Money Marketing
17 January 2007

  • FSA warning over insurance savings

    18 Jan 2007

    The FSA has warned insurance firms to stop using misleading savings claims in their advertising or they will face regulatory action. The warnings relate to ads from 57 firms selling motor, home and travel insurance.

  • Kaszczak joins Lehman Brothers

    18 Jan 2007

    Lehman Brothers has appointed former RBS stalwart Louis Kaszczak as its intermediary business development executive. Kaszczak, who quit as head of corporate distribution at RBS Intermediary Partners last October, will work across Lehman's three mortgage brands.

  • '60% Of sellers requesting home condition reports'

    18 Jan 2007

    Feedback from the early rollout of home information packs indicates that they are being welcomed by many consumers, says the Association of Home Information Pack Providers.

  • 90% On red alert as NU axes amber

    18 Jan 2007

    IFA criticises 'ridiculous move which will scare public'.

  • A failure to communicate?

    18 Jan 2007

    Guy Anker says small firms have been heavily criticised in the FSA's probe but some are asking if the regulator is getting its message across effectively.

  • A&L increases rate for offshore savers

    18 Jan 2007

    Alliance & Leicester International has increased the interest rate on its offshore base rate tracker and its offshore pension reserve following the Bank of England's decision to increase the base rate.

  • ABI fears Govt is 'fixing' low NPSS charges

    18 Jan 2007

    The Association of British Insurers says it hopes the Government is not trying to manipulate the system to achieve its low-cost vision for personal accounts by raising the contribution cap.

  • Access points

    18 Jan 2007

    The Treasury's announcement of a taskforce to research and design a national generic financial advice service should be a welcome move in the eyes of IFAs.

  • Adnitor sets out short list for its worksite platform awards

    18 Jan 2007

    Adnitor has unveiled the nominations for industry achievement for its defined-contri-bution and worksite platform of the year award.

  • Adviser Fund Index

    18 Jan 2007

    The outlook for returns in commercial property is not looking as positive as it has in the last few years. But at the last AFI rebalancing in November, panellists' aggregate allocation to commercial property increased across all three indices from 3 per cent in the aggressive to 10 per cent in the cautious.

  • Aegon ScotEq appointed to Tenet panel

    22 Jan 2007

    Aegon Scottish Equitable has been appointed to the Tenet Group Elite panel for individual protection from today.

  • Aifa in fee talks with watchdog

    18 Jan 2007

    FOS says lower volume of endowment complaints will see its costs rise.

  • Aifa steps up challenge to FSCS over pension review

    18 Jan 2007

    Trade body disputes decision to disregard limitation laws amid fears that levy could hit 40m.

  • All wrapped up

    18 Jan 2007

    Clients' portfolios can be valued, reviewed and managed online within a fund supermarket.

  • Ascentric widens wrap reach

    18 Jan 2007

    Ascentric is now available to the whole intermediary market. The wrap started testing last August.

  • Asset mix has been overegged

    18 Jan 2007

    Mark Dampier is entitled to believe, whatever the evidence to the contrary, that there is any reliable way of selecting superior active managers cost-effectively but he seems to have been misled on the issue of the importance or otherwise of asset allocation to the investment process (Money Marketing, January 11).

  • Assureweb switches on tracking service

    17 Jan 2007

    Assureweb has launched its new business tracking service allowing advisers to see the status of all new business applications submitted to providers from registration until the policy goes live.

  • At a stretch

    18 Jan 2007

    Providers and advisers must play by the rules as a mortgage debt crisis looms.

  • 'Auto-enrolment to be bane of GPPs'

    18 Jan 2007

    Group personal pensions will be swallowed up by personal accounts because they cannot meet the national pension savings scheme requirement for auto-enrolment, warns Scottish Life head of corporate business Mark Polson.

  • AVC quandary for pension victims over buyback deal

    18 Jan 2007

    Victims of wound-up occupational pension schemes are being asked to sacrifice AVCs if they want to benefit from the Government's deemed buyback benefit and are finding it impossible to get advice on the subject.

  • Aviva chief Harvey is retiring early

    18 Jan 2007

    Aviva group chief executive Richard Harvey is to retire in July, earlier than expected.

  • Barclays appoints new COO

    23 Jan 2007

    Barclays Wealth has appointed Alexis Xenophontos as the chief operating officer of its investment & product office.

  • Bare truth

    18 Jan 2007

    Chris Gladman's letter last week raises some important issues. It should be appreciated that HM Revenue & Customs has not stated that bare trusts for minors are settlements and thus within the inheritance tax regime. HMRC's view is that it is arguable that a bare trust for a minor would be a "trust to accumulate the whole or part of any income". If that were the case, then a bare trust for a minor would fall within the definition of a settlement and there could be unwelcome IHT implications.

  • Barnes takes up CEO title at BestInvest

    19 Jan 2007

    BestInvest has announced the appointment of a new CEO today with founder and controlling shareholder Nigel Spiers passing over his responsibilities to newly recruited Andrew Barnes.

  • Barnes takes up CEO title at Bestinvest

    19 Jan 2007

    Bestinvest has announced the appointment of a new CEO today with founder and controlling shareholder John Spiers passing over his responsibilities to newly recruited Andrew Barnes.Barnes has spent most of the past 20 years working in the Australianfinancial service sector, latterly as managing director of ASX listedfinancial services group Australian Wealth Management Ltd.He joins Bestinvest following record profits for the company in its 2006accounts. Pre-tax profits ...

  • Base ball out of left field

    18 Jan 2007

    Last week's base rate hike came as both a shock and an embarrassment to many in the market, including me. My embarrassment was simply the result of having publicly predicted a February rise in a number of presentations last week while also stating that we might actually have seen the peak in rates.

  • Base rate move takes industry by surprise

    18 Jan 2007

    Last week's increase in the base rate to 5.25 per cent is expected to spark more interest among borrowers to switch from variable deals to fixed rates.

  • Basic instinct could confuse the public

    18 Jan 2007

    Aifa has welcomed the Government's basic advice taskforce but warns that there must not be a confusion between generic information and generic advice.

  • Bell to Balls - save our Asps

    18 Jan 2007

    The pension industry is "punchdrunk with knee-jerk tinkering", says Andy Bell, managing director of Sipp provider AJ Bell.

  • Birmingham Midshires launches new 6 per cent fixed rate bond

    17 Jan 2007

    UK savings provider Birmingham Midshires today announced the launch of a new Best Buy bond with a fixed rate of 6.05% gross/AER.

  • Broker Talkback

    18 Jan 2007

    Is the FSA doing enough to clamp down on PPI misselling?

  • BSA warning despite record lending figures

    19 Jan 2007

    Building Societies had a record year of gross lending in 2006, their trade body has revealed.

  • Bull market on the horns of a dilemma

    18 Jan 2007

    Bill McQuaker is head of multi-manager at Henderson Global Investors.

  • Bupa slams Tesco's PMI debut

    18 Jan 2007

    Rival provider claims lack of medical history questionnaire will leave clients confused over extent of cover.

  • Carole Nicholls

    18 Jan 2007

    As a keen hot-air ballooner, this Bristol-based IFA drifts through much of her leisure time but, as the new president of the Personal Finance Society, she has her feet firmly on the ground, warning that advisers must earn the right to be seen as professionals and encouraging members to take the chartered financial planner exams to improve their skills. Interview by Helen Pow.

  • Challenge of generic advice

    18 Jan 2007

    Will it be a case of "Advice Otto, but not as we know it?"

  • Change in direction

    18 Jan 2007

    As Big Ben marked the start of 2007 and I toasted the New Year in with a glass or two of bubbly

  • Cheshire Building Society - Two Year Fixed Rate

    17 Jan 2007

    Cheshire Building SocietyTwo Year Fixed Rate

  • Clear thinking

    18 Jan 2007

    Business strategy Former editor of Investment Week Kira Nickerson says fund firms are showing more transparency when it comes to product charges and details but marketing pushes are still confused by too much spin.

  • CML confirms £346bn record-breaking gross lending in 2006

    18 Jan 2007

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders has confirmed that gross lending smashed all records in 2006, as had been predicted by the trade body.

  • CML plans own probe of interest-only

    18 Jan 2007

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders is likely to conduct its own investigations into the interest-only market as it claims to have learned little from the FSA's recent probe.

  • CML steps in to prevent 'hard footprints' on credit files

    18 Jan 2007

    Brokers appear to have won their battle to ensure lenders do not leave hard footprints on customers' files that could harm their credit rating.

  • Common quotation request form for impaired annuities

    22 Jan 2007

    A group comprising the major providers of enhanced and impaired annuities has agreed on a common quotation request form, which aims to simplify and speed up the annuity quotation request process.

  • Corporate bond outlook

    18 Jan 2007

    There are concerns in some areas of the market but bond prospects are largely positive.

  • Correspondent's Week

    18 Jan 2007

    This week by Marc Webber, assistant news editor and editor of Sun Money online.

  • Costs make IFAs reluctant to use discretionary managers

    18 Jan 2007

    The need for IFAs to outsource stockpicking is increasing butIFAs are still being put off using discretionary fund managers by cost and loss of control.

  • Credit where it's due

    18 Jan 2007

    I noticed in a recent article on treating customers fairly that the FSA found that fewer than a third of advisers recommended debt repayment before other investment products. Am I right in thinking that in order to advise on debts such as credit card repayment, the adviser would need a consumer credit licence? Colin Rodger Director, Alexander Sloan Financial Planning

  • Cru sets up trio of Guernsey funds

    18 Jan 2007

    Cru Investment Management, a Cardiff-based absolute-return investment firm, has set up three new Guernsey funds. The funds, will invest in private equity, private finance and sustainable opportunities.

  • Diagnosis merger

    18 Jan 2007

    It is always dangerous to read too much into short-term market movements. The way in which shares took off in the first few hours of trading in the new year made me wonder if I had missed something. Then we started to hand it all back again.

  • Direct action

    18 Jan 2007

    In October 2006, we took the big step of exiting our network to be directly regulated by the FSA. We were advised to expect problems as application forms were difficult to complete and to expect delays of up to three months. We were also expecting to deal with a faceless conglomerate.

  • Divorcees have £230k to split

    18 Jan 2007

    The average divorcing couple has assets worth over £230,000, according to research from Money Expert.com. It says140,000 couples could get divorced during 2007 with £32.2 bn of assets to divide.

  • Down the rebate hole

    18 Jan 2007

    What decisions face employers with contracted-out schemes?

  • DWP isn't for U-turning

    18 Jan 2007

    I note the news item about a so-called U-turn on protected rights but believe it is incorrect (Money Marketing, January 11).

  • Equity release gains popularity, says IFAP

    17 Jan 2007

    IFA Promotion has revealed that almost 2,000 IFAs now list lifetime mortgages as an area of specialism.

  • Execs fear policies are putting off people from saving

    18 Jan 2007

    The ABI's latest senior executive survey warns that there is continuing concern that the Government's economic and fiscal polices are deterring people from saving.

  • Fidelity research shows lack of confidence in DC schemes

    23 Jan 2007

    Half of the senior financial executives who took part in a Fidelity survey of their companies’ attitudes to corporate pensions have acknowledged that their defined contribution schemes will not allow employees to retire in comfort.

  • Finding my religion

    18 Jan 2007

    As 2006, the year when tax angles went from obtuse to non-existent, drew to a close, the news that someone had absentmindedly put their grandson through an X-ray scanner at Los Angeles airport said it all for me. Despite what the child's nappy contained, it was not likely to be deadly.

  • Firm footing on TCF

    18 Jan 2007

    John Wright, a compliance consultant at Bond Pearce Solicitors, says if a firm is already operating to a high standard, it should have no trouble co-ordinating a TCF approach.

  • First State picks healthcare analyst

    18 Jan 2007

    First State Investments has appointed Premal Pajwani as global healthcare analyst in its London global equities team.

  • Fitness incentive for Bupa policies

    18 Jan 2007

    Fitness First and Bupa have joined forces to offer thousands of free health club annual memberships to people who buy Bupa Health Insurance.

  • Focus signs new contract with Lincoln Financial

    19 Jan 2007

    Focus Solutions has extended its relationship with Lincoln Financial Group, announcing a new contract worth a minimum £214,000.

  • Former PosSol trio get Standard start-up support

    18 Jan 2007

    Standard Life is taking a 15 per cent stake in 2Plan, the planned rival to Positive Solutions to be launched by three ex-PosSol directors in around six weeks.

  • Fortune switches wizards funds to Mom structure

    18 Jan 2007

    Fortune Asset Management has moved its market wizards fund of hedge funds to a manager of managers structure.

  • FSA announces distribution review group chairs

    18 Jan 2007

    The FSA has announced its full line up of industry figures who will lead the five committees which are part of the retail distribution review.HBOS chief executive insurance and investment division Jo Dawson will head up the sustainability of the distribution sector committee and Royal London chief executive Mike Yardley will chair the impact of incentives group.Thinc Group group corporate director Roderic Rennison will lead the professionalism and reputation committee and Aegon ...

  • FSA duo lead the betting for new chief executive

    17 Jan 2007

    City bookies Cantor Index has set out early odds for who is in the running to replace FSA chief executive John Tiner with internal candidates heading up the betting.Managing directors Clive Briault and Hector Sants lead the field with Briault as 7/4 favourite and Sants 2/1. The third managing director David Kenmir is next at 4/1.Former HBOS chief executive and current non-executive FSA director James Crosby is the favourite external candidate at 9/2 with economist and former member ...

  • FSA fines WDM £560,000

    18 Jan 2007

    The regulator has fined W Deb MVL, formerly William De Broe, £560,000 for breach of FSA guidelines.

  • Gadhia quits as RBS mortgages chief as division is overhauled

    18 Jan 2007

    Royal Bank of Scotland mortgages managing director Jayne-Anne Gadhia has quit the lender and been replaced by Craig Donaldson.

  • Government confirms plans to remove restrictions on protected rights

    18 Jan 2007

    The Government has confirmed it is going ahead with the protected rights changes proposed by the DWP.

  • Hack attack

    18 Jan 2007

    It seems that Money Marketing's pre-Christmas rant in the form of an A to Z of PR has goaded, as was intended, some PR folk to write an A to Z of hacks as a rebuke.

  • Halifax pledges to continue general trail cash

    18 Jan 2007

    Halifax General Insurance has pledged to continue to pay trail commission on home insurance or accident, sickness and unemployment insurance policies.

  • Harborough exec in talks over email

    18 Jan 2007

    A Market Harborough Building Society executive is having talks with the company following an email he sent to a trade website saying freedom for homosexuality discriminates against Christianity.

  • Hargreaves Lansdown investigates £600m floatation

    22 Jan 2007

    Hargreaves Landown is eyeing a possible £600m flotation among a number of options for the firm.Head of research Mark Dampier says Lexicon Partners has been appointed in explore all the options for the future of the company including the possibility of going public.The firm’s two founders chief executive Peter Hargreaves and chairman Stephen Lansdown each own around 40 per cent of the business with the rest owned by other staff.Dampier says: “The firm is looking at all options ...

  • HBOS unveils new head of mortgages

    17 Jan 2007

    HBOS has announced Joe Higgins as its new head of mortgages.

  • Home in on business

    18 Jan 2007

    Financial firms that set up small flexible offices or have staff working from home can benefit from lower costs and higher productivity but not all advisers are in favour of this working model. Helen Pow reports.

  • Home-reversion exam from CII

    18 Jan 2007

    A new home-reversion plan exam unit is to be offered by the Chartered Insurance Institute to coincide with the introduction of more stringent FSA authorisation requirements to improve consumer protection.

  • Hopes grow for Treasury rethink on PTA tax relief

    18 Jan 2007

    Aegon Scottish Equitable believes the Treasury may reconsider its position over the withdrawal of tax relief on stand-alone pension term assurance.

  • HSBC opens up Bric fund after soft launch

    18 Jan 2007

    HSBC Investments is bringing its Bric market equity fund to the UK market.

  • IFAs alerted on protected rights cash

    18 Jan 2007

    IFAs could be inadvertently misleading their clients by telling them they cannot hold protected rights in a Sipp, according to Merchant Investors head of compliance Tim Fox.

  • IFAs warned of IHT hit on related trusts

    18 Jan 2007

    Scottish Widows tax expert tells Falcon Group IFAs to beware of racking up chargeable transfers.

  • IFS targets university students with fantasy investment challenge

    18 Jan 2007

    The IFS has launched a scheme for university students which gives them a fantasy £100,000 to invest in the stockmarket over a threemonth period, with the overall winner picking up £9,000.

  • Inflow of IFAs predicted for equity release

    18 Jan 2007

    Equity-release provider Stonehaven says it is seeing signs that the market could be set for an influx of advisers.

  • Just third of public say firms are fair

    18 Jan 2007

    Only a third of consumers believe they are treated fairly by financial services companies, according to research from Teamspirit.

  • L&G adds 17 funds to its Sipp

    23 Jan 2007

    Legal & General has added 17 funds to its Portfolio Plus Sipp taking the total fund choice to over 270.

  • Lawson warns taxpayers must not subsidise NPSS

    18 Jan 2007

    Personal accounts must compete on a level playing field with existing schemes and should not be subsidised by taxpayers, says Standard Life head of pensions policy John Lawson.

  • Lifesearch adds TCF category to awards

    18 Jan 2007

    Royal Liver, Legal & General and Friends Provident have are on to the short list for a new treating customers fairly category which Lifesearch has introduced to its annual protection awards.

  • Lifesearch hails supermart deal

    18 Jan 2007

    Asda has confirmed that it will sell life and protection insurance through Lifesearch in the first partnership between an advisory firm and a supermarket.

  • Liv Vic appoints head of intermediary marketing

    22 Jan 2007

    Liverpool Victoria has appointed Justin Harper as head of intermediary marketing strategy and he will take on responsibility for product marketing and communications.

  • Low rates for Sipp cash

    18 Jan 2007

    Advisers should look closely at the rate of interest paid on Sipp and SSAS accounts, warns Investec Private Bank.

  • Malone is eager to play on

    18 Jan 2007

    Premier Mortgage Service managing director John Malone has not put a date on when he will hang up his boots after comparing himself to David Beckham.

  • Man of many talents

    18 Jan 2007

    Chris Firmin-Didot is the ultimate talent-spotter, scouting the world for the best entrepreneurs for a fund that truly offers a distinctive approach that claims to be less blinkered than traditional fund management.

  • Margins are tightening in heavy-adverse battle

    18 Jan 2007

    Managing director Jonathan Naylor claims high-risk borrowers are paying too little in the fight for market share which means margins are tightening for some lenders.

  • Match point

    18 Jan 2007

    It takes time and effort to recruit the right staff but you reap the rewards.

  • Merchant relaunches Sipp

    19 Jan 2007

    Merchant Investors will relaunch its Sipp offering on 1 February.

  • Mobile mission

    18 Jan 2007

    The spectre of the Law Commission and the prospect of non-repudiation conditions are casting an increasingly long shadow over the protection marketplace. Serious questions are being asked about the depth of information that may be needed to underwrite such business.

  • More thought needed over adviser/provider responsibilities, says Aifa

    23 Jan 2007

    Providers should take more responsibility for their products post-sale but further thought needs to be given to the prospect of them taking a more active role in reviewing distributor quality, says Aifa.In its official response to the FSA’s discussion paper on provider/adviser responsibility, the trade body says providers must not act as second-tier regulators or create competitive distortion by selecting distributor firms through making false barriers.Aifa director general Chris ...

  • Mortgage advisers 'demoralised' after FSA probe

    18 Jan 2007

    The FSA's attack on the mortgage sector following its quality of advice probe has left advisers feeling demoralised and nervous.

  • Mott is back for the long term

    18 Jan 2007

    New fund firm Psigma Asset Management has reassured advisers that Bill Mott will be managing the planned UK equity income fund for the long haul.

  • MPLC gives backing to Mortgage Expo

    22 Jan 2007

    Mortgages plc has confirmed its commitment to the Mortgage Business Expo 2007 by signing up for a major sponsorship presence at all 3 shows.

  • Multi-asset 'plan for all seasons' by Fidelity

    18 Jan 2007

    Fidelity is to launch a global portfolio that is designed to perform in all markets through the use of five asset classes.

  • MVRs cut and final bonuses boosted

    18 Jan 2007

    Friends and NU cite strong WP returns.

  • Neptune rising

    18 Jan 2007

    Can anything less than stellar performance justify the recent fee increases on some of Neptune's funds? Our panel of experts consider issues surrounding charges plus will this be the year of the wrap and is the investment industry's slow response to the introduction of real estate investment trusts a cause for surprise?

  • New company aims to contest underwriting

    18 Jan 2007

    A firm which appeals on underwriting decisions from providers on behalf of IFAs is launching and will be providing training for advisers on underwriting practices.

  • New Star ponders retail global property

    18 Jan 2007

    New Star is investigating launching a retail version of its institutionally managed global property fund.

  • No quarter

    18 Jan 2007

    The cumulative effect of recent rate rises may be too much for some borrowers.

  • NU finally addresses IFA firm's relocation

    18 Jan 2007

    A Berkshire IFA says Norwich Union is continuing to send client information to his firm's former address three years after he told it he was moving.

  • OFT warns firms over non-compliant IVA ads

    18 Jan 2007

    The Office Fair Trading has warned 17 firms promoting Individual Voluntary Arrangements that it considers their adverts and websites potentially mislead consumers.

  • Out of Context

    17 Jan 2007

    "I knew something was going wrong when I realised it was 1.45pm and I was still watching Mary Poppins."

  • Pearl to begin handover of 500m inherited estate

    18 Jan 2007

    Pearl Group is to begin distributing its 500m inherited estate to one million with-profits policyholders.

  • Pension spectre haunts labour

    18 Jan 2007

    Paul McMillan says the occupational row continues unabated.

  • People on the move

    18 Jan 2007

    People on the move in Investment, Life, Pensions and Offshore, Distribution and Mortgages.

  • Personal details

    18 Jan 2007

    How personal accounts will change the pension landscape and the implications for employees and workers.

  • Personal Touch opens Box to boost club

    18 Jan 2007

    Personal Touch Financial Services will relaunch its mortgage club next month in a bid to entice over 1,000 new brokers on board.

  • Phillips to swap Swip for Morley

    18 Jan 2007

    Scottish Widows Investment Partnership chief executive Chris Phillips has been appointed chief executive at Morley Fund Management. Phillips, who will take up the role in the summer, is also chairman of the ABI Investment Committee.

  • Platform group pushes re-reg

    18 Jan 2007

    The UK platform group is calling for regulatory changes, including the abolition of the packaged product regime.

  • Playing the yield

    18 Jan 2007

    Chris Salih considers the scope for diversification in the UK equity income sector.

  • Positive feeling

    18 Jan 2007

    It is interesting to note that most fund managers are bullish about both the UK and Europe but three of the fund firms I respect most are negative about the UK and positive about Europe. These are Fidelity, Schroders and JP Morgan.

  • Power behind the web

    18 Jan 2007

    What is important is the vehicle that leads you to the online information.

  • Product matters

    18 Jan 2007

    Unfortunately for buy-to-let investors, rental income does not move in line with the Bank of England base rate. With interest rates rising again, landlords will see the difference between their rental income and mortgage payments reducing and some may already be supplementing the rental to cover the interest. It also makes it harder to meet lenders' rental calculations for prospective purchases.

  • 'Providers struggling to meet Sipp requirements'

    18 Jan 2007

    The lack of applications for Sipp authorisation could indicate that firms are struggling to meet the new requirements, says Origen head of self-administered pensions Claire Court.

  • Purnell launches review of workplace regulation

    17 Jan 2007

    The Government has appointed Paul Thornton the current managing director of Gazelle Corporate Finance to lead an institutional review of the regulation of workplace pensions.Pensions minister James Purnell announced the review at a NAPF seminar this week which will consider how the functions of organisations involved in the regulation and protection of workplace pensions will fit in with proposals for Personal Accounts.Purnell said this will include the Pensions Regulator, the ...

  • Recruitment set to hit record level

    18 Jan 2007

    Firms predict that profitability will rise, fuelling demand for new staff.

  • Reed takes on new role at Threadneedle

    18 Jan 2007

    Threadneedle Investments has recruited Philip Reed as general counsel, a new role in the senior management team responsible for its compliance, legal and company secretariat departments.

  • 'Refinance quickly to catch best rates'

    18 Jan 2007

    Sub-prime lender Victoria Mortgages says borrowers looking to refinance should move quickly to avoid missing out on current deals.

  • Resolution adds to retail sales team

    17 Jan 2007

    Resolution Asset Management is to strengthen its retail sales team by recruiting Steve Muzzlewhite from Blackrock, and Nick Jordan from Barings.

  • Scottish Widows wades into NPSS cap debate

    19 Jan 2007

    Scottish Widows head of pensions market development Ian Naismith has joined the chorus of protest against Government proposals to raise the annual contribution cap for NPSS Personal Accounts from £3,000 to £5,000.

  • Sesame ARs to drop as multi-tie picks up

    18 Jan 2007

    Sesame says as 1,450 advisers have been recruited into its multi-tie proposition it expect network members to fall as a result.

  • Short-dated bonds take a hit

    18 Jan 2007

    The base rate rise last week resulted in a heavy sell-off of Government bonds.

  • Sipps stalled

    18 Jan 2007

    Jan Regnart, chief executive of Wealthtime and former managing director of James Hay Sipp, says the FSA is concerned about the lack of applications for Sipp authorisation but she points out that firms face complex challenges.

  • Spoof top forecasts

    18 Jan 2007

    One unnamed reinsurer with too much time on his hands has supplied the Diary with a detailed list of "spoof" predictions for the year, perhaps a little late.

  • Stampede sees pegged-rate loans withdrawn

    18 Jan 2007

    Lenders are withdrawing fixed-rate deals by the bucketload as many have run out of funds after a surge in demand that followed last week's shock base rate rise.

  • Standard concern at business outflow

    18 Jan 2007

    A leaked memo from Standard Life has revealed the extent of the company's concerns about lost business since flotation.

  • Standard single-tie with Summit

    18 Jan 2007

    Standard Life has entered into a single-tie deal with Summit Financial Services, which specialises in arranging life cover, critical-illness and income protection cover for climbers, mount-aineers and hillwalkers.

  • Suffolk Life wins customer service award

    18 Jan 2007

    Suffolk Life has been awarded the first-ever independent Investor In Customers award.

  • T Bailey fund takes 10m

    18 Jan 2007

    T Bailey's cautious managed fund has topped 10m seven months after launch.

  • T Bailey fund...

    18 Jan 2007

    T Bailey fund manager Jason Britton went back to school recently giving pupils lessons on how to look after their money wisely. Britton avoided the temptation to tell the kids to lump into T Bailey funds, avoiding the wrath of the FSA, but he could yet fall foul of the Jamie Oliver Authority after reportedly handing out sweets at the end of the session.

  • Tax wizardry of Oz loses magic for expats

    18 Jan 2007

    Key changes to Australia's pension rules could prove costly for people planning to move Down Under.

  • Ten commitments

    18 Jan 2007

    Resolve this year to boost your business in 10 simple steps.

  • The bigger picture

    18 Jan 2007

    Stock selection Samantha Downes reports that big firms are set to come to the fore this year as large caps bounce back.

  • The review from here

    18 Jan 2007

    Another week, another bulging inbox full of emails from IFAs responding to my recent columns on the issue of remuneration for advisers and how improvements might be made to current business models in a manner that allows trust in the industry to be restored.

  • The train event

    18 Jan 2007

    Mark Roberts, head of faculty financial regulation and corporate & academic relationship at the IFS School of Finance, says the problems of a few firms taint the whole industry and well structured training is essential.

  • The way Forward for FSSC degree

    18 Jan 2007

    The Financial Services Skills Council has developed the blueprint of a degree in financial services, which has been approved for use in England.

  • threesixty publishes wrap guide

    18 Jan 2007

    threesixty has produced a new guide to wraps to help IFAs assess which platforms to choose.

  • Threesixty seminars for advisers focus on offshore funds

    18 Jan 2007

    IFA services provider Three-sixty is staging a series of seminars over the next month on offshore investment.

  • Tiner quits FSA

    18 Jan 2007

    Speculation starts over successor as chief executive heads for private sector.

  • Top of the tree

    18 Jan 2007

    Informed Choice director Martin Bamford is now the JK Rowling of financial services, having managed to sell over 8,000 copies of his new book The Money Tree.Managing director, Nick Bamford tells the Diary that the personal finance thriller even sold more copies than Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code in one month and is "marginally more interesting".At its launch, the book raised more than 400 which was donated to the Personal Finance Charitable Foundation.

  • Twist of fate

    18 Jan 2007

    People who bang on about their rights could learn a lesson from Oliver.

  • Two key managers depart Pru

    18 Jan 2007

    Prudential has lost two members of its senior management team to rivals Paternoster and Old Mutual.

  • Union to fight WH Smith over final-salary closure

    18 Jan 2007

    WH Smith's plans to close its final-salary pension scheme for future accrual have angered trade unions.

  • Vertex sold to US private equity firms

    18 Jan 2007

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

  • Watson promoted at Bright Grey

    18 Jan 2007

    Bright Grey head of customer care operations Gordon Watson has been promoted to take overall responsibility for customer service and underwriting.

  • Which? calls on FSA to step up PPI action

    18 Jan 2007

    Which? wants the FSA to continue naming and shaming firms which breach the rules on payment protection insurance and says more action is needed to tackle problems in the sector.

  • Which? warning over 125% homeloan deal

    18 Jan 2007

    Consumer body Which? says borrowers should avoid BM Solutions' Mortgage Plus product as it will put them in negative equity.

  • Willetts backing for IFS

    18 Jan 2007

    Conservative Shadow Education Secretary David Willetts has backed the Institute of Financial Services School of Finance personal finance qualifications in a visit to a college offering the exams.

  • With a bit of luck

    18 Jan 2007

    My Beautiful Career by Simon Chamberlain.

  • Women still ignoring pensions, says Investec research

    22 Jan 2007

    Women are continuing to turn their backs on pensions, according to new research from Investec Private Bank.

  • Would you credit it?

    18 Jan 2007

    The nominations are in for the Moneyfacts annual awards and, although this would not normally give much reason for comment, this year the intriguingly titled "best business card provider" has been included.What will be the judges' criteria be - "Look at that subtle off-white colouring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my God, it even has a watermark."Or perhaps, more mundane, Moneyfacts is referring to credit cards.

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