Money Marketing
21 February 2007

  • Barclays' mortgage advances up 60%

    22 Feb 2007

    Gross mortgage advances at Barclays last year rose by 60 per cent to £18.4bn from £11.5bn in 2005. The group saw a 35 per cent increase in profits to £7.1bn from £5.3bn.

  • Bee sets up online pension petition

    22 Feb 2007

    Scottish Life pension guru Steve Bee has launched a petition on Number 10 Downing Street's website calling on the Government to drop auto-enrolment into personal accounts unless it guarantees that every pound saved in the scheme will make savers at least 1better off than non-savers. The e-petition can be found on the 10 Downing Street website at http:// petitions.pm.gov.uk/ ProperPensions

  • 1,200 Claim-chasers seek authorisation

    22 Feb 2007

    The Department for Constitutional Affairs has received almost 1,200 applications from claim-chasers ahead of its regulation of the sector, with a significant number of firms applying to work in financial services.

  • 10% Boost for WP fund

    22 Feb 2007

    Scottish Widows' with-profits fund has posted an investment return of 10 per cent over the past 12 months.

  • 2Plan sets up technology subsidiary Figure Out

    22 Feb 2007

    2Plan, the new distribution firm being launched by three former Positive Solutions directors, looks to have another subsidiary arm called Figure Out.

  • 75% Of L&G clients stay out of S2P

    22 Feb 2007

    Three-quarters of Legal & General's customers have chosen to stay contracted out of S2P.

  • A minor disagreement

    22 Feb 2007

    John Woolley, joint managing director at Technical Connection, surveys the present confused legal position on the tax position of bare trusts for minors

  • A waiting game

    22 Feb 2007

    It is never clear to me whether it is more likely to stand you in good financial stead by remaining a resolute cautionary bear or being an opportunistic gung-ho bull.

  • A&L to take on BM and NR as lending levels disappoint

    21 Feb 2007

    Alliance & Leicester is to launch a combined mortgage and secured loan, similar to Northern Rock’s and BM Solutions’ current offerings.

  • Advantage praised for strong showing

    22 Feb 2007

    Advantage has been hailed for its strong performance in the mortgage market.

  • Advice that makes my heart sink

    22 Feb 2007

    As a practising accountant and IFA, there are two expressions which make my heart sink: "I am going self-employed" (meaning that it is a disguised employment) and: "I am going to put it in the wife's name" (meaning that it is a sham gift).

  • Adviser Fund Index

    22 Feb 2007

    Performance of the Balanced Adviser Fund Index was strong in 2006. With a total return of 12.2 per cent, it was the best performer of the three AFIs over the year, according to Financial Express. Even the 11.8 per cent return from the riskiest Aggressive AFI failed to match the Balanced index.

  • Advisers will be told of repo threat to clients

    22 Feb 2007

    Brokers will be informed when their clients are threatened with repossession so they can try to help to manage their situation under a plan being devised by lender Accord Mortgages.

  • AIC says FSA’s listing rules proposals are unlawful

    27 Feb 2007

    The FSA’s proposals to relax listing rules for international investment companies are unlawful under European law, says the Association of Investment Companies.Speaking at the AIC conference in London today, director general Daniel Godfrey said the position breaks European law by discriminating on the basis of domicile.He told delegates that legally the FSA would be left with no choice but to extend its plans to allow international investment companies to list under the minimum ...

  • Altmann's trunk call shows commitment

    22 Feb 2007

    Some people are frighteningly committed to their jobs. Even while on the Masai Mara plains in Kenya, kids in tow and with a herd of elephants grazing nearby, pensions expert Ros Altmann managed to return Money Marketing's call.Speaking in hushed tones to avoid disturbing the neighbouring wildlife, Altmann still managed to rant at length about the Government's failure to compensate 125,000 pensioners who lost most or all of their final-salary schemes. Now that is commitment.

  • Arrears window

    22 Feb 2007

    Repossessions Julien Holmes, managing director of Crown Mortgage Management, looks at the prospects of securitisation shock for some lenders

  • Artemis unveils offshore fund trio

    22 Feb 2007

    Artemis has brought out offshore versions of its pan-European, global equity and UK equity funds.

  • AWD Group plc announces new CEO

    22 Feb 2007

    AWD has announced the appointment of Mike Kirsch as chief executive of the UK business.

  • Baigrie focuses on Lifesearch

    22 Feb 2007

    Baigrie Davies has appointed a new managing director to replace Tom Baigrie, who will continue to oversee the adviser firm but will concentrate on the day-to-day running of sister firm Lifesearch.

  • Beckett signs to IntelliFlo

    26 Feb 2007

    IFA firm Beckett Investment Management Group has signed up to use IntelliFlo's Intelligent Office system for its front and back office technology.

  • Best of British

    22 Feb 2007

    One of the most consistently successful stockpickers in the fund management industry is Ian McCombie, who has managed the Baillie Gifford British smaller companies fund for the past five years.

  • BoS revamps BTL range

    22 Feb 2007

    Bank of Scotland Mortgages is boosting its buy-to-let offering with two new fixed rate products.

  • Bright Grey move on Trackberry

    22 Feb 2007

    Bright Grey is introducing Medicals Direct's new Trackberry service in a bid to speed up the underwriting process for applicants with complex medical histories.

  • Britannia buoyant after lending leap in 2006

    27 Feb 2007

    Britannia Building Society has seen mortgage lending beat average market growth levels, while profits were also up.

  • Broker

    22 Feb 2007

    Does the decline of final-salary schemes in the UK represent a big opportunity for advisers?Yes 87.5%No 12.5%Yes "Anything that happens in the pension industry in theory can be a business opportunity for IFAs. But most of the news you hear about is bad news and pensions is just a huge turn-off for the public."

  • Brokers advised not to take on employed self-cert clients

    22 Feb 2007

    Brokers have been advised against taking on self-cert cases where the client is employed.

  • Burdett and Potter resign from CSAM

    27 Feb 2007

    Credit Suisse Asset Management has been placed into further chaos this morning when directors of multi-manager Gary Potter and Robert Burdett resigned from the firm with immediate effect.

  • Burgess wants to sell business stake

    22 Feb 2007

    British Insurance managing director Simon Burgess is looking to sell a stake in the business to help fund expansion.

  • C&G tells brokers only contact us if it's urgent

    22 Feb 2007

    Cheltenham & Gloucester has taken the embarrassing step of urging brokers to contact it only in an emergency to prevent a service meltdown.

  • CAB thinks bigger for second advice pilot

    22 Feb 2007

    The Citizens Advice Bureau is launching its second financial advice pilot in conjunction with the Personal Finance Society and is recruiting advisers to work pro bono.

  • Cap collars individual advice

    22 Feb 2007

    IMA chief executive Richard Saunders told the work and pensions select committee that leaving the contrib-ution cap at the proposed 5,000 means personal accounts cannot be delivered without individual advice.

  • Capital One faces 3m payout on PPI failure

    22 Feb 2007

    Capital One Bank has become the eighth firm to be fined by the FSA for failures in selling payment protection insurance.

  • Cash in on the US

    22 Feb 2007

    There is little doubt that the US unit trust market is probably the poorest across all the unit trust sectors. In fact, in all the time that I have been reviewing and recommending funds, it has always been the poorest.

  • Chasers can't compete with genuine IFAs

    22 Feb 2007

    It is interesting to note that many people working for claim-chasing companies now planning to move into the realms of providing financial advice are described as ex-insurance company employees and ex-brokers (a decidedly outdated term that smacks more of product sellers than advisers).

  • 'City staff are wasting £1.9bn in bonus taxes'

    22 Feb 2007

    City bonuses are swelling Chancellor Gordon Brown's coffers by £1.9bn more than they should due to staff ineffic_ iently investing their payouts, says wealth adviser MNFA.

  • Clerical quitting group pensions

    22 Feb 2007

    Clerical Medical will close to new group pension business from April 16, blaming tightening margins and lack of profitability in the sector.

  • Clients told not to bank on protected rights move

    22 Feb 2007

    A Sipp provider says fears over a Government U-turn means he is having to calm client interest over proposed relaxations to protected rights restrictions.

  • Close bolsters multi-manager business with Aon acquisition

    22 Feb 2007

    Close Investments has bought Aon Asset Management's 2bn multi-manager business.

  • CML admits errors in interest-only figures

    22 Feb 2007

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders has admitted that critical data released last week contained multiple errors that severely understated the number of interest-only borrowers without an evident repayment vehicle by tens of thousands.

  • Collection points for platforms

    22 Feb 2007

    Cofunds and FundsNetwork are setting up joint collection points for last-minute Isa application forms ahead of the April 5 deadline.

  • Conservative letter calls for cross-party solution to occupational pension crisis

    22 Feb 2007

    The Conservatives have written to Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton calling for an urgent meeting in the aftermath of the High Court ruling on occupational pensions.Tory Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Philip Hammond says the letter follows up leader David Cameron’s call to find cross-party consensus on the issue at yesterday’s Prime Ministers Questions.Hammond says the Party is not suggesting the Government should write a blank cheque with taxpayers’ money but there are ...

  • Correspondent's Week

    22 Feb 2007

    The week starts slowly, thankfully, as I come straight into work after an overnight flight from Cape Town feeling exhausted, having spent most of the flight attempting to block out fractious babies. Admittedly, it is not my usual commute but I have just spent an interesting week finding out more about emerging markets and the South African investment economy after a group of journalists were flown out as guests of Investec.

  • Costs quadruple Govt estimate

    22 Feb 2007

    ABI director general Stephen Haddrill told the work and pensions select committee this week that ABI/ Deloitte research estimates start-up costs for personal accounts at 20 per person, four times the Government's estimate of 5.

  • Cover story

    22 Feb 2007

    Whenever I read letters or hear comments from IFAs about the "good old days" of regulation before the Personal Investment Authority and the FSA were set up, two of the other organisations that repeatedly come to mind are the General Insurance Standard Council and its predecessor, the Insurance Brokers Registration Council.

  • Cowman quits Prudential

    27 Feb 2007

    Prudential head of protection proposition development Paul Cowman has resigned after four years at the life office.

  • Cracknell calls for NI rebates for education

    22 Feb 2007

    Origen director Michelle Cracknell is calling for the Government to give National Insurance rebates to employers offering approved financial education in the workplace.

  • Critical maths that Pru must prove

    22 Feb 2007

    Prudential has fallen off a lot of other insurance companies' and IFAs' Christmas card lists.

  • D&D Homecare GI added to Webline

    21 Feb 2007

    General insurance provider D&D Homecare has been added to the Webline quotation system.

  • Dattani in Jupiter institutional role

    22 Feb 2007

    Hitesh Dattani has joined Jupiter as institutional new business development executive and will help drive institutional business. He joins from UBS.

  • Defence union tells Lords that FSA has damaged advisers

    22 Feb 2007

    The IFA Defence Union has submitted its response to the House of Lords committee set up to scrutinise claims of a litany of abuses by the FSA against advisers.

  • Distribution is key as Cofunds plans full wrap service

    22 Feb 2007

    Cofunds is in talks to expand its distribution chain and says it will be developing into a full wrap by the end of this year.

  • Dual rule will bring confusion

    22 Feb 2007

    The news that the FSA is considering proposals to introduce two different regulatory regimes under the insurance conduct of business rules as part of its review of Icob has sparked protest from providers and brokers.

  • Edeus goes to “war” on rivals in explosive campaign

    23 Feb 2007

    Edeus has launched a blistering tirade against direct players as part of a campaign to woo brokers.

  • Effective targeting

    22 Feb 2007

    Firms looking to enter the sector should seek out the real opportunities

  • Employers' bodies unite in opposing workplace advice

    22 Feb 2007

    Three of the biggest employer organisations are threatening to blow a hole in the Government's plans to offer generic advice for personal accounts through the workplace.

  • Euro leaders demand more transparency in hedge funds

    22 Feb 2007

    German finance minister Peer Steinbrueck has put heavy pressure on the hedge fund industry by calling on the world's richest nations to broker a strategy that will open them up to greater scrutiny.

  • Ewing returns to Resolution

    22 Feb 2007

    Terry Ewing has rejoined Resolution Asset Management as co-head of US equities. Ewing worked at the firm in its Britannic guise.

  • Fears over automated valuations

    22 Feb 2007

    Fitch Ratings is concerned that some lenders could be relying too much on automated valuation models, which could lead to errors.

  • Fidelity International launches PEP and ISA withdrawal facility

    26 Feb 2007

    Fidelity has extended its regular withdrawal facility on Oeics and unit trusts, to now include funds that are held within a Pep or Isa.

  • Fidelity's all-terrain vehicle

    22 Feb 2007

    Fidelity's new Multi-Asset Strategic Fund aims to perform in all market conditions and fund manager Trevor Greetham explains his investment strategy

  • 'Firms lack ambition in cutting costs'

    22 Feb 2007

    Cost-cutting strategies by financial services firms are being held back by a lack of ambition, according to research from KPMG.

  • Firms will save £1m a year with a single approved persons function, says FSA

    23 Feb 2007

    The FSA says firms will save a combined £1m a year by merging its customer functions in the approved persons regime into a new single category.

  • Fof money grows to 29bn

    22 Feb 2007

    Cautious managed funds led the way as investment in funds of funds reached an all-time high in the final quarter of 2006, according to the Investment Management Association.

  • For the record

    22 Feb 2007

    With anglo-american relations possibly at a nadir, it is ironic that the expression "No taxation without representation" should be so relevant to the mortgage industry.

  • Forsyth Partners appoint global head of sales

    21 Feb 2007

    Forsyth Partners has appointed Jon Nash as the group's global head of sales.

  • FSA board meeting to decide fate of RU64

    22 Feb 2007

    The FSA is holding a board meeting this week to decide the fate of RU64 but has denied reports that it has already decided to scrap the controversial measure.

  • FSA cracks down on another PPI firm

    26 Feb 2007

    The FSA has continued its crackdown on the selling of payment protection insurance by imposing a public censure on Cathedral Motor Company for failures relating to its sales of PPI.

  • FSA fines Regency for income withdrawal failings

    22 Feb 2007

    The FSA has fined Regency Investment Services £14,000 for not obtaining enough personal and financial information from customers with small pension pots before advising them on income withdrawal.The regulator says between January 2003 and March 2006 Regency failed to record enough information about customers to justify recommending income withdrawal and therefore could not demonstrate the advice was suitable.During this time it also failed to carry out adequate customer reviews ...

  • FSA keeps RU64

    26 Feb 2007

    The FSA has announced it is to keep RU64 despite the widespread industry belief that it was going to scrap the controversial rule.FSA chief executive John Tiner hinted last May at a Treasury select committee meeting that the regulator was minded to scrap RU64 as many of the dangers that prompted the rules are no longer relevant and new measures are in place to stop misselling.In June 2005, an FSA consultation paper indicated the regulator was going to scrap the rule. At the time ...

  • FSA picks mortgages and credit union head

    22 Feb 2007

    The FSA has appointed Mandy Spink as head of mortgages and credit unions in the regulator's small firms division. Spink replaces Michael Lord, who becomes head of the retail management support unit.

  • FSA warned over change to offshore listing rules

    26 Feb 2007

    The Financial Services Consumer Panel has written to the FSA to say that their proposals to amend the stock exchange listing rules for offshore investment companies threaten to undermine investor protection.

  • FSA warns advisers over lifetime loan skills

    22 Feb 2007

    The FSA has cautioned firms carrying out low levels of lifetime mortgage business that they must ensure they have skills and systems to deal with the product.

  • Full house for inaugural Adnitor platform awards

    22 Feb 2007

    Adnitor says its inaugural UK Platform Awards have sold out.

  • Fund firms build stakes in Sipp specialist AJ Bell

    22 Feb 2007

    Invesco Perpetual has taken a 15 per cent stake in Sipp specialist AJ Bell while Midas Capital Partners has increased its stake from 12 per cent to 15 per cent in a deal that makes founder Andy Bell £9m.

  • Fund sales hit record high but Isa share dives

    22 Feb 2007

    UK fund sales reached a record high last year but Isas accounted for just 16 per cent compared with 60 per cent in 2000.

  • FundsNetwork adds offshore portfolio bond

    22 Feb 2007

    FundsNetwork is adding an offshore portfolio bond to its platform.

  • Government seminar focuses on means-test concerns

    22 Feb 2007

    The Government is to host a seminar on the projected effects of means-testing on pension personal account returns in an attempt to reach consensus on the figures.

  • Gravy train hits buffers

    22 Feb 2007

    Claim-chasers are coming to the end of the line after wreaking havoc

  • Half of AMI members at least at implementation stage of TCF

    21 Feb 2007

    Nearly half of Association of Mortgage Intermediaries’ members say they are at least at the implementation stage of complying with the FSA’s Treating Customers Fairly regime.The FSA has set a March deadline for firms to have implemented TCF in a significant part of their business and 85 per cent of members say they are confident of meeting it.19 per cent say they are already at the embedded stage while a further 29 per cent say they were implementing TCF.20 per cent say they ...

  • Half of UK firms restricted by DB funding costs

    23 Feb 2007

    Almost half of UK companies (49 per cent) feel increased costs of funding their defined benefit pension scheme has reduced the remuneration packages their company is able to offer.

  • Heritable aims high

    22 Feb 2007

    Lender profile Guy Anker looks at Icelandic-owned Heritable Bank's plans to widen its distribution

  • High pressure

    22 Feb 2007

    Our panel look at the effects of rising interest rates, increased competition, repossessions and the FSA's crackdown on exit fees

  • HL bonuses hit 21m as director is paid 9m

    22 Feb 2007

    Directors at Hargreaves Lansdown earned nearly 21m in bonuses last year, up from 3m in 2005.

  • Home truths

    22 Feb 2007

    Interest-only mortgages Helen Pow analyses why growing numbers of borrowers are opting for interest-only homeloans

  • IFAs optimistic on review

    22 Feb 2007

    More than half of advisers see the FSA retail distribution review as an opportunity to enhance their business rather than a threat to the way they work, says Aegon.

  • Is china cracking?

    22 Feb 2007

    After stunning recent returns, advisers are starting to turn away from China to other markets, says Helen Pow

  • Is this an ancestor I see before me?

    22 Feb 2007

    Those crazy folk at Principality Building Society might be no Nationwide when it comes to sheer volume of press coverage but they have to be the most wacky bunch in the society sector.

  • Is Treasury turning?

    22 Feb 2007

    Brokers and providers that offered pension term assurance have been in suspended animation since the pre-Budget report crippled the product.

  • Johnson leads TBO move into corporate pensions

    22 Feb 2007

    Former Norwich Union compliance director Nicholas Johnson has joined York-based financial adviser TBO Investments.

  • Legal & General announces 11.2 per cent with-profits growth

    22 Feb 2007

    Legal & General has generated an 11.2 per cent return for customers on its with-profits fund and announced £596m in with-profits bonuses for 2006.

  • Leigh Harrison

    22 Feb 2007

    In reaching the dizzy heights of the fund management industry, this keen rock climber has found himself working alongside the likes of income guru Bill Mott - and even outperforming him while helping to run Credit Suisse's flagship income funds. Now head of UK equities at Threadneedle, he describes himself as a pure money manager who is determined his new managerial responsibilities will not take his eye off his main priority - his investors. Interview by Chris Salih

  • LibDems slam public sector pensions

    22 Feb 2007

    The top 300 civil servants have combined pension pots worth £250m, according to research from the Liberal Democrats.

  • Lifetime experience

    22 Feb 2007

    Calculating how a client's various pension funds contribute towards his lifetime limit

  • Lloyds TSB looks at selling Abbey Life

    22 Feb 2007

    Lloyds TSB is considering selling Abbey Life and has instructed its investment bankers to look for potential buyers.

  • Lloyds TSB sees profits soar but lending suffer

    23 Feb 2007

    Lloyds TSB saw its share of the gross mortgage market plummet in 2006.

  • Lost in transition

    22 Feb 2007

    If Morley is to bounce back it must improve performance and fast, says Chris Salih

  • Massive blow for Government as High Court rules in favour of pensioners

    21 Feb 2007

    The High Court has ruled in favour of pensioners that lost most or all of their final salary schemes when there employers went bust and ordered the Government to pay compensation.

  • 'Meetings will pay dividends'

    22 Feb 2007

    Lawrence House Financial says multi-managers who rely on published research more than face-to-face meetings with managers risk missing good investment opportunities.

  • Midas taps into oil industry

    22 Feb 2007

    Midas Capital is aiming to improve returns from its fixed-interest holdings by gaining exposure to a fund that invests in debt secured against oil rigs.

  • Missing point on income in retirement

    22 Feb 2007

    I am writing in reply to Ian McIver's article in last week's Money Marketing, headlined, Falling short on income in retirement.

  • Morningstar buys S&P’s mutual fund data business

    22 Feb 2007

    Morningstar has bought Standard & Poor’s mutual fund data business for £28m.This consists of data and products covering more than 135,000 managed investment vehicles including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, hedge funds and offshore funds.As part of the agreement S&P will licence fund data from Morningstar after the acquisition is completed.Morningstar chief executive Joe Mansueto says: “With the acquisition of S&P’s fund data business, we believe we’ll have the most extensive ...

  • Multi-managers could use put options to shield funds

    22 Feb 2007

    Several leading multi-managers are looking at using put options to protect their funds against a possible market downturn.

  • MY BEAUTIFUL WRAP

    22 Feb 2007

    It took a while but, amazingly, wrap has now gathered momentum.

  • Nearly 70 per cent consider ethical Isa, says CFS

    23 Feb 2007

    Nearly 70 per cent of those intending to invest in an Isa ahead of the April deadline would consider placing funds into an ethical scheme, says Co-operative Financial Services.CFS’s survey shows 67 per cent of those intending to use their Isa allowance before April will consider placing their money into a scheme with positive benefits for the environment.The provider says it expects a significant increase on the one per cent of assets currently managed in ethical investment funds.CFS ...

  • Neptune joins EMXCo

    22 Feb 2007

    Neptune Investment Management has joined the EMX Message System and went live today with a FIX connection.

  • Net clash as ABI pension sales figures top 15bn

    22 Feb 2007

    The Association of British Insurers has unveiled record figures showing 45 per cent growth in regularpremium individual pension business last year but some advisers have called for net figures to be released.

  • 'New lenders are miserable failures'

    22 Feb 2007

    Brokers and packagers have branded many of the new lenders in the mortgage market as "miserable failures".

  • Next generation

    22 Feb 2007

    If you value your business, you value its future. That means ensuring it has the potential to develop and showing over time that you not only intend to maintain but also improve the quality and services available to your clients.

  • NU completes range of three property funds

    22 Feb 2007

    Norwich Union has brought out a European commercial property fund that invests across the office, industrial and retail sector.

  • Only 6 per cent of brokers aware of TCF deadline

    27 Feb 2007

    Research out today shows that only 6 per cent of small directly authorised mortgage brokers are aware of the FSA deadline for implementing the Treating Customers Fairly regime into their businesses.

  • Open season on small IFAs in FSA foray

    22 Feb 2007

    'This looks like the start of the IFA hunting season'

  • Out of Context

    22 Feb 2007

    "I understand you have taken up gardening for the last year or so?"

  • Packagers leading non-conform growth

    22 Feb 2007

    The non-conforming market is expected to flourish this year, with packagers at the core of the growth.

  • Park life

    22 Feb 2007

    Aegon Scottish Equitable is to co-sponsor the Opera in The Park in Benenden Village, Kent, this July with protection consultancy Crossfield Communications. Villagers attend a picnic, are entertained by a mobile opera company and are offered free stress-busting Indian head massages.

  • Porting chance for retention

    22 Feb 2007

    Northern Rock has strengthened its mortgage retention strategy.

  • Postpone Hips says the CML

    21 Feb 2007

    The implementation of Home Information Packs should be postponed until full evidence from research and the area trials are available, says the Council of Mortgage Lenders.In its response to the latest Government consultation on Hips, the CML says this evidence is required before an informed decision on the effectiveness of the scheme can be made.The CML says the Government has been slow to recognise the problems with local authority searches and the Hips timetable is increasingly ...

  • Prime time for sub-prime firms

    22 Feb 2007

    Increasing numbers of traditional sub-prime lenders are expected to offer prime deals in the near future.

  • Product matters

    22 Feb 2007

    Hot on the heels of Liverpool Victoria's launch of its straight-through processing system for its Mimi flexible protection plan comes the latest initiative.

  • Profits slump at Virtual Net

    22 Feb 2007

    Virtual Net saw profits fall to £124,511 for the year ended March 31, 2006 from £326,000 in 2005. It blames the fall on the number of advisers moving from the network to become directly authorised.

  • Provider portal aims for communication

    22 Feb 2007

    A new portal backed by nine providers has been set up to enable small, directly regulated advisers to communicate with product providers.

  • Pru aims protection plan at medical professionals

    22 Feb 2007

    Prudential is tailoring its flexible protection menu plan for medical professionals in a pilot scheme being rolled out through the Medical Insurance Advisory Bureau.

  • Pru is taken to task over critical maths

    22 Feb 2007

    Leading figures in the protection industry are slamming Prudential, accusing the company of exaggerating the number of declined policy claims by up to twentyfold and using flawed data as a marketing tool.

  • PTA set for Budget revival

    22 Feb 2007

    A document detailing the outcome of a meeting held with the Treasury and industry members suggests that pension term assurance could be completely revived in the Budget announcement.

  • Rental health concerns

    22 Feb 2007

    Guy Anker examines potential pitfalls in the path of further growth in the buy-to-let market

  • Resolution managers complete european fund restructuring

    23 Feb 2007

    Resolution Asset Management’s new european equities team has completed the restructuring of the European growth fund in a bid to achieve top quartile performance in 2007.

  • Resolution to soft-close Argonaut

    22 Feb 2007

    Resolution Asset Management is to soft-close the Argonaut European alpha fund less than two years after its launch.

  • Revenue eases admin burden for small trusts

    22 Feb 2007

    Reporting limit is raised from £10,000 to £200,000

  • Rights issues

    22 Feb 2007

    With changes hanging over protected rights benefits for pensions , what can be done to help clients??

  • Risk and return

    22 Feb 2007

    Multi-manager continues to grow in the number of funds and assets within them. Cerulli's latest research points to 20 per cent annual growth between now and 2010.

  • Risk reassessment

    22 Feb 2007

    We have become uncomfortable with risk but an element of it may be essential

  • RPS online with income and interim cover

    22 Feb 2007

    Risk Placement Services is to make income protection and interim cover policies available through its online service, which specialises in sourcing protection insurance for non-standard customers.

  • Savers cannot afford to ignore protected rights, says Skandia

    23 Feb 2007

    New analysis from Skandia shows the importance of including protected rights pension funds in a client’s overall investment strategy.

  • Schroders postpones European equity fund

    22 Feb 2007

    Schroders has postponed the launch of its European equity income trust following a lack of initial demand.

  • ScotEq web service aids corporate pension advice

    22 Feb 2007

    Aegon Scottish Equitable has added a management information service on its extranet to help advisers develop their corporate business and aid client retention.

  • ScotWids reports 24 per cent growth in pensions new business

    23 Feb 2007

    Scottish Widows reported a 24 per cent rise in life, pensions and Oeics business from £7.8bn in 2005 to £9.7bn in 2006 on a present value of new business premiums basis.

  • Seventy face axe as L&G sells off healthcare arm

    22 Feb 2007

    Around 70 Legal & General staff could face redundancy following the sale of the firm's healthcare business to Axa PPP Healthcare.

  • Splitting shares

    22 Feb 2007

    In my last couple of articles, I started to highlight and discuss some of the major points in identifying the need for director share purchase arrangements for limited companies in different circumstances. I have so far restricted my thoughts to relatively simple examples of company share structure and so, in this article, I will start to look at more usual - although slightly more complex - situations.

  • Standard Life sets up Fundzone platform

    22 Feb 2007

    Standard Life is to take on FundsNetwork and Cofunds with the launch of its new fund supermarket badged FundZone.

  • Stock tactics

    22 Feb 2007

    Proof that forecasting economies and markets is a mug's game and stock by stock investment works

  • Stolen laptop costs Nationwide 1m

    22 Feb 2007

    A stolen laptop computer has cost Nationwide Building Society nearly 1m.

  • Strike up the nil-rate band

    22 Feb 2007

    To what extent are last year's Budget changes likely to impact on the use of trusts in estate planning?

  • Sub-prime fears amid buy-to-let bonanza

    22 Feb 2007

    The buy-to-let market witnessed phenomenal growth last year but brokers warn that firms cannot rest on their laurels if the sector is to continue to grow and stave off the threats of rising interest rates and consumer debt levels.

  • Survey reveals cash adultery of secret savings

    22 Feb 2007

    Personal finance website The Motley Fool claims that many couples are engaged in "financial adultery".

  • Synaptic MD Herring quits

    22 Feb 2007

    Synaptic Solutions managing director Selwyn Herring is leaving thefirm in the summer. Capita, which bought the company last November, says he will stay on until June to oversee the integration of Synaptic into the Enabler proposition.

  • The estate of things

    22 Feb 2007

    Gregor Watt sums up the first couple of months of the Reit regime and finds some brokers sceptical of the new investment class but also welcoming the opportunity to invest in overseas property

  • Thompson to take MD role at Winterthur

    22 Feb 2007

    Winterthur Life has appointed David Thompson as managing director as part of its restructure following the firm's takeover by Axa.

  • Tinker joins Axa Framlington

    26 Feb 2007

    Axa Framlington has appointed Mark Tinker as portfolio manager to develop its global equity capability.Tinker joins from Execution Limited where he has been global strategist since 2002. Before this he was head of debt and equity strategy for the investment banking division at Commerzbank and head of pan-European strategy at UBS Warburg.Tinker will report directly to Axa Framlington chief executive Robert Kyprianou.Kyprianou says: “We are committed to strengthening our global ...

  • TMP mortgage advisers receive Beacon packaging service

    21 Feb 2007

    Specialist provider Beacon Group has announced a deal with The Money Portal that sees it introducing a bespoke packaging service exclusively for TMP mortgage advisers. The packaging service operates under the name TMP Packaging Services and will enable TMP to add value to its intermediary members.

  • Trigold to use Focus for its online mortgage applications

    23 Feb 2007

    Focus Solutions has signed a new licence agreement with Trigold to create electronic mortgage application forms.

  • Unity in divorce

    22 Feb 2007

    Collaborative law is giving IFAs a chance to prove their worth to solicitors

  • Vive la difference

    22 Feb 2007

    Relaxation of the Sipp rules has opened up the chance to invest in contracts for difference and benefit from falls as well as rises in share prices, says Origen head of self-administered pensions Claire Court

  • Wealth check

    22 Feb 2007

    We are currently seeing active transfers of both people and businesses. In the beautiful game, we have Ronaldo indicating that he may be off to climates more glamourous than Manchester and the gossip pages saying that Roman Abramovich will have sold Chelsea by next season. All this football hearsay falls away compared with the financial services gossip.

  • What's my line?

    22 Feb 2007

    Last week's Paradigm Partners launch party kicked off in full swing with the black tie do inviting all male guests to wear a red tie to mark the new brand's colours.

  • Widows warns on apathy over NPSS

    22 Feb 2007

    Scottish Widows has hit out at the pension industry for showing apathy in the face over pension personal accounts as the firm tries to strengthen its own group proposition.

  • With-profits alternative

    22 Feb 2007

    FundsNetwork's research was spot-on in highlighting how IFAs are turning away from with-profits (Money Marketing, February 8).

  • Zurich wins UK national sales award

    26 Feb 2007

    Zurich's internal consultant management team has won the sales management team of the year award at this year’s UK National Sales Awards.

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