Money Marketing
25 March 2009

  • 85 per cent of IFAs moving towards recurring revenue, says Skandia

    26 Mar 2009

    Eighty five per cent of advisers are looking to increase their percentage of recurring revenue during 2009, according to research by Skandia.

  • A&L comes out with market leading tracker

    25 Mar 2009

    Alliance & LeicesterTwo Year Tracker

  • Active response

    26 Mar 2009

    It has not gone unnoticed that active management has struggled in recent years - the Investment Management Association UK all companies sector has, for example, underperformed the FTSE All Share by 3.46 per cent in 2007 and 2.29 per cent in 2008 compared with a 10-year annualised return that has been pretty much in line with the market.

  • Adviser Fund Index

    26 Mar 2009

    Gains from currency swings are a welcome bonus but playing foreign exchange movements is usually not part of funds' investment strategy, according to Adviser Fund Index panellists.

  • Advisers told to view release as part of planning

    26 Mar 2009

    IFAs are still failing to consider a client's property as an asset that can be used to boost retirement income and benefit from tax advantages, says Key Retirement Solutions.

  • Aegon paid 91% of CI claims in 2008

    27 Mar 2009

    Aegon Scottish Equitable paid 91 per cent of critical illness claims in 2008.

  • Aegon raises guarantee prices

    25 Mar 2009

    Aegon Scottish Equitable is the latest variable annuity provider to increase prices after recent market volatility has seen the cost of guarantees soar.

  • Aifa says light-touch Dublin will lure IFAs

    26 Mar 2009

    The Association of Independent Financial Advisers believes advisers will be drawn to Dublin's lighter-touch regime despite the FSA claiming this is unlikely.

  • Aifa sets up online RDR academy

    26 Mar 2009

    Aifa is launching an online academy for advisers to help them meet the demands of the retail distribution review. The academy, which will be funded by Skandia, will be supported by a series of roadshow events across the country. Director general Chris Cummings says this comes in response to members who say the RDR prop- osals are too vague to enable them to prepare for the future. He says: "Too much uncertainty clouds good business decision-making."

  • Alliance & Leicester - Two Year Base Rate Tracker

    27 Mar 2009

    Alliance & LeicesterTwo Year Base Rate Tracker

  • Audit Commission points to “negligence” over Icelandic banks

    26 Mar 2009

    The Audit Commission has accused seven English councils of “negligence” for putting money into Icelandic banks, despite having a £10m deposit itself at the time of the collapse.

  • Aviva looking to rationalise fund range

    26 Mar 2009

    Aviva managing director of retail investments John Clougherty says the firm is likely to rationalise its investment range.

  • Axa PPP calls for one week employee sickness assessment

    27 Mar 2009

    Axa PPP Healthcare is calling for an initial one week assessment of employees off work sick to determine whether intervention from the employer is required.

  • B&B reveals £500m write-offs

    30 Mar 2009

    Bradford & Bingley has revealed mortgage write-offs of more than £500m in 2008 and predicts more to come over the coming year.

  • Band of brokers

    26 Mar 2009

    Helen Monks Takhar sets out some survival plans for smaller mortgage intermediaries

  • Bank of Scotland takes 20% stake in Midas

    26 Mar 2009

    Bank of Scotland, part of the Lloyds Banking Group, has taken a 20 per cent stake in Midas Capital, after its debts to the bank reached £36.5m.

  • Bank reveals mortgage upturn in February

    30 Mar 2009

    The Bank of England has revealed February monthly mortgage approvals were up nearly 20 per cent on January’s figures.

  • Bankhall abandons search for new chief exec to replace Mann

    25 Mar 2009

    Bankhall has abandoned its search for a new chief executive to replace Peter Mann who left the firm to join Skandia last October.

  • Bankhall won't replace chief exec

    26 Mar 2009

    Bankhall has abandoned its search for a new chief executive to replace Peter Mann who left to join Skandia last October.

  • Banks facing basic changes

    26 Mar 2009

    The FSA's crackdown on the banking sector is likely to trigger a fundamental shift in banks' business models.

  • Banks get billions but won't lend

    26 Mar 2009

    MPs are angry that banks which signed lending agreements for the asset protection scheme are not keeping their side of the bargain.

  • Banks lead FTSE over 3 per cent lower

    30 Mar 2009

    The FTSE 100 has closed 3.49 per cent lower at 3,763 with Barclays leading the heavy fallers.

  • Barclays Global Investors - iiShares Citigroup Global Government Bond

    25 Mar 2009

    Barclays Global InvestorsiShares Citigroup Global Government Bond

  • Barclays Global Investors - iShares Barclays Euro Treasury Bond 0-1

    25 Mar 2009

    Barclays Global InvestorsiShares Barclays Euro Treasury Bond 0-1

  • Barclays says CVC is preferred bidder for iShares sale

    31 Mar 2009

    Barclays has entered into exclusive talks with private equity firm CVC Capital Partners over the sale of its iShares operation.

  • Barclays turns down Government aid

    30 Mar 2009

    Barclays has revealed that it will not be asking the Government for aid in the form of its Asset Protection Scheme.

  • Barclays Wealth adds safety margin to Target Growth Plan

    25 Mar 2009

    Barclays has launched a new issue of its target growth plan which features a capital at risk barrier observed at maturity rather than during the investment term.

  • Bargain hunt

    26 Mar 2009

    Two events stick in my mind from last week and reaffirm my growing conviction that the real risk for investors now is being out of the market, rather than in.

  • 'Bond bull is beginning, not a bubble'

    26 Mar 2009

    M&G bond manager Richard Woolnough has rejected views that a bond bubble is forming.

  • Bond funds see £1.1bn inflows, IMA stats

    30 Mar 2009

    Bond funds saw inflows of £1.1bn in February, with corporate bonds the sector of choice for the fourth consecutive month according to the latest statistics from the Investment Management Association.

  • Boom time set for offset mortgages

    26 Mar 2009

    Personal Touch Financial Services is predicting a boom in offset mortgages as borrowers look to get maximum returns from their savings.

  • Boomers in denial on effects of the crunch

    26 Mar 2009

    Nearly two-thirds of baby boomers have not yet reviewed their retirement plans in light of the financial crisis, according to research by The Hartford.

  • Bright Grey enhances business protection menu

    30 Mar 2009

    Bright Grey has enhanced its business protection menu to cover up to four key people for 100 per cent of the business loan.

  • Cable tax onslaught after Barclays gags Guardian

    26 Mar 2009

    Barclays has won a continua- tion court order stopping The Guardian newspaper from publishing documents on its tax affairs.

  • Cameron slams FSA product obsession

    26 Mar 2009

    Tory leader David Cameron has criticised the FSA's regulation of the banks as obsessed with products and procedures rather than business models, in a speech to the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

  • Cash rules won't stop wholesale market

    26 Mar 2009

    Former Edeus chief executive Michael Bolton says a threefold increase in capital requirements for risky lenders will not deter banks from wholesale funding models in the future.

  • Chris Cummings to join Treasury special advisory group

    31 Mar 2009

    Association of Independent Financial Advisers director general Chris Cummings is to join a special advisory group to the Treasury looking at the future of retail financial services.

  • CII revenue up 7%

    26 Mar 2009

    The CII Group has reported a 7 per cent growth in revenue in 2008 to £30.3m, up from £28.4m in 2007, and a rise in net profit to £1.9m from £1.0m.

  • Comforting concept from Gartmore

    25 Mar 2009

    GartmoreEuropean Absolute Return Fund

  • Concerns at Liontrust duo replacements

    26 Mar 2009

    Advisers have raised concerns over the experience of Liontrust's replacements for star fund managers Jeremy Lang and William Pattisson.

  • Confusion reigns over Myners' involvement in Goodwin pension scandal

    26 Mar 2009

    Lord Myners has refuted claims that he misled MPs over the former RBS chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin’s pension scandal.

  • Congestion charging

    26 Mar 2009

    The FSA's position on adviser charging is clear. It wants to see commission banned in its current form by the end of 2012. Dan Waters' speech on January 16 at the Association of British Insurers' conference is particularly illuminating.

  • Corporate bonus

    26 Mar 2009

    As income on bank savings collapses, the prospects of corporate bond yields look increasingly attractive

  • Councils will be searching for answers

    26 Mar 2009

    Your readers will probably be aware that the trans- itional arrangements for Hips come to an end on April 5, after which date, most properties must have a Hip in place before they can be marketed.

  • Crackdown will raise fees

    26 Mar 2009

    The FSA says its new intrusive regulation of banks will lead to a hike in its budget and an increase in fees for high impact firms.

  • Crossley quits Pru to be Saga COO

    26 Mar 2009

    Prudential marketing director for UK and Europe Ali Crossley is leaving the firm to join Saga as chief operating officer.

  • Data reflection for income protection

    31 Mar 2009

    Providers have been promoting their critical illness claims statistics, with Aegon paying 91 per cent, Norwich Union paying 90 per cent and Scottish Provident paying 86.7 per cent of CI claims in 2008.

  • Dave Harris

    26 Mar 2009

    The managing director of Living Time says the company wants to reinvent the retirement market by moving away from the lifetime annuity and offering a much more modern approach.

  • Defaqto puts critical score focus on quality

    26 Mar 2009

    Defaqto is reviewing its critical-illness scoring system to focus on the quality of products offered rather than the number of illnesses they cover.

  • Diverse reaction

    26 Mar 2009

    Emerging markets have always been a favourite sector of mine for long-term investing. When my son was born in 1990, I started an emerging markets savings plan for him - just £20 a month to begin with. Nineteen years later, he has got a nice little nest egg despite several rough periods for those markets.

  • Dividend test

    26 Mar 2009

    The equity income area of the market is drawing investor interest but questions remain over just how much dividends can prop up total returns and whether the payouts from UK companies can be sustained in a worsening economic environment.

  • Don't blame bankers, Sandler tells advisers

    26 Mar 2009

    SimplyBiz chairman Ken Davy has hit out at Northern Rock chairman Ron Sandler for defending banks in a speech at the Chartered Insurance Institute's president's dinner in London last week.

  • 'Don't stifle the recovery'

    26 Mar 2009

    The Association of Independent Financial Advisers is warning that an "overly robust regulator" could stifle an economic recovery.

  • Doom's day

    26 Mar 2009

    Have you heard? They are remaking the movie Temple of Doom but this time Alastair Darling is being cast in the role of Indiana Jones.

  • Elevate gives advisers more control over drawdown

    26 Mar 2009

    The Axa Elevate platform has introduced an online income-drawdown facility which aims to give advisers more control over management of client pensions.

  • Equitable Life decides against sale of business

    27 Mar 2009

    Equitable Life has decided that a sale of the business would not improve prospects for policyholders and will instead continue to run-off the business under existing management.

  • Euro body could set standards but no regulation role

    26 Mar 2009

    The FSA supports the creation of a European regulatory coordinator to set standards of best practice but stops short of championing a pan-European regulator.

  • Everyone's a critic

    26 Mar 2009

    Towards the end of the 1990s, if - and, more often than not, when - a taxi driver asked me what I did for a living, I would answer that I was a financial journalist. "Oh yeah?" the taxi driver would invariably reply. "How's that different from a normal journalist?" And I would explain: "I didn't kill Princess Diana."

  • Fears for bank bond fund bias

    26 Mar 2009

    Alan Steel Asset Management says the sale of corporate bond funds by tied bank advisers could create a misselling scandal.

  • Fears over rescue plans as gilts fail to sell

    26 Mar 2009

    Low demand for the £1.75bn gilts issued by the Treasury in a bid to raise more money has sparked fears that Prime Minister Gordon Brown's rescue plan may fail.

  • Fidelity wants return of Isa tax credit

    26 Mar 2009

    Fidelity has written a letter to the Chancellor calling for an immediate reinstatement of dividend tax credit for equity Isas.

  • Fidelity’s Bolton pens new investment book

    30 Mar 2009

    Fidelity fund guru Anthony Bolton has penned a new book covering his 30-plus years in fund management.

  • Field sets out bill to ban short-selling

    26 Mar 2009

    Labour MP Frank Field is set to launch a private members' bill this week calling for a ban on the short-selling of shares.

  • Financials prop up FTSE

    26 Mar 2009

    The FTSE 100 opened 10 points higher today at 3,910 with financials gaining after a strong performance from US banking stocks on Wall Street.

  • Firms to follow guarantee rise

    26 Mar 2009

    MetLife's decision to increase prices on its income for life and capital guarantees is likely to trigger price hikes by other players, warns Annuity Direct director Stuart Bayliss.

  • First State to launch Latin America fund

    30 Mar 2009

    First State Investments is to launch a Latin America fund, targeting UK and European wholesale and institutional investors.

  • Fitch downgrades the Pru

    26 Mar 2009

    Rating agency Fitch has downgraded Prudential's long-term issuer default rating from AA to AA- and senior unsecured debt rating from AA- to A+ to reflect the firm's exposure to volatile markets.

  • Five quit Ilex to join Liontrust

    26 Mar 2009

    Liontrust Asset Management has recruited five partners on the European fixed-income team from Ilex Asset Management - chief investment officer Simon Thorp, senior portfolio manager James Sclater, co-heads of research Paul Owens and Quentin Peacock and chief operating officer Gareth Roblin.

  • FOS urged to put shame data in context

    26 Mar 2009

    The Money Portal is calling on the Financial Ombudsman Service to publish the overall volume of business a firm writes alongside complaint numbers to put the figures in context.

  • FOS will reveal complaint data

    26 Mar 2009

    The Financial Ombudsman Service is to publish business-specific complaint data every six months for every firm that has at least 30 new and 30 closed cases during the period.

  • Four 11% years needed to make up losses for IFAs

    26 Mar 2009

    It will take IFAs four years with 11 per cent annual growth in business to make up for the losses of 2008, according to Ascentric head of sales Shaun Sandiford.

  • FSA arrests two in insider dealing sting

    31 Mar 2009

    The FSA has arrested two people today, including a senior corporate finance adviser, in connection with an ongoing investigation into suspected organised insider dealing.

  • FSA finds "significant improvement" in firms' KFDs

    31 Mar 2009

    The FSA says it has found a significant improvement in the quality of firms’ Key Features Documents since September 2007 when a review found only 15 per cent were effective.

  • FSA forgets its roots

    27 Mar 2009

    At today’s FSA Turner review conference the eyes of the world looked to the UK’s regulator to set the standard for the future of global financial reform.

  • FSA insider dealing duo case get 8-month prison sentence

    30 Mar 2009

    A solicitor and his father-in-law have both been sentenced to eight months in prison after being found guilty for insider dealing.

  • FSA issues warning over insurer Bridgewater House UK Ltd

    27 Mar 2009

    The Financial Services Authority has issued a warning over insurance company Bridgewater House UK Ltd.

  • FSA proposes extra deposit protection for temporary high balances

    31 Mar 2009

    The FSA is consulting on whether the Financial Services Compensation Scheme should provide extra protection for holders of temporary high deposit balances in the event of the failure of a UK bank.

  • FSA stress test on Barclays boosts FTSE

    27 Mar 2009

    The FTSE 100 gave a level start today opening on a par with Thursday’s close of 3,925 but shares boosted in early trades with hope that the FSA’s healthcheck on Barclays could keep it free from government intervention.

  • FSA to delay liquidity paper, says BDO

    31 Mar 2009

    The FSA may delay its ruling on its Strengthening Liquidity Standards consultation paper until Q4 this year, according to BDO Stoy Hayward.

  • FSA warns on illiquid assets in response to cru

    26 Mar 2009

    The FSA has warned fund managers must consider the liquidity of underlying investments and the consumer detriment of fund suspensions, in response to the recent CF Arch Cru fund suspensions.

  • FSA will analyse RDR costs in June

    26 Mar 2009

    The FSA has confirmed it will include a cost-benefit analysis and an impact analysis in its June RDR consultation paper, easing concerns from advisers it would be delayed further.

  • FTSE buoyed by M&S

    31 Mar 2009

    The FTSE 100 opened 20 points higher today at 3,763 as equities rebounded from yesterday’s sell off.

  • Funts, ninjas and brickor mortis

    25 Mar 2009

    You might know the ins and outs of structured products, how securitisation contributed to the downfall of the banks and who authorised Sir Fred Goodwin’s pension, but do you know what brickor mortis is?

  • Furore as wrap chief says there are only 5,000 credible IFAs

    26 Mar 2009

    Advisers have reacted angrily to Nucleus boss David Ferguson's claim that only 5,000 of the 30,000 IFAs working in the sector can be deemed "credible".

  • Future prospects

    26 Mar 2009

    It is the year is 2015 and the UK economy is slowly recovering from "the great banking and misregulation crises".

  • GAM strengthens managed portfolios team

    31 Mar 2009

    Investment manager GAM has appointed Rupert Cecil as client director in its managed portfolios team in London.

  • Gilt yields bounce between failed auction and successful buy-up

    25 Mar 2009

    The Bank of England suffered its first failed gilt auction for seven years but yields quickly fell after another successful round of quantitative easing.

  • Glittering prizes for Axa

    26 Mar 2009

    Axa scooped seven of the 13 awards at the Lifesearch Protection Awards.

  • Global Trader Europe investors to get up to 95% compensation

    26 Mar 2009

    Segregated fund clients of collapsed investment broker Global Trader Europe Limited will receive up to 95 per cent of their positions as at 15 February 2008 when the company went into liquidation.

  • Goodwin vandals warn of more banker attacks

    25 Mar 2009

    The group claiming to have attacked the home of former RBS chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin has contacted local press in Scotland to warn of more attacks.

  • Green gauge

    26 Mar 2009

    Are we seeing a hint of green? I am not referring to St Patrick's Day, albeit the excuse to have another Guinness is always good news. It is, of course, "shoots" that I am referring to but I still can't bring myself to say the phrase in full as there is a danger that I will be shot down by the press and even colleagues in the industry.

  • Guaranteed debate

    26 Mar 2009

    This week, Money Marketing reveals Aegon is to cut guarantees on its Income for Life products for new business. This follows price hikes and equity exposure cuts by MetLife and equity exposure cuts from The Hartford.

  • Hay asks Revenue to rethink Sipp policy

    26 Mar 2009

    James Hay is calling on HM Revenue & Customs to review its tax charge on remortgages for commercial property held in Sipps to allow investors to take advantage of lower mortgage rates.

  • Henderson move for New Star's Gledhill

    26 Mar 2009

    New Star's head of fixed income James Gledhill will be joining Henderson following the completion of the merger. Gledhill currently manages the New Star fixed income, high- yield bond and extra-high- yield bond funds. He will report to Henderson bond manager John Pattullo.

  • High Court to rule on FSA's "Lautro 19" appeal in May

    31 Mar 2009

    The High Court will take over a month to decide whether the FSA’s appeal to avoid naming the Lautro 19 has been successful.

  • HMRC announces tax changes

    30 Mar 2009

    HM Revenue & Customs has rolled out a series of tax changes in a bid to streamline how businesses and consumers work with the governing body.

  • HMRC to come into self employed homes

    26 Mar 2009

    HM Revenue & Customs has revealed that from next month it will be allowed to visit and investigate any self-employed person’s home which is deemed a work space.

  • Home budget

    26 Mar 2009

    Our panel assess council cash for mortgage lending and offer suggestions to the Chancellor for his Budget

  • HSBC may cut 1,200 jobs

    25 Mar 2009

    HSBC has said 1,200 of its staff could face redundancy.

  • HSBC records 62% fall in pre-tax profits

    31 Mar 2009

    HSBC has recorded a 62 per cent drop in group pre-tax profits for 2008, blaming global financial imbalances and cheap credit for the slump.

  • HSBC teams up with John Charcol for whole of market mortgage pilot

    31 Mar 2009

    HSBC is teaming up with John Charcol to trial a whole of market mortgage intermediary service.

  • I predict an unworkable scheme

    26 Mar 2009

    Just how much worse can the FSA's endless stream of new initiatives be allowed to get?

  • IFAs back mortgage regulation

    26 Mar 2009

    A Money Marketing poll reveals 58 per cent of IFAs believe the FSA should move to product regulation in the mortgage market while 42 per cent voted against greater regulation.

  • IMA urges Govt to raise Isa allowance to £9600

    26 Mar 2009

    The Investment Management Association is calling on the Government to raise the Isa allowance to £9600 and consider introducing more incentives for saving.

  • Indiana Darling and Temple of Boom

    26 Mar 2009

    Chancellor Alistair Darling was told by MPs last week that he must he become more "Indiana Jones" in leading the country out of the financial crisis.

  • Insight launches UK equity income fund

    30 Mar 2009

    Insight Investment has launched a new equity income fund designed to provide an enhanced level of income and potential for capital growth.

  • Insurers drag FTSE lower

    25 Mar 2009

    The FTSE 100 opened lower at 3,896 after its previous close of 3,911, with insurers down after Legal & General halved its dividend and posted a pre-tax loss of £1.5bn for 2008.

  • Investment advisers' FSCS levies top £96m

    31 Mar 2009

    Investment advisers are facing a total Financial Services Compensation Scheme levy of up to £96m, following the collapse of stockbrokers Pacific Continental Securities and Square Mile Securities.

  • IOM signs tax cooperation agreement with France

    26 Mar 2009

    The Isle of Man has signed a tax information exchange agreement with France, the 12th signing with an OECD member country.

  • ITL mortgages launch 20-year fix with MI

    26 Mar 2009

    In The Loop mortgages has launched a 20-year fixed rate mortgage with Mortgage Intelligence.

  • JPM launches five offshore bond funds

    26 Mar 2009

    J.P.Morgan Asset Management has launched five Luxembourg-domiciled bond funds.

  • Just Retirement acquisition talks continue

    27 Mar 2009

    Just Retirement has confirmed talks are ongoing about a possible offer for the group.

  • Key Retirement Solutions creates white-labelled websites

    31 Mar 2009

    Key Retirement Solutions has unveiled its plans to launch an equity release referral proposition for advisers and referral partners.

  • Keydata extends extra income plan

    30 Mar 2009

    Keydata Investment Services has launched a new issue of its extra income plan.

  • L&G appoints JP Morgan Chase director to board

    30 Mar 2009

    Legal & General Investment Management has appointed Kevin Carter as a non-executive director.

  • L&G posts loss and cuts dividend

    25 Mar 2009

    Legal & General has posted losses of £1.1bn on ordinary activities after tax on an IFRS basis and cut its dividend in order to strengthen its capital and cash position.

  • Later life advice and long term care could be the future

    26 Mar 2009

    Without wishing to sound alarmist, are we about to see the biggest ever change to the equity release market since it was established? And will advisers be ready for it?

  • Liontrust looks to regain its roar

    30 Mar 2009

    Liontrust has made another rumble in the jungle recently with the announcement of the management quartet replacing star fund managers Jeremy Lang and William Pattisson.

  • London & Colonial sidesteps personal portfolio bond rules

    27 Mar 2009

    London & Colonial’s offshore open bond is a self-invested bond aimed at high-net-worth clients and trustees who can meet the £100,000 minimum investment.

  • LV= profits jump 128 per cent to £62.8m

    27 Mar 2009

    LV= operating profit was up 128 per cent from £27.5m to £62.8m in 2008.

  • Maguire set to return to UK as questions over cru ties to Africa continue

    27 Mar 2009

    cru Investment Management founder and non-executive chairman Jon Maguire is set to return to the UK today.

  • Maguire writes to FSA over cru fund restructure - claims Capita block

    31 Mar 2009

    Cru founder Jon Maquire has written to the FSA over the possibility of restructuring the firm's £400m Oeic range after claiming that Capita has rejected proposals to have a three-month redemption facility introduced.

  • Mansion mystery in Network Data HQ sale

    26 Mar 2009

    Network Data has refused to confirm if the sale of its Bot- leys Mansion headquarters in Surrey went through last week.

  • Marketing forum joins Ami

    26 Mar 2009

    The Marketing Innovation Forum has joined the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries as an affiliate member.

  • Martin Currie to launch global energy fund

    27 Mar 2009

    Martin Currie is to launch a global energy fund on March 31.

  • Meteor Asset Management - Prima Growth Plan 14

    27 Mar 2009

    Meteor Asset ManagementPrima Growth Plan 14

  • Mind the cap

    26 Mar 2009

    Lee Jones says the Turner review raises the possibility of a wide range of mortgage restrictions which have brought serious concerns among brokers

  • Moody's downgrades L&G

    30 Mar 2009

    Credit ratings agency Moody's has downgraded Legal & General Assurance Society's insurance financial strength rating from Aa1 to Aa2 and L&G Insurance Limited's IFSR rating from Aa3 to A1.

  • Moody's downgrades Northern Rock's financial strength rating

    31 Mar 2009

    Moody's Investor Service has downgraded Northern Rock's bank financial strength to E from E+.

  • Mortgage broker banned for fraud

    30 Mar 2009

    The FSA has banned a Walthamstow-based mortgage adviser for blatently risky fraudulent mortgage applications.

  • Mortgage pitfalls

    26 Mar 2009

    Restrictions on mortgage products could be the nail in the coffin for struggling brokers.

  • Mortgages For Business launches buy-to-let broker network

    26 Mar 2009

    Buy-to-let broker Mortgages for Business has launched a buy-to-let broker network to allow unregulated buy-to-let brokers deal with all buy-to-let lenders.

  • MPs call for full national audit of FSA

    31 Mar 2009

    MPs are calling for the Treasury to request an audit of the Financial Services Authority by the National Audit Office for only the second time in nine years.

  • MPs hit out at 'shabby injustice' on Equitable

    26 Mar 2009

    MPs have blasted the Government's response to Parliamentary Ombudsman Ann Abraham's Equitable Life report as "shabby, constitutionally dubious and procedurally improper".

  • My claim change

    26 Mar 2009

    Jeremy Noble, a mortgage packager and master agent for claim management company Credit Issues, explains how, with mortgages lending at record low levels, many mortgage brokers are looking at other areas to supplement their income. He recounts his experience of finding a new source of work as mortgage lending dried up

  • Nationwide to rescue Dunfermline

    30 Mar 2009

    Nationwide has stepped in to rescue troubled Scottish building society Dunfermline after the Government refused to bail out the mutual.

  • NDFA - Regular Fixed Income Plan March 09

    27 Mar 2009

    NDFARegular Fixed Income Plan March 09

  • NDFA provides regular fixed income

    27 Mar 2009

    NDFA has brought out a FTSE 100-linked structured product that provides monthly income over a five-year term.

  • NDFA provides regular fixed income

    27 Mar 2009

    NDFA has brought out a FTSE 100-linked structured product that provides monthly income over a five-year term.

  • Network Data fails to find buyer for broker business or HQ

    26 Mar 2009

    Network Data Holdings has revealed that it failed to find a buyer for the broker business or its mansion headquarters after two months of negotiation.

  • New Star's Richard Pease to join Henderson

    30 Mar 2009

    New Star European fund manager Richard Pease is to join Henderson along with the rest of the firm's European team.

  • Novia launches white-labeling facility

    31 Mar 2009

    Novia is launching its platform white-labeling facility to the marketplace at the end of April.

  • NU scheme aims to help graduates become advisers

    26 Mar 2009

    Norwich Union has set up a new adviser training programme in a bid to encourage more graduates to take up a career in financial advice.

  • Nucleus appoints new client relations director

    25 Mar 2009

    Nucleus has appointed Joanne Rutherford as its new client relations director.

  • Odey rallies round the banks

    26 Mar 2009

    Odey Asset Management founder Crispin Odey believes the upturn in markets in the past couple of weeks could be more than a rally, with banks at the forefront of the turn-round.

  • On thin Isa

    26 Mar 2009

    The Isa will be 10 years old in just under a fortnight but I am not so sure there will be much to celebrate. Sales have fallen sharply in recent years, relegating the Isa season to nothing more than a sideshow.

  • OPM tells advisers not to give up on equities

    26 Mar 2009

    OPM Fund Management says its equity funds are thriving in the current market conditions but IFAs are more interested in its fixed-interest offering because they fear equities.

  • Paternoster takes cautious view of new business

    26 Mar 2009

    Paternoster chief executive Mark Wood has denied suggestions that capital constraints are forcing the firm to shy away from new business.

  • Pension cap tax to hit 59%

    26 Mar 2009

    The punitive pension lifetime allowance charge looks set to increase to almost 59 per cent for some savers, says Standard Life.

  • PFS appoints first lay director to board

    31 Mar 2009

    The Personal Finance Society has appointed Citizens Advice director of public policy Teresa Perchard to the PFS board as a lay director.

  • Planning v advice

    26 Mar 2009

    The important thing in the debate on terminology is that the client understands what he is getting

  • Platforum lines up conference

    26 Mar 2009

    The Platforum has unveiled the line-up for its wrap and platform conference in London in May.

  • PriceWatch widens scope to rate pension wrappers

    26 Mar 2009

    Skandia is extending the coverage of its platform comparison tool PriceWatch to include pension wrappers.

  • Private lessons

    26 Mar 2009

    When we look back in 2017, how will we decide if pen-sion reform was successful or not? Some may think it is only successful if 100 per cent of employers comply with their new pension respon- sibilities, others will be satisfied if 75 per cent comply. Some may deem it a success if it creates seven million new savers, others would disagree if that meant a further five million save less than they did before because employers level down their contributions to existing schemes.

  • Private matters

    26 Mar 2009

    Smith & Williamson started life almost 120 years ago in Glasgow and has long combined accountancy and investment/banking arms in a single entity.

  • Provocation plea

    26 Mar 2009

    Advisers should consider moving away from solution selling to dealing with areas of anxiety

  • Pru profit boosted as Thiam takes on top role

    26 Mar 2009

    Prudential chief executive Mark Tucker is to step down in September after last week revealing a profit increase of 17 per cent in the firm's preliminary results for 2008.

  • Quarter of top 100 alpha managers are at boutiques

    26 Mar 2009

    Almost a quarter of Trustnet's top 100 alpha managers are operating in a boutique environment.

  • Rally forth

    26 Mar 2009

    Darron Preston, investment manager at Aventus Captial Management, believes equities could have reached a turning point and investors should be looking at getting back into the market

  • RAM Capital/Edge Investment - Edge Live Protected EIS No 3 Fund

    27 Mar 2009

    RAM Capital/Edge InvestmentEdge Live Protected EIS No 3 Fund

  • RBS chairman denies 'elaborate ruse' over Sir Goodwin's pension

    31 Mar 2009

    Former RBS chairman Sir Tom McKillop has denied Government claims that there was an 'elaborate ruse' between him and RBS senior independent director Bob Scott to pay former CEO Sir Fred Goodwin more than he was contractually entitled to.

  • RDR does not improve access to advice, says Aegon

    31 Mar 2009

    Aegon UK chief executive Otto Thoresen will criticise the FSA for failing to do more under the retail distribution review to widen access to financial advice at a Resolution Foundation conference today.

  • Redwood fears easing will lead to gilt bubble

    26 Mar 2009

    Conservative MP and former Treasury Minister John Redwood has warned that the Bank of England's quantitative easing programme could result in a bubble in the gilt market.

  • Register for rating firms to cut conflicts

    26 Mar 2009

    The FSA is planning to supervise credit rating agencies to deal with conflicts of interest.

  • Reliance Mutual appoints Nigel Sherry as non-exec

    30 Mar 2009

    Reliance Mutual has appointed Sherry Associates founder Nigel Sherry as a non-executive director.

  • Remuneration code set to cover retail investment

    26 Mar 2009

    The FSA is considering extending its code of remuneration practices to retail investment advisers despite admitting that adviser remuneration did not play a significant role in the credit crisis.

  • Republic of Ireland rating lowered to AA+

    31 Mar 2009

    Global ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has cut the Irish Republic’s sovereign credit rating from AAA, the highest, to AA+.

  • REVIEW IN BRIEF

    26 Mar 2009

    Fundamental changes to bank capital, liquidity regulations and bank published accounts, with a more intensive approach to regulation.Quality and quantity of overall capital in the global banking system should be increased, with minimum requirements set significantly above existing Basel rules.Capital required against trading book activities should be increased by at least three times the current levels, with several times as much capital required to ...

  • Royal London posts £762m loss

    30 Mar 2009

    Royal London has reported EEV losses after tax of £762m for 2008, compared to a profit of £173m in 2007, citing stockmarket turmoil.

  • S&P's downgrades Aegon and Aviva

    31 Mar 2009

    Standard & Poor's has downgraded Aegon and Aviva, citing concerns over exposure to financial markets.

  • Schroders predicts long and deep recession

    25 Mar 2009

    Schroders has warned that the recession has only just begun and may be worse than the deep recession of the early 1980s.

  • Scottish Life launches online pension scheme reporting tool

    25 Mar 2009

    Scottish Life has launched an online tool, “The Red, Amber, Green status report”, which allows advisers to evaluate how their defined contribution schemes are performing against Scottish Life service standards.

  • 'Sections of the RDR will be scrapped'

    26 Mar 2009

    Lifesearch managing director Tom Baigrie believes the FSA's retail distribution review will not be implemented in full.

  • Sesame appoints John Cowan as non-exec director

    25 Mar 2009

    Sesame has appointed former Prudential group sales director John Cowan as an independent non-executive director.

  • Set your sites high

    26 Mar 2009

    Even though the internet has now become fully embedded in our everyday lives, it is easy to underestimate what a dramatic effect it has had on the behaviour of businesses and consumers.

  • SFO to investigate fraud allegations at Allied Irish Bank

    26 Mar 2009

    The Serious Fraud Office has revealed that it has begun investigating an alleged fraud on the corporate banking department of Allied Irish Bank.

  • Skandia drops Rathbone’s Stick from UK best ideas

    30 Mar 2009

    Skandia Investment Group has dropped Rathbone’s Carl Stick from its UK best ideas fund, saying his primary investment style no longer suits the overall makeup of the fund.

  • Skandia launches multi-manager global equity fund

    30 Mar 2009

    Skandia Investment Group is launching a new multi-manager global equity fund.

  • Skerritt Consultants acquires Huntington Investments Ltd

    25 Mar 2009

    Skerritt Consultants has acquired London-based IFA firm Huntington Investments.

  • Skills Council expands career info service to financial advice

    26 Mar 2009

    The Financial Services Skills Council has expanded its online information service for careers in financial services and accountancy to include retail banking, financial advice, and credit leasing and finance.

  • Small wrap firms are facing buyout

    26 Mar 2009

    Threesixty partner Phil Young says smaller wrap providers could be taken over this year due to the economic crisis.

  • Solicitor and his father-in-law found guilty in FSA insider dealing case

    27 Mar 2009

    Solicitor Christopher McQuoid and his father-in-law, James William Melbourne have been found guilty of insider dealing in a prosecution brought by the FSA.

  • Sour note from Sandler

    26 Mar 2009

    Northern Rock boss Ron Sandler's speech at the CII president's dinner last week angered many advisers in the audience.

  • Source Financial joins 2plan

    26 Mar 2009

    Source Financial, a directly authorised firm with 43 advisers, has joined national IFA 2plan Wealth Management.

  • SSAS the survivor

    26 Mar 2009

    David Seaton, joint managing director of Rowanmoor Pensions, says small self-administered schemes were considered to be doomed under pension simplification but they have continued to thrive and still offer considerable benefits

  • Standard Life begins hunt for Crombie's successor

    25 Mar 2009

    Standard Life has announced the process of identifying a successor for group chief executive Sir Sandy Crombie will begin this year.

  • Standards body needed to stop exam arbitrage

    26 Mar 2009

    Until the FSA develops an independent professional standards board, there is a danger of "qualification arbitrage" emerging, according to the Chartered Insurance Institute.

  • Steer taking over Artemis UK growth

    26 Mar 2009

    Tim Steer is to take on the management of the Artemis £293m UK growth fund.

  • Stoakley needs answers before absolute move

    26 Mar 2009

    Schroders head of UK retail Robin Stoakley says he would not rule out offering an absolute return fund but feels the sector still has questions to answer.

  • Survey shows hourly rates encourage time-wasting

    26 Mar 2009

    Adviser charging structures that operate on an hourly fee basis reward inefficiency, according to a new survey.

  • SWIP multi-manager ups equity weighting in diversity fund

    27 Mar 2009

    Scottish Widows Investment Partnership multi-manager team has increased the strategic equity weighting of its diversity fund to 34 per cent to take advantage of the economic change anticipated throughout 2009.

  • T. Rowe Price adds global large cap equity strategy to Sicav range

    30 Mar 2009

    T. Rowe Price, the global investment manager has added a global large cap equity strategy to its Luxembourg-domiciled Sicav range.

  • Tesco set to open 30 bank branches in-store

    30 Mar 2009

    Supermarket giant Tesco is to open bank branches in 30 of its stores, marking its move into mainstream banking.

  • The income factor

    26 Mar 2009

    Gregor Watt reports that commercial property may be down but it is definitely not out as the sector is still offering healthy yields

  • The kiss of life

    26 Mar 2009

    The UK life insurance results season generally comes with ups and downs, but this year fears over capital provisions have been causing frenzy on the stockmarkets.

  • The right fit

    26 Mar 2009

    We started using the Standard Life platform in January 2007. I previously worked for another firm where we tried out several different platforms over a period of years and had a particularly bad admin experience with one. This platform told us that it had straight-through processing but in reality it was still people keying in all the information.

  • Tiers for fears

    26 Mar 2009

    Hannah Stodell analyses the prospects for a rebound in banks and financials, with some commentators saying the various levels of debtholdings could offer outstanding opportunities

  • Tiner up for election to Suisse board

    26 Mar 2009

    Former FSA chief executive John Tiner has been put forward for election to join Credit Suisse's board of directors.

  • Treasury did not think bank crash was priority

    26 Mar 2009

    The Treasury knew it was ill-prepared for a bank's collapse as early as 2004 but failed to remedy this before the run on Northern Rock, a report has revealed.

  • Treasury minister accused of "extraordinary attack" over Eq life inquiry

    27 Mar 2009

    Economic Secretary to the Treasury Ian Pearson was yesterday accused of launching an "extraordinary attack" on the Public Administration Committee over the Equitable Life debacle.

  • Turner review conference: Darling warns regulator against stifling innovation

    27 Mar 2009

    Chancellor Alistair Darling has warned the FSA that an over-regulation of the financial services industry could lead to the stifling of product innovation.

  • Twin win

    26 Mar 2009

    A dual approach to tax-efficient investment and withdrawls can pay off in the search for income

  • Unfair punishment

    26 Mar 2009

    One of the things you notice if you move to a small village, as I have done in the past few weeks, is how much of its social life centres on booze.

  • Vandals target Fred Goodwin's home

    25 Mar 2009

    The home of former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin has been attacked by vandals.

  • Variable annuity business doubles in a year to £1bn

    26 Mar 2009

    Sales of variable annuities have doubled in the past year to over £1bn, according to research from Watson Wyatt.

  • Wait for decision on buy to let

    26 Mar 2009

    Brokers question the feasibility of extending the FSA's remit to the buy-to-let sector.

  • What would your father say?

    26 Mar 2009

    So at last the world has a group who are to be more despised than politicians. Sleaze was the word that was used to describe the sort of behaviour that involved politicians using their position to enjoy an upmarket lifestyle or to line their own pockets with what we now see as been relatively small amounts of cash.

  • What's the story?

    26 Mar 2009

    Treating customers fairly is top of firms' radars and we can all just about quote the six consumer outcomes but it appears that principle-led regulation will be no more.

  • Will QE become QED?

    26 Mar 2009

    There is considerable uncertainty about what quantitative easing means, how it will be implemented and what will be the effect.

  • Windows of opportunity

    26 Mar 2009

    James Smith reports that after a stark fall in the commercial property sector which shook investors, some commentators believe the market may now finally be bottoming out and starting to offer value

  • Wizard conjures up exam deal

    26 Mar 2009

    Wizard Learning has developed a practice exam package covering the advanced diploma subject AF5 financial planning process.

  • Zurich appoints five pension consultants

    25 Mar 2009

    Zurich has appointed five new specialist pension consultants to raise the awareness of the Zurich pension proposition in the intermediary market.

  • Zurich Intl Life will pull back from EU

    26 Mar 2009

    Zurich International Life is cutting its distribution in the European Union.

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