Money Marketing
18 May 2005

  • Investment view

    19 May 2005

    Building a mix of assets is one thing but working out how many asset classes to include is a less easy call, says Brian Tora.

  • A consumer's view - Lorna Bourke

    19 May 2005

    The mad rush to put residential property into a self-invested personal pension is already under way. Mortgage lenders and brokers report an increasing number of calls from interested investors, keen to know what the criteria of lending will be, what properties are likely to qualify, and how they go about it.

  • ABI agrees new fees for for GPs

    18 May 2005

    The ABI and the BMA have agreed new fees and quality standards in a joint agreement on insurance reports that GPs prepare on behalf of patients. The fee for a GP report on insurance applicants in 2005/06 will be 70.50 from 65 last year while the fee for a medical examination carried out by a patient’s own GP will rise to 77.50 from 71. The new fees will take effect from July 1.

  • ABI draws up a dossier on FSA's failings

    19 May 2005

    The ABI is compiling a dossier of evidence on the FSA to push the regulator to revisit the costs of supervision and improve efficiency.

  • Acting irrationally to boost US fund

    19 May 2005

    JP Morgan Fleming Asset Management believes an understanding of behavioural finance is key to outperforming the US market.

  • Actuaries plan changes to transfer values

    19 May 2005

    The Actuarial Profession is planning to change the way pension transfer values are calculated.

  • Aegon sales fall by 18% after commission cuts

    19 May 2005

    Aegon saw life and pension business slump by 18 per cent in the first quarter in what chief executive Otto Thoresen called a "volatile market".

  • AMI's view

    19 May 2005

    Like an iceberg, the majority of the costs of mortgage regulation have been hidden from view as they have been swallowed up by internal considerations - IT, staff and management meetings, training, let alone opportunity cost. This is why the AMI has been on the front foot helping members to understand the implications of fee-charging and what a reasonable level of fee looks like.

  • Analysts estimate UK's with-profits assets at 347bn

    19 May 2005

    UK life companies have combined with-profits assets of around 347bn, according to analysts at Nottingham University Business School.

  • Argonauts set sail into European waters

    19 May 2005

    Argonaut, the boutique fund management arm of Britannic Asset Management, has introduced its first fund.

  • Artemis moving into fixed interest

    19 May 2005

    Artemis is to enter the fixed-interest market with a strategic bond fund to be managed by former Isis managers James Foster and Alexandra Ralph.

  • Ask the family

    19 May 2005

    Life cover for a family needs to keep pace with salary rises and to consider income options as well as lump sums.

  • Axa and Aberdeen eye Framlington

    18 May 2005

    Axa and Aberdeen Asset management are rumoured to be interested in Framlington, the fund management business controlled by HSBC. HSBC decided to sell Framlington for up to 250m last year, hoping initially for a management buyout deal led by Framlington chief executive Peter Chambers. The deal collapsed in March.

  • Axa cuts life and CI cover rates

    18 May 2005

    Axa is cutting rates on its guaranteed life or earlier critical illness product by an average of around 5 per cent. A sum assured of 100,00 for a 20 year term with total permanent disability cover will now cost 19.73 a month compared with 20.79 for a male non-smoker aged 20 wanting level life or earlier CI cover.

  • B&W to sell its branch network to Britannia Building Society

    24 May 2005

    Bristol & West is to sell its branch network to Britannia Building Society for about 150m.

  • Baxter joins Axa offshore

    19 May 2005

    Irvine Baxter has joined Axa as head of offshore sales to expand the firm's reach to the IFA market.

  • BM Solutions reduces fixed rates across BTL and self-cert ranges

    24 May 2005

    BM Solutions reduces its fixed rates across its buy to let and self cert ranges.

  • Bond funds face hit if GM goes for Chapter 11

    19 May 2005

    Bond funds could be hit hard if General Motors files for Chapter 11, a method of gaining protection from creditors used in American law, says Artemis strategic bond fund manager James Foster.

  • Britannic Asset Management - Britannic Argonaut European Alpha Fund

    24 May 2005

    Britannic Asset ManagementBritannic Argonaut European Alpha Fund

  • Britannic gets full marks

    23 May 2005

    Britannic Asset ManagementArgonaut European Alpha Fund

  • Britannic links with Argonaut

    23 May 2005

    Britannic Asset Management has introduced the Britannic Argonaut European alpha fund, a unit trust which will contain between 30 and 50 European stocks, excluding the UK.

  • Brown moving to Schroders

    19 May 2005

    Schroders head of investment Richard Horlick is being replaced by Alan Brown of State Street Global Advisors.

  • Buy Russian Oil and Cars Says Baring

    23 May 2005

    Russias domestic economy is providing good growth opportunities especially in resources and automobile manufacturing, says Baring Asset Management.

  • Calculator fails to add up for menu

    19 May 2005

    Thousands of IFAs are unable to access the FSA's payment menu commission calculator with less than two weeks to go before the regulator's deadline.

  • Can Henderson find road back to former glory?

    19 May 2005

    John Husselbee's departure as head of multi-manager at Henderson Global Investors has left IFAs and industry commentators reflecting on what the group has left to offer investors.

  • Chelsea Building Society - Five Year Fixed Rate

    20 May 2005

    Chelsea Building SocietyFive Year Fixed Rate

  • Cleary resigns from BBB board

    18 May 2005

    Micheal Cleary has resigned from the board of Nerkeley Berry Brich although he will remain chief executive of the financial services division. Cleary is still under FSA investigation into his role in relation to the acquisition of Berry Birch & Noble Financial Planning.

  • Close Property Investment - Seventh Special Opportunities Fund

    24 May 2005

    Close Property InvestmentSeventh Special Opportunities Fund

  • Commission can be better for pensions

    19 May 2005

    Axa's Simon Olive makes a strong case for advisers to move to a fee-based business model in the article, Fee spirit, (Money Marketing, May 5).

  • Commodity bond no 4 from Dawnay Day Quantum

    18 May 2005

    Structured product provider Dawnay Day Quantum has created another issue of protected commodities accelerator, a guaranteed equity bond linked to a basket of eight industrial metals and energy-related commodities.

  • Court rules Zifa must share missale liability with adviser

    19 May 2005

    A high court judge has ruled that marketing company Zurich IFA must share liability with an adviser because of inaccurate marketing material and false risk warnings on a collapsed investment product.

  • Did ISL closure pave way for sale?

    19 May 2005

    SimplyBiz chairman Ken Davy says the closure of Bankhall's Investment Strategies Limited network in March could be connected with rationalising the Skandia-owned business ahead of a sale.

  • Duffy on Mortgages

    19 May 2005

    Television coverage of the general election was riveting and my missus was not at all impressed when I crept into bed at 3am after promising at midnight to be there "in 10 minutes, luv". The dust now settled, I am, however, left with a stark sense of foreboding for our industry.

  • Editorial: Backers show IFAP's worth

    19 May 2005

    With a clarity that must leave some trade bodies and advisers looking on enviously, IFA Promotion is to remain an organisation for independents alone.

  • Euro property fund aims for 12%

    19 May 2005

    Newly formed investment boutique Tri Investments is setting up a European residential property fund aim- ing for an annual return of 12 per cent.

  • Fatchett offers free test case against provider

    19 May 2005

    Law firm Financial Services Legal is offering to run a test case against a product provider on the basis of the Ockwell/Zifa judgment free of charge.

  • Fidelity investments - Fidelity Sterling Bond Fund

    23 May 2005

    Fidelity investmentsFidelity Sterling Bond Fund

  • Financial services salaries increase as candidate numbers fall in 2005

    23 May 2005

    Financial services workers are seeing increasing salaries as the number of suitable candidates drops, according to Morgan McKinley.

  • Firms set to switch from Neptune fund

    18 May 2005

    New Star and other fund of fund managers' plan to withdraw their money from Neptune's European opportunities fund and follow former manager Barry Norris to Britannic, where he is running the new Argonaut European alpha fund. The moves could see the value of the Neptune fund halve from 28m to 14m.

  • Five million stay out of company pension plans

    19 May 2005

    Research from Axa shows that 28 per cent of employees, or 5.1 million workers, have not or will not join a company pension scheme, even when an employer is prepared to contribute on their behalf.Only 2 per cent of non-members believe they will be able to rely on the state pension compared with 55 per cent of members who are confident of a comfortable retirement.Axa Corporate Benefit Solutions business development and marketing director Mark Rowlands believes British workers ...

  • Five-year fixed switch pays off

    19 May 2005

    First-year savings from switching to a five-year fixed-rate mortgage have more than quadrupled over the last year.

  • Flight appointed chairman of the EISA

    23 May 2005

    Former Conservative MP Howard Flight has been appointed chairman of the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association.The EISA is responsible for raising awareness and promoting the benefits of the EIS among the adviser and investor community.Flight was previously deputy chairman and special envoy to the city for the Tories and before that shadow chief secretary to the Treasury. He was sacked by Michael Howard in the run up to the General Election for comments regarding the potential ...

  • Flight makes plea for return to the Tory fold

    19 May 2005

    Sacked Tory MP Howard Flight says the Conservatives will not be taken seriously again by the financial services community unless "business heavyweights" such as himself are returned to the fold.

  • Fly First EIS plans take off

    20 May 2005

    Fly First is an enterprise investment scheme aiming to raise up to 25m to establish a new airline for business travellers flying between Luton airport and New Yorks Newark airport.

  • Foreign Property Service Launches

    24 May 2005

    A company has launched to provide assistance to IFAs who would like to give their clients foreign property investment advice.

  • Four more IFAs join Amex wrap service

    19 May 2005

    American Express Adviser Service has signed up another four IFA firms to its wrap service, taking the total to nine.

  • Framlington wins smaller companies mandate at SEI

    19 May 2005

    US multi-manager SEI Investments has chosen Framlington to manage the smaller companies mandate on its SGMF SEI UK equity fund.

  • FSA costs study gathers pace

    23 May 2005

    The FSA has appointed Deloitte to undertake a study to measure the costs of financial regulation.

  • FSA finally calls for shorter KFIs

    19 May 2005

    The FSA is calling for shorter key facts illustrations in a letter sent to mortgage lenders this week and is also outlin- ing its concerns about the accuracy of initial disclosure documents.

  • FSA sets review date for menu changes

    18 May 2005

    The FSA has confirmed it will not be making any further changes to its menu charges and published market averages until November 1. The rates, last amended on April 1, will be reviewed in November, with annual updates after this time.

  • FSA warns suitable advice on equity release risks is still not standard practice

    24 May 2005

    The FSA has issued a warning to advisers on the suitability of advice being given to consumers on equity release schemes.

  • Fund is Close to property returns

    24 May 2005

    Close Property Investment is looking to raise up to 10m for the 7th special opportunities fund, a limited partnership that is also available as an exempt unit trust

  • Gartmore concentrates on euro stocks

    20 May 2005

    GartmoreGartmore Sicav Pan European Focus Fund

  • Home in on FTBs

    19 May 2005

    A picture of the Government's true priorities is emerging and it is no surprise that housing remains a mainstream issue.

  • Home reversion will be regulated by FSA

    19 May 2005

    Home reversion is to be regulated by the FSA, after an announcement in the Queen's Speech this week, putting it on an equal footing with lifetime mortgages.

  • HSBC staff to strike on Friday over pay

    24 May 2005

    HSBC staff are planning to strike on Friday, following a dispute with banking union Amicus over the proposed pay deal. The bank is proposing a 3.5 per cent pay increase, after which 2,000 staff voted for strike action. Investor lobby group Pirc is backing the staff, suggesting they vote against the banks pay report and the AGM this week.

  • IFAs can pay in instalments but FSA sets interest at 9%

    19 May 2005

    IFAs are "disgusted" at being charged interest at 9.1 per cent to pay their regulatory fees by instalments.

  • IFAs unaware of regulatory returns

    19 May 2005

    The Society of Mortgage Professionals is raising concerns about IFAs' lack of awareness of new FSA regulatory returns reporting requirements.

  • IFS to launch advanced Cemap in September

    23 May 2005

    The Institute of Financial Services is launching an advanced Cemap qualification, to launch fully in September.

  • Independent view - Nicholas Conyers

    19 May 2005

    Any discussion between those born in Yorkshire or Scotland will include a lot of good banter. Typically, both accuse the other of, shall we say, being similar in their outlook towards their personal finances.

  • Inertia brings NU contracting-in move

    19 May 2005

    Norwich Union is to contract back in its policyholders following a low response to a mailshot which suggested they consider doing so.

  • It's about time we gave the CAB project a break

    19 May 2005

    I am usually calm and collected enough to read criticism, smile and get on with life but when the criticism is unfounded and based on a quarter of a story it pushes me far enough to feel the need to reply - I am referring to Alan Swaysland's letter in Money Marketing, May 5.

  • It's my party and I'll rhyme if I want to

    19 May 2005

    Friends of Lifesearch's Kevin Carr have been asked to get stanzas ready for his long-awaited 30th birthday next weekend.The protection expert has upped the ante for his birthday celebrations in a way only he is brave enough to endure.Dissatisfied with the usual drunken debauchery and silliness, Carr has opened himself up to abuse in rhyme.All party guests must write a poem somehow relating to Carr or his birthday. A lovely idea, and, yes, more personal than buying a greeting ...

  • It's nothing personal

    19 May 2005

    From recent correspondence, it appears there may be a perception that I have a vendetta against John Ellis and I would like to set the matter straight once and for all.

  • Jeremy Bradburne

    19 May 2005

    Lifetime's chief executive is a keen competitor on the classic car racing circuit and he aims to help the wrap platform become a driving force in the market.

  • John Lawson on pensions

    19 May 2005

    Imagine reaching retirement to find 100,000 or more in tax deducted from your pension fund or accrued pension benefit. Then imagine that you subsequently discovered that you could have legitimately avoided this tax had you taken some simple steps a few years earlier. How would you feel?

  • Johnston to grow Punter

    19 May 2005

    IFA dealmaker Paul Johnston has been appointed managing director of Punter Southall Financial Management with the role of expanding the business.

  • Judge shocked that fraudster got a job as a mortgage adviser

    19 May 2005

    A judge has slammed a North east mortgage company for failing to carry out checks before taking on a financial adviser who had served three prison sentences for stealing.

  • Julian Gibbs

    19 May 2005

    With the world economy stagnating, the outlook for shares in not particularly attractive. However, there are at least 50 excellent stockpicking fund managers who are likely to continue to outperform their respective markets.

  • Keep A-Day on track

    19 May 2005

    Our panel say no delay for A-Day and assess the practicalities for investing residential property in Sipps.

  • L&G appoints two new investment managers

    24 May 2005

    Legal & General unit trust managers have recruited Paul Barker and Theresa Russell as investment sales managers.The pair will report to head of sales Ben Waterhouse, managing the providers portfolio of active bond funds and its two passive gilt funds. Paul Barker will focus on supporting mutual fund business through the discretionary and investment IFA channels in the south-west and the Channel Islands.Theresa will cover the same areas in London and the south-east.

  • Larter to join Penrose Financial

    18 May 2005

    Chelsea Financial Services' Ben Larter is leaving the firm to join Penrose Financial. Larter will join the PR company next month.

  • Legal & General - Accelerated Growth Investment Plan 2

    23 May 2005

    Legal & GeneralAccelerated Growth Investment Plan 2

  • Letting go is hard to do

    19 May 2005

    Some IFAs are too attached to their investment role to consider outsourcing.

  • Life office backers keep IFAP on independent path

    19 May 2005

    The 11 UK life and pension offices behind IFA Promotion have unanimously voted to keep IFAP promoting independent advice in the depolarised world.

  • Lifetime chief calls for trade body for wraps

    19 May 2005

    The wrap industry needs a trade body to give it a voice in financial services policymaking, says Lifetime chief executive Jeremy Bradburne.

  • Lighting a fire under phoenix companies

    19 May 2005

    Whispering phoenix firm into the average IFA's ear is a bit like chanting Roy Keane's name at Liverpool Football Club's AGM.

  • Lockyer accuses Berry over failure of BBNFS

    19 May 2005

    Berkeley Berry Birch chief executive Cliff Lockyer has reignited the row over phoenixing allegations surrounding the closure of Berry Birch & Noble Financial Services. by blaming BBN founding director Derek Berry for his role in the subsidiary's collapse.

  • Luck runs out

    19 May 2005

    Lucky the dog, star of the More Than ad drive, has sadly passed away. Benson, his true identity, perished last week aged 12. The Diary can only hope his owners got free pet insurance thrown in with the deal.The canine thesp had played Lucky since the company's 2001 launch. The role will live on, however, and castings are taking place, with another animal shelter pooch being scouted to take over the role.The firm will be donating money to a dog home in memory of Benson, recognising ...

  • Making allowances

    19 May 2005

    Careful calculations are required to assess pension returns in the new regime.

  • MBOs fuel private equity trusts

    19 May 2005

    Private equity investment trusts are trading at a prem- ium and managers in the sector are confident that management buyouts and flotations will drive growth this year.

  • Millfield takes Advantage and Solent as its partners

    19 May 2005

    Millfield Partnerships has signed up Advantage and Solent as mortgage packaging partners for its sub-prime specialist lending arm.

  • Mortgage arrears set to go on rising

    19 May 2005

    A surge in the levels of levels of mortgage arrears is set to continue, says NCI Resources.

  • Multi-ties are an opportunity, not a threat

    19 May 2005

    Sadly, we have seen a significant reduction in the number of advisers over the past decade which has undoubtedly contri-buted to the increasing gaps that have emerged in savings, retirement plan-ning and more importantly, protection.

  • Murray VCT4 to stay at Aberdeen

    19 May 2005

    Murray VCT 4 has decided not to move its management contract to Close Venture Management and is staying with Aberdeen Asset Management.

  • Natwest launches new two-year fix remortgage deal

    23 May 2005

    Natwest is launching a brand new remortgage deal to the intermediary market.

  • 'No clear strategy on multi-ties'

    19 May 2005

    The financial services industry is sleepwalking towards the depolarisation deadline, says Alpha to Omega chief executive Stewart Wooles.

  • Norfolk IFA jailed after £1m thefts for racehorse business

    19 May 2005

    A Norfolk IFA has been jailed for six years for stealing £1m from clients to fund a business buying and selling racehorses.

  • Norwich Union - Norwich Manager of Manager Balanced fund

    18 May 2005

    Norwich UnionNorwich Manager of Manager Balanced Fund

  • Norwich Union - Norwich Manager of Manager Growth Fund

    18 May 2005

    Norwich UnionNorwich Manager of Manager Growth Fund

  • Nothing NU about admin standards

    19 May 2005

    My last words to one of our clients as I left a recent meeting were: "Now don't forget, Mr Client, we chose Norwich Union for the commercial property investment part of your portfolio because of the fund's strength and performance. Please remember that Norwich Union's administration is usually appalling and we can expect them to lose your cheque/application at least once, ha, ha."

  • NU and partners manage the managers

    19 May 2005

    Norwich Union has enhanced its fund range by introducing four manager of manager Oeic funds that are also available through the companys life products.

  • NU launches new online tool

    24 May 2005

    Norwich Union is launching a bespoke stochastic modelling tool for its online platform, developed by DecisionsDecisions.The planning software, called Forecast, aims to show the benefits of financial planning, encourage clients to spread investments through a range of holdings and sectors and educate investors about the impacts of portfolio changes.Norwich Union head of investments Neil Davies says: "The key to successful investing is robust portfolio planning, but delivering the ...

  • NU's Mom suite will feature 12 managers

    19 May 2005

    Norwich Union's manager of managers' suite, set to launch this month, will include mandates run by the fund arms of rival life offices including Aegon and Standard Life.

  • O&M launches new IFA pension profiler

    23 May 2005

    O&M Systems has launched a new product which it says will help IFAs quantify the true cost of Sipp, wrap and group products.O&M director Graham Miller says its pensions profiler professional is the first system to enable IFAs to design and programme custom pensions products themselves.Miller says: "There is no easy way for any supplier to provide a comparison of Sipps as each IFA can choose how they want to be remunerated for their advice. Add to this the endless options for investment ...

  • Old Mut gambles on Skandia bid

    19 May 2005

    Old Mutual is in talks to buy Skandia for 3.3bn, prompting speculation about a break-up of the Swedish insurer.

  • One supermarket could check out

    19 May 2005

    Old Mutual would be unlikely to keep two fund supermarkets if it buys Skandia, says Financial Technology Research Centre director Ian McKenna.

  • Out of context

    19 May 2005

    "I have had a coffee and am in rant mode."- Lifesearch senior technical adviser Kevin Carr.

  • 'Pay more attention to losses'

    19 May 2005

    Multi-managers should focus on the maximum losses suffered by funds in their portfolios to best manage risk, says Dutch multi-manager Insinger de Beaufort.

  • Pensions at a junction on discrimination - Keith Popplewell

    19 May 2005

    Following my earlier articles relating to pensions for homosexuals and transsexuals, I have had a number of readers contact me to ask on what information my articles were based. So, as an interlude to my current series on recent and imminent developments in the pension world, this piece looks back over the history.

  • Platform leaves tracks in self cert market

    18 May 2005

    PlatformSelf-Certification Three-Year Fixed Rate

  • Platinum brings in new managers to meet demand

    19 May 2005

    Platinum Capital Management is adding four hedge fund managers to its Platinum premier fund but says it is not marketing the product as a multi-manager fund.

  • Prestbury opens up club to DA firms

    19 May 2005

    Prestbury has opened its mortgage club to directly authorised firms and claims the move will double its revenue over the next year.

  • Protection sales slide at Swiss Re

    18 May 2005

    Swiss Re reveals plummeting protection sales in 2004. New term assurance policies saw a 17.3 per cent fall in sales, with sales of CI and individual IP sales also down 30.9 per cent and 25 per cent respectively. Mortgage sales outperformed non-mortgage sales, but these also declined, with TA down 13.5 per cent compared to 21.3 per cent fall in non-mortgage sales. Mortgage-related CI fell 18.7 per cent, compared to a 46 per cent drop in non-mortgage CI sales.

  • Pru slashes rates for CIC and life insurance

    18 May 2005

    Prudential is slashing its rates for critical illness cover and life insurance, with the new rates applying to new customers only. Existing customers will pay their current rates. For example, a 40-year old male non-smoker wanting 100,000 level life cover for 20 years would have had to pay a 17.08 monthly premium. This has been reduced to 12.99.Prudentials mortgage protection plan, a 40-year old male non-smoker would have paid 11.24 a month, compared to the new rate of 10.19.

  • Purely Mortgages to offer fee from June 1

    23 May 2005

    Purely Mortgages has decided to go from no-fee to low-fee from June 1.

  • Putting gains on hold - Tony Wickenden

    19 May 2005

    I was talking last week about the "lurking impediment" to the making of lifetime gifts. That impediment is capital gains tax.

  • Regulator refuses to check company's disclosure documents

    19 May 2005

    An IFA firm has described its disappointment at the "unhelpful" and "irrational" nature of the FSA in refusing to vet its disclosure documents to confirm compliance.

  • Scheme aims to engage the public with IFA sector

    19 May 2005

    Alan Swaysland's letter on "Free PFS advice service helping the wrong client" (Money Marketing, May 5) throws an interesting light on the approach of some IFAs to trying to engage more customers with the IFA sector. What was known as the "CAB/Sofa" scheme has been inherited by the PFS. I have attended one session of the steering group which is overseeing this service. It is a pilot scheme and a report is due this year. Only then will it be possible to make an assessment of the success ...

  • ScotEq Intl warns of tax-free dangers

    19 May 2005

    IFAs must warn their clients of the threat of inheritance tax on supposed tax-free savings vehicles, cautions Scottish Equitable International.

  • Scottish Widows - Guaranteed Investment Bond

    20 May 2005

    Scottish WidowsGuaranteed Investment Bond

  • Sipp rentals to hit 8%

    19 May 2005

    The rental charge for unconventional Sipp investments such as paintings and antiques is likely to be as high as 8 per cent, says Hornbuckle Mitchell director Neil Marsh.

  • Skandia directors told to re-apply for jobs

    19 May 2005

    Skandia's nine top UK sales directors have been told that they will have to re-apply for only three jobs in the same week that Old Mutual announced it wants to buy the company.

  • Spanish inquisition

    19 May 2005

    A couple were referred to us by a local independent mortgage broker. They were in the process of raising a mortgage on their UK home to buy a euro 250,000 villa in Spain and had asked about the tax issues.

  • Spelling out

    19 May 2005

    The Government is being called on to publish the full pension simplification rules and end the uncertainty that is stifling planning by the industry, says Xansa head of financial services James Doyle.

  • Standard ringfences £2bn in offshore property duo

    19 May 2005

    Standard Life Investments is closing two specialist offshore property funds, which are now fully invested across £2.3bn assets previously held in its life fund.

  • Strength in adversity

    19 May 2005

    It was not long ago that anyone with an adverse credit record was thrown into the financial wilderness because mainstream lenders did not cater for them.

  • Survey reveals little faith in pension compulsion

    19 May 2005

    Nearly three-quarters of pension professionals do not believe compulsion is a workable solution, says Origen.

  • Swedish giant fell from crest of a market wave

    19 May 2005

    Old Mutual's bid to buy Skandia comes after a five-year period that has seen boardroom controversy and falling markets wipe 90 per cent off the value of the Swedish company.

  • Tenet launches annuity bureau

    18 May 2005

    Tenet is launching an annuity bureau, running alongside its transfer bureau, and the network says the one-stop shop will save IFAs up to five hours per case.

  • Tenet networks take over at top of league

    19 May 2005

    Tenet networks have taken over from Berkeley as the most popular network with members, according to research by Henry Samuels Marketing Services.

  • The root of the problem

    19 May 2005

    Royal Bank of Scotland is holding a swanky dinner for the glitterati of the national personal finance press and, like all good hosts, has been checking whether its guests have any special dietary requirements.Among the common requests for vegetarian food was a more esoteric instruction from the BBC's Andrew Verity."No beetroot," his reply screamed, displaying a deep hatred for the purple root vegetable.Good job he isn't Eastern European correspondent.l More worthy pursuits ...

  • Two new board members at St James's

    18 May 2005

    St Jamess Place Capital has announced the appointment of two new board members with Simon Gulliford and Mike Power joining as independent non-executive directors. The move follows the retirement of Lord Weir and Anthony Loehnis.

  • UCB Home Loans - Self-Certification 2 Year Flexible Fixed

    19 May 2005

    UCB Home LoansSelf-Certification 2 Year Flexible Fixed

  • Vertex acquires Marlborough Stirling

    18 May 2005

    Vertex has completed the 95.3m acquisition of Marlborough Stirling, owner of The Exchange. Andy Hunt has been appointed managing director of Marlborough Stirling, replacing the old chief executive Mike OLeary who has left the company. The Exchange managing director David Child will report directly to Hunt.

  • Warning on pension penalty

    19 May 2005

    A pensioner has been hit by a 20 per cent market value reduction because his adviser applied for funds two days before his normal retirement date.

  • Watch this space on designations

    19 May 2005

    May I express my thanks to all those readers who have written to me in response to my letter (Money Marketing, April 28) concerning the designations the PFS is seeking to impose on its members.

  • Watchdog blundered with probe over PHI

    19 May 2005

    A botched Financial Ombudsman Service investigation into an IFA firm has exposed worrying levels of confusion among the watchdog's front-line staff, says a Croydon IFA.

  • Winterthur Life - Self Invested Personal Pension

    19 May 2005

    Winterthur LifeSelf Invested Personal Pension

  • Winterthur launches discounted gift trust

    24 May 2005

    Winterthur Life is launching a discounted gift trust for use with its onshore investment bond.The insurer's investment bond can now be placed under a discounted gift trust arrangement with up to four lives assured.Winterthur says it is launching the product in response to increasing IHT liabilities among high net worth individuals.

  • Women IFAs offer lifestyle planning

    19 May 2005

    A million UK businesses are owned by women, contributing over 115bn to the economy and expanding the need for female-focused financial advice, says new IFA firm Elements.

  • Woolwich pays stamp duty with FTBs' cashback

    19 May 2005

    Woolwich is aiming at first-time buyers with a new suite of products after its research suggested that the sector is faltering.

  • Zurich hedges its distribution bets

    19 May 2005

    With many advisers and providers hesitating before making any call on depolarisation, Zurich has positioned itself across all distribution channels to hedge its bets.

Poll

Should the MPC have increased QE this week?

Current Issue

Advanced search