio to double the stated annual management fee, claims Newton private client director Harry Morgan.
-
Nic Cicutti
12 May 2005
An editor whose professional opinions I have always respected once advised me that, when writing a column, one should never return to the same subject three times in a row.
-
Nigel Hopwood
12 May 2005
Assureweb's new managing director is a soul music DJ who has been through the financial services grapevine and is now hoping to make sweet wrap music.
-
Northern Rock - 2 Year Stepped Flexi Fixed (With Fee)
12 May 2005
Northern Rock - 2 Year Stepped Flexi Fixed (With Fee)
-
Norwich Union - Norwich Manager of Manager Cautious Fund
17 May 2005
-
Norwich Union - Norwich Manager of Manager Income Fund
17 May 2005
Norwich UnionNorwich Manager of Manager Income Fund
-
Norwich Union launches Manager of Managers funds with Aon
16 May 2005
-
OFT says no decision on averages appeal by Aifa until menu starts
12 May 2005
The Office of Fair Trading says it will not decide on Aifa's appeal against market averages in the payment menu until after the June deadline.
-
Old Mutual Asset Managers - UK Mid and Small Cap Hedge Fund
13 May 2005
Old Mutual Asset ManagersUK Mid and Small Cap Hedge Fund
-
Old Mutual in talks to buy Skandia's UK business
13 May 2005
Old Mutual is in early stage talks with Skandia about buying its UK business.
-
Osborne becomes Shadow Chancellor
11 May 2005
-
Out of context
12 May 2005
-
Parvest funds come onshore
11 May 2005
-
Paul Johnston joins Punter Southall Financial Management
16 May 2005
-
PI costs 'could kill off networks within a year'
12 May 2005
Skipton Building Society chief executive John Goodfellow forecasts that the cost of PI insurance could lead to the extinction of mortgage networks within the next 12 months.
-
Pigit blames shareholder apathy for failed STS bid
12 May 2005
The failure of Perpetual income and growth investment trust's bid for Securities Trust of Scotland was mainly due to the apathy of elderly and entrenched shareholders, says Invesco Perpetual.
-
Prepare for probe into MPPI sales, warns AMI
12 May 2005
The FSA is set to investigate the way that mortgage payment protection insurance is sold.
-
Priority planning
12 May 2005
Dean Mirfin Business development director, Key Retirement Solutions.
-
Product matters
12 May 2005
Borrowing in euro looks cheap at the moment so Charcol's decision to launch a euro mortgage is a timely one.
-
'Property in Sipps could be the next misselling debacle'
12 May 2005
Property in pensions is likely to be the next big industry misselling scandal as Sipps hit the mainstream, warns Informed Choice managing director Nick Bamford.
-
Pru could start claim fightback
12 May 2005
The article on endowment-chasers in the April 28 issue of Money Marketing must have brought much satisfaction to honest and reputable IFAs who have had the misfortune to have dealt with claims' companies.
-
PYV chief says multi-tie PI fears are vanishing
12 May 2005
The PI market is softening and fears that multi-tied advisers will struggle to get cover are evaporating, says PYV chief executive Neil Pointon.
-
'Regulation is pushing products off the shelf'
12 May 2005
Mortgage regulation has done a disservice to consumers by restricting innovation and leading to the withdrawal of some mortgage products, says new Building Societies Association chairman and Nationwide chief executive Philip Williamson.
-
Regulator fines Courtover 20,000
11 May 2005
-
Regulator should declare who the Freemasons are
12 May 2005
There is no doubt in my mind that the FSA should declare who on its staff are members of the Freemasonry.
-
Release your potential
12 May 2005
The equity-release market is awash with new products, players and speculation about the huge potential for growth, with recent entries from Norwich Union and future moves from the likes of Bristol & West and Prudential.
-
Reshuffle sets up two camps
12 May 2005
Prime Minister Tony Blair's post-election reshuffle has seen a consolidation of Brownites at the Treasury with the top Department for Work and Pensions posts filled by Blair supporters.
-
Resolution links with Origen to aid Phoenix clients
12 May 2005
Resolution Life is teaming up with Aegon-owned Origen to provide independent advice to the three million customers within its Phoenix Life closed book portfolio.
-
Richard Verdin on insurance
12 May 2005
At Direct Life we measure everything, not just because we can but because it helps us to run our business using hard facts. We capture application progress timings for every event that can occur during the progress of a customer's application, from the point when the quote was first performed to the policy being issued and beyond.
-
Robert Reid
12 May 2005
Last week, I reverted to my childhood by buying a spanking new drum kit. For stress release, the drums have no equal and, with the potential bonus of forming a rhythm section with Lucian Camp, this was a purchase with no regrets. I had forgotten how good it felt to play the drums. I wish the clock could be turned back in this sector, too.
-
RSA sees 95 per cent increase in Q1 profits
13 May 2005
Royal & SunAlliance has reported a 95 per cent increase in operating profits to 160m in the first quarter 2005.
-
Santander slashes more Abbey jobs
11 May 2005
-
Schroders Head of Investment to Leave
17 May 2005
-
Schroders takes smid path
12 May 2005
SchrodersSchroder US Small & Mid Cap Fund
-
ScotEq in distribution first with Lighthouse
12 May 2005
Scottish Equitable is the first provider to sign a distribution agreement with Lighthouse Group's retirement division.
-
ScotEq sets up range of Sandler pensions
12 May 2005
Scottish Equitable is introducing a range of group and individual Sandler and Sandler-friendly pension products next month.
-
Scottish Widows unveils five year plan
17 May 2005
The Scottish Widows guaranteed investment bond is a five-year FTSE 100-linked guaranteed equity bond.
-
Service is a two-way street, L&G tells IFAs
12 May 2005
Service is a two-way street and advisers need to focus on improving their communications with providers, says Legal & General group product and corporate director John Pollock.
-
Ship to sure
12 May 2005
With the FSA regulating lifetime mortgages, brokers might wonder where that leaves Ship, which has acted as a self-regulating body since formation in 1991.
-
Skandia - Protected Portfolio Investment
16 May 2005
SkandiaProtecetd Portfolio Invsetment
-
Something's gotta give - Tony Wickenden
12 May 2005
Lifetime giving can reduce inheritance tax. But most people do not want to give, cannot give or, if they want to give, have to contend with three possible barriers - capital gains tax, the gift with reservation provisions and pre-owned assets tax. CGT rarely gets a mention but is an important factor for planners.
-
St.James's Place Capital adds to board
16 May 2005
-
Sterling efffort from Merrill Lynch
16 May 2005
Merrill Lynch Investment ManagersMerrill Lynch UK Absolute Alpha Fund
-
Stick of rock
12 May 2005
Carl Stick tells Philip Scott how long-term thinking is the secret to the success of the 476m Rathbone income fund.
-
Sunny side
12 May 2005
Not content with enlightening us about the delights of the Hainault Sunrise, a new cocktail based on the unique and beautiful colouring of the Essex dawn, those kindly folk at Polhill have sent the Diary all the ingredients to make said tipple - vodka, bacardi, grenadine, orange juice, a dash of sugar and a twist of lemon.
-
Take out EPP now to beat lifetime limit, says Lawson
12 May 2005
Investors can effectively insure against breaking the lifetime allowance by taking out an executive pension plan ahead of A-Day, according to Standard Life marketing technical manager John Lawson.
-
Taxing questions for charitable trustees
12 May 2005
Following the introduction of the Trustee Act 2000 in England and Wales on February 1, 2001, trustees of charitable trusts who did not have wide investment abilities were granted increased statutory powers.
-
TCF is turning its sights on smaller firms
12 May 2005
The FSA has warned that its treating customers fairly initiative will target small firms and IFAs from next month.
-
The holistic trail
12 May 2005
Lifetime Group managing director Derek Noone shows how to maximise the value of an IFA's business.
-
The simple truth about IP
12 May 2005
There is agreement among both providers and advisers that real consumer needs revolve around protecting themselves and their dependants from the consequences of death, involuntary unemployment or long-term inability to earn an income.
-
The tower of babbleThe tower of babble
12 May 2005
Technology providers need to cut out the geekspeak and help reluctant users.
-
Three-year records set to increase interest in Midas
12 May 2005
Liverpool-based fund company Midas Capital expects increased IFA interest in its funds since they attained three-year track records.
-
Trillion pound baby
12 May 2005
The equity-release market is now 25 times its size a decade ago, with a total value of just under 4bn and over 83,000 lifetime mortgages. More than 15,000 lifetime mortgages - equity-release loans for older homeowners - worth 693m were advanced in the second half of 2004, according to research by the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
-
UK business the "jewel in Skandia's crown", says Cazalet
13 May 2005
Skandia's UK life business is the jewel in the group's Nordic crown, says Cazalet Consulting supremo Ned Cazalet.The South African financial services group has confirmed it is in talks with Skandia about acquiring the business but has not yet made a formal offer.
-
Under the influence
12 May 2005
Education and public awareness are vital to dispel disillusion over pensions.
-
Vertex completes Exchange purchase
12 May 2005
-
Watson Wyatt settles out of court with Credit Lyonnais
17 May 2005
-
Webline announces deal with Avail
16 May 2005
-
Weight of demand could collapse annuity market
12 May 2005
The annuity market could collapse within 10 years because providers will not be able to meet demand, independent pensions adviser to the Government Ros Altmann warned adv- isers at Money Marketing Live last week.
-
Which? finds varying valuations
11 May 2005
-
Woolwich offers fixed and stepped loans for FTBs
12 May 2005
The Woolwich is offering a range of new mortgages tailored to first-time buyers.
