Money Marketing
14 October 2010

  • Easing the burden

    14 October 2010

    Gregor Watt reports on why providers see opportunities for the outsourcing of investment management

  • £10,680 Isa limit

    14 October 2010

    The Isa allowance is to rise by £480 next year to £10,680 after Office for National Statistics said the RPI stood at 4.6 per cent in September.

  • £414K mortgage fines

    14 October 2010

    The FSA has banned three individuals and fined two of them a total of £414,683 for knowingly submitting false and misleading information to obtain mortgages for themselves and customers.  

  • 21-Week wait as regulator tightens up

    14 October 2010

    The FSA is taking nearly three times longer to approve new authorisations than it did before the credit crunch, according to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information act.

  • ABI+ and minus points

    19 Oct 2010

    Alan Lakey says if the industry considers ABI+ as anything more than a marketing term it will only confuse consumers and advisers.

  • Action stations

    15 Oct 2010

    House prices edged up in September by 0.1 per cent, according to Nationwide, but experts are predicting stalemate as sellers test the water and mortgage funding remains hard to come by. Nationwide says prices for the past three months, generally a clearer indicator of trends, were lower than the previous three months. It is the first time since May 2009 that prices have fallen by this measure.

  • Adviser Fund Index

    14 October 2010

    Gold prices have surged in recent months as fears over global recovery persist and investors look for safe havens for their capital. The question many are asking now is, is there is any value left in the asset class?

  • Africa's emerging story

    14 October 2010

    10 MINSUTES WITH…SHARAT DUA

  • After the gold rush

    14 October 2010

    Our panel consider the prospects for investing in gold, the possibility of a bond bubble and IMA fund sector changes

  • Aifa backs PPI challenge

    14 October 2010

    Aifa believes the FSA has a case to answer following the British Bankers’ Association’s decision to challenge the principle of introducing retrospective regulation via its rules on payment protection insurance.

  • Aifa warns that FSA could stifle product innovation

    14 October 2010

    Aifa is warning that the FSA’s plans to get involved at an earlier stage of product development could stifle innovation and push up costs.

  • Arch Cru fund freeze hits administrator's efforts

    14 October 2010

    Administrators fighting to liquidate Arch Cru’s assets are angry after the Channel Islands Stock Exchange suspended trading in 11 sub-funds of the failed group only to lift the suspension days later.

  • Are we on thin Isa?

    16 Oct 2010

    Cherry Reynard assesses whether Isas are safe amid Government austerity measures

  • Balanced managed funds are much riskier than advisers think they are

    15 Oct 2010

    Balanced managed funds have an average risk rating of eight or nine out of 10 which is far higher than the estimates of most advisers, according to Skandia research.

  • BBA calls for accountability at strengthened Bank of England

    14 October 2010

    The Bank of England will need to be more democratically accountable due to its increased influence over socio-economic matters, warns the British Bankers’ Association.

  • Bearing up

    18 Oct 2010

  • Bestinvest asks VCT firms to reveal rival commission deals

    15 Oct 2010

    Hargreaves Lansdown slams Bestinvest over VCT questionnaire.

  • Blacksquare absolute fund triples assets

    14 October 2010

    The IFSL Blacksquare multi-manager absol-ute return fund has tripled its assets under management to £15m following a £10m investment from a UK life and pension fund.

  • Bright future for buy-to-let

    14 October 2010

    Paragon’s return has lifted BTL spirits and the sector looks assured of growth with rising numbers of renters

  • Bright site targets advisers set to quit

    14 October 2010

    IFA consolidator Bright Financial Services has launched a website detailing its acquisition process for IFAs considering leaving the industry.

  • Brokers calm over biggest monthly fall in house prices

    14 October 2010

    Brokers have played down statistics which last week revealed house prices have suffered their biggest monthly fall since figures were first recorded in 1983.

  • Brokers say base line will stay low

    14 October 2010

    Brokers say base rate will remain at its current level for some time following the Bank of England’s decision last week to keep it at 0.5 per cent for the 19th consecutive month.

  • BSA says new financial regulation rules are anti-competitive

    15 Oct 2010

    BSA chief says the rules conflict with the Government’s commitment to sector diversity and the promotion of mutuals.

  • Caddick for Santander

    14 October 2010

    Tom Caddick is to become Santander Asset Management head of multi-manager, taking over from Keith Speck. Toby Vaughan will join the multi-manager team as a fund manager. Caddick and Vaughan join from LV= Asset Management.

  • Career-average plan wins support

    16 Oct 2010

    IFAs have welcomed Lord Hutton’s aim to fundamentally restructure public sector pensions to put them on a more sustainable footing.

  • Charge rules allow trail switch

    14 October 2010

    The FSA has outlined its new adviser-charging rules which allow trail commission to be switched if a client moves adviser firm after 2012.

  • Check emails as well as social media comply with FSA rules

    14 October 2010

    Advisers are being warned to ensure their emails to clients comply with the FSA’s financial promotion rules.

  • Close Brothers to sell property fund firm to Alpha Real Capital

    14 October 2010

    Close Brothers is selling its property fund management business to Alpha Real Capital.

  • Currency command

    18 Oct 2010

    Brian Tora says China has a major trading advantage by keeping control of the renminbi.

  • Dear little things

    14 October 2010

    Kids, eh? Quite lovable, if you like that sort of thing, but they certainly do not come cheap. It is only a matter of time before the national newspapers, which apparently cannot get enough of this breed of story, are given the ammunition - perhaps through misreading this very sentence - to trumpet how it now costs an average of £1m to raise a child in the UK.

  • Deposit protection under FSCS set to rise to £85,000

    14 October 2010

    The FSA is proposing to increase the level of deposit protection available under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme from £50,000 to £85,000 in line with EU requirements.

  • Duo are promoted

    14 October 2010

    Aberdeen Asset Management has promoted Graham Duce and Aidan Kearney as co-heads of multi-manager investments, following the departure of Michiel Timmerman this week.

  • EC and IMF back move for a tax on bank profits

    14 October 2010

    The European Commission and the International Monetary Fund have both backed the introduction of a tax on banking sector profits to stabilise the banks and curb risk-taking behaviour.

  • Elsa sets out a code of practice for life settlement business

    14 October 2010

    The trade body for the traded life settlement market, the European Life Settlements Association, has issued a code of practice for its members designed to increase protection for investors.

  • End this nonsense and have a single regime

    14 October 2010

    I refer to Tom Baigrie’s article in the September 30 edition of MM and must agree that Tom is right in so far as it is a failing of regulation but he is wrong in the way he thinks regulation is failing. Indeed, I am indebted to him for bringing this up as it does highlight the nonsense of having two separate regimes - there should be no such thing as an Icobs adviser, we should all fall under the Cobs regime.

  • Enter Story Headline

    14 October 2010

  • Equitable investors set for £1.5bn payout

    18 Oct 2010

    Equitable Life policyholders are set to be offered more than three times the amount recommended by Sir John Chadwick.

  • Europe fund sales offer grounds for optimism

    14 October 2010

    Fund sales doubled across Europe in August but a rush into ultra-safe money market funds was the main driver, according to the latest Lipper FMI Fund Flash.

  • Ex-Edeus chief Pritchard sets up national financial services business

    14 Oct 2010

    Ex-Edeus director of packaging Terry Pritchard is understood to be setting up a new national IFA called Alt FS.

  • Fear of failure on Sipp due diligence

    14 Oct 2010

    James Hay managing director Tim Sargisson claims that a lack of due diligence among smaller Sipp companies risks damaging the Sipp brand.

  • Fidelity goes neutral on emerging growth

    14 October 2010

    Fidelity is increasing its emerging market exposure in its multi-manager growth fund, moving from the underweight it had towards the middle of the year into a more neutral position.

  • FSA failing to meet its own standards

    14 Oct 2010

    Regulator spectacularly failed to meet its own service standards for authorisations after revealing it was unable to deal with over three-quarters of cases within its three-month limit.

  • FSA gets powers to enforce without waiting for appeal

    14 October 2010

    The FSA has been granted new powers by the Government which allow it to publish its enforcement actions before the person involved has had an opportunity to appeal.

  • FSA must be told if there are concerns over adviser ability

    14 October 2010

    Firms must notify the FSA if they uncover issues with an adviser’s competence, including brea-ches of ethics rules.

  • FSA should take greater responsibility in protecting the consumer

    14 Oct 2010

    Nick Cicutti says he can offer £80m-worth of reasons why advisers would want to see tougher regulation of their industry.

  • Government fixes trivial commutation at £18,000

    18 Oct 2010

    The Government has frozen trivial commutation at its current level of £18,000, breaking the link with the lifetime allowance.

  • Hack to the future

    14 October 2010

    Ian McKenna says the recent high-profile coverage of BT’s failure to encrypt an email attachment highlights security problems with the method of communication.

  • Hambi joins Insynergy with development role

    14 October 2010

    Former Gartmore head of multi-manager Bambos Hambi has joined Insynergy Investment Management.

  • Hargreaves Lansdown weeds out Eclectica aggie

    14 October 2010

    Hargreaves Lansdown has cut the £109m Eclectica agriculture fund from its Wealth 150 list of recommended funds.

  • Head to head: Should the FSA allow grandfathering?

    15 Oct 2010

    SimplyBiz’s Ken Davy and Informed Choice’s Martin Bamford argue the case for and against grandfathering.

  • Hide and seek

    14 October 2010

    One has to question the motives, style and reasoning behind Towry’s latest advertising campaign in the Daily Telegraph.

  • HSBC adding sterling classes for emerging market funds

    14 October 2010

    HSBC Global Asset Management is introducing a sterling share class for nine of its emerging market funds in a bid to widen their accessibility to UK investors.

  • IFAs must breach savings barriers

    14 October 2010

    Party confer-ence season is always a strange time. While much of the country is debating opposition leader-ship or child benefit payments, many of those at conference are engrossed in discussions over the Government’s agenda and current thinking in their sectors, trying to identify key themes and ideas.

  • IMA proposes changes to global growth sector

    14 Oct 2010

    New rules would allow more specialist funds into the sector.

  • IMF chief concerned over currency war

    14 October 2010

    The head of the International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn has warned that governments risk a currency war if they use exchange rates to solve domestic problems.

  • Inquest finds Seaton committed suicide after £1.1m fraud

    19 Oct 2010

    Former Rowanmoor Pensions managing director committed suicide after stealing £1.1m from a client’s account, an inquest has heard.

  • International growth gap forecast to narrow

    14 October 2010

    The gap in GDP growth between advanced and emerging economies is expected to narrow as the world economy slows in 2011, according to the International Monetary Fund.

  • Investment trusts outperforming open-ended funds

    14 October 2010

    Investment trusts outperformed open-ended funds in seven out of eight sectors over the past decade, according to Winterflood.

  • IPS will come under James Hay brand

    14 Oct 2010

    James Hay and IPS Partnership Sipp businesses are to be streamlined and marketed under the James Hay brand from 2011.

  • Is QCF level 5 the next mandatory step?

    19 Oct 2010

    Sheriar Bradbury says the RDR will reinvigorate the IFA sector and suggests qualification standards may have to rise further.

  • Japan being held back by cashhoarding companies

    14 October 2010

    Japanese and German government bonds could witness more capital gains despite ultra-low yields, according to chairman of Lombard Street Research Charles Dumas.

  • Just Retirement group embedded value more than doubles

    19 Oct 2010

    Just Retirement has reported a £900m increase in assets under management in the year to June 30, from £1.9bn to £2.8bn.

  • Law firm tells Keydata clients to claim from their adviser

    14 Oct 2010

    Regulatory Legal defends briefing note sent to a number of Keydata Lifemark investors advising them to claim against their adviser before the FSCS.

  • Lloyds passing the buck on homeloan checks, say brokers

    14 October 2010

    Lovey: ‘Shifting responsibility to brokers is unfair’

  • LSL Property Services confirms £1.59m Pink acquisition

    19 Oct 2010

    Deal, tipped by Money Marketing in August, sees Skipton subsidiary become part of LSL.

  • Making concessions

    14 October 2010

    Advisers should check closely if clients affected by the HMRC’s PAYE blunder can claim an extra-statutory concession

  • Manager reshuffle as Swip revamps equity income fund

    14 October 2010

    Swip has restructured its £1.1bn multi-manager UK equity inc-ome portfolio, bringing in Threadneedle, Neptune and PSigma and dropping Henderson, Jupiter and Rensburg.

  • MM Leader: Hutton right to reject "counsel of despair"

    14 October 2010

    The last thing we need is the widespread opt-out of public sector workers and even fewer people saving for their future.

  • MMR jabs for the FSA

    15 Oct 2010

    The mortgage industry urges the FSA to listen to criticism. Paul Thomas reports

  • Nest chief urges pension industry push

    14 October 2010

    National Employment Savings Trust chairman Lawrence Churchill has urged the pension industry to work in partnership with Nest officials to bring about improvements in employer provision.

  • New breed of DFMs to oust multi funds

    14 October 2010

    London & Capital believes the new breed of discretionary fund management services could eventually replace multi-manager funds.The firm says its range of risk-graded managed portfolios, available on the Novia platform, have been popular because they do not affect the relationship between clients and advisers.

  • 'Odey attack on platforms is biting the hand that feeds him'

    14 Oct 2010

    Hargreaves Lansdown has warned Crispin Odey that he is “biting the hand that feeds him” by criticising the platform industry.

  • Off the track

    14 October 2010

    In his article in Money Marketing, Mark Dampier said tracker funds were “guaranteed to under-perform”. He also said some advisers have been “disingenous” in “denigrating” the achievements of active fund managers.

  • Out of Context

    14 October 2010

    “Eric has come in to government and hit the ground sprinting, which I can tell you is quite a sight.”

  • Pension firms and EU clash on gender rates

    14 Oct 2010

    EU advocate-general Juliane Kokott said that insurance companies should not charge different rates for men and women.

  • Pension puzzle

    14 Oct 2010

    With so many varying factors to consider, John Hutton faces a complex task in reforming public sector pensions fairly

  • Pension rises slashed

    14 October 2010

    Pension rises will be cut by almost a third next year, from 4.6 per cent to 3.1 per cent due to the Government switching its benchmark from the retail price index to the consumer price index.

  • Pensions Corporation's Moore joins LV= as group finance director

    14 October 2010

    Philip Moore has left the Pensions Corporation to join LV= as group finance director, replacing Keith Abercromby.

  • Personal Touch shifts to employed structure

    14 October 2010

    Personal Touch Financial Services is moving from a regional appointed rep model to an employed model ahead of the RDR and mortgage market review.

  • Protection fears on letters of authority

    14 October 2010

    CBK Colchester director Peter Chadborn has warned that the blanket approach taken by some life offices in responding to letters of authority is seeping into the protection market.

  • Protection pact for Friends and Axa

    15 Oct 2010

    Pair agree on what elements of each protection business will be kept under combined brand.

  • PSigma chief says MPC must reject easing calls

    15 Oct 2010

    Tom Becket says use of QE is a “dangerous financial experiment”.

  • Public sector needs to pay more

    14 October 2010

    Public sector workers should pay higher contributions into their pension schemes, according to Lord Hutton.

  • Rate cuts as lenders look for volume

    14 October 2010

    Lenders are showing an increased appetite to lend with a number slashing rates in recent weeks.

  • Release could rocket to £30bn

    15 Oct 2010

    Equity-release experts believe Government support for the products could send the sector soaring to £30bn.

  • Saints and sinners

    14 October 2010

    Sovereign debt and shifts in global economic power have further complicated the bond market

  • Schroders warns of fake fund scam

    13 Oct 2010

    Schroders has warned that fraudsters are approaching investors to promote a fake fund using the firm’s name.

  • Serious undertakings

    19 Oct 2010

    Peter Le Beau says we need to remember the vulnerability of clients making claims.

  • Six thirdway plans launched by Axa Wealth

    14 October 2010

    Axa Wealth has launched six third-way pension products that promise to deliver either guaranteed lifetime income or protected capital.

  • State pension age to hit 66 by 2016

    20 Oct 2010

    Chancellor George Osborne expected to announce an accelerated increase in the retirement age.

  • Take a step back from cliff-edge

    14 October 2010

    THE EDITOR’S COMMENT OF THE WEEK

  • The Eve of creation

    18 Oct 2010

    Kim North says the FSA should concentrate more on getting financial advice to those that really need it.

  • The gates are open for offshore funds

    14 October 2010

    Kira Nickerson says that those advisers who continue to prefer domestically based funds could be missing out.

  • The generation aim

    14 Oct 2010

    PENSIONS AT RETIREMENT WHAT WE LOOKED AT

  • The gold rush

    14 October 2010

    Investors are bullish on gold again as the metal rallies but there are correction concerns. John Kenchington reports

  • The Hutton report

    14 October 2010

    Future options for long-term restructure of public sector pensions that will be examined as part of the Hutton review:Career-average defined-benefit schemes that share risk between employer and employee and give members a pension pot after each period of membership, usually a year. Those pots are then revalued until a pension is taken and then are added together to produce and overall pension.Notional DC schemes with added protection that, while not funded, still ...

  • The most hated man in pensions

    14 Oct 2010

    John Greenwood says George Osborne could take Gordon Brown’s crown as a villain.

  • Three new staff join Macquarie Wrap's adviser support team

    14 October 2010

    Macquarie Wrap has boosted its adviser support team with three appointments, with two joining from James Hay.

  • Tim Sargisson

    14 October 2010

    IFG Group has bought several companies in the pension sector, notably Sipp specialist James Hay, and is looking to build up IFA business and strengthen its wrap. Interview by Gregor Watt

  • Time to embed change in your business for continuous improvement

    14 October 2010

    Welcome to Viewpoint. Our aim is for this to be a really useful column for practising IFAs. Every other week the column will range over the many different aspects of being an IFA and running an IFA business and come up with some practical ideas

  • Tips for the investment bunker

    14 October 2010

    Investors worried about a double-dip recession may be looking for some security. It is impossible to bomb-proof your portfolio if you want growth as well, but managing a defensive, cautious multi-asset fund we have clearly had to give some thought to this challenge.

  • Tisa testing out re-reg process

    14 October 2010

    The Tax Incentivised Savings Association will carry out a series of pilot exercises for its re-registration programme over the next three months.The aim of the programme is to streamline the process of transferring assets from one platform provider to another and make the process fully automated.

  • Towry court case against Ed Jones advisers delayed until summer 2011

    14 October 2010

    Towry’s court case against six former Edward Jones advisers it has accused of soliciting its clients has been delayed until June 2011.

  • Twitter effect hitting pension strategy

    14 October 2010

    The “twitter effect” of society’s obsession with short-term decisions is undermining the pension industry’s ability to deliver, according to the chair of the National Association of Pension Funds.

  • Two-month wait for Towry to return investment

    14 Oct 2010

    An elderly investor says she has been waiting for over two months for Towry to give her back her savings after complaining about its advice.

  • Will the penny drop?

    14 October 2010

    Consumer group Save Our Savers gets behind Money Marketing’s Pave The Way to Save campaign.

Poll

Should the MPC have increased QE this week?

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