Money Marketing
25 March 2010
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£200M fund to help fast-growing firms
25 March 2010
A £200m fund is being set up to help finance fast-growing companies. The Government expects to raise another £300m.
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£3M Lighthouse provision for complaints
25 March 2010
Lighthouse Group has made provision of £3.18m for client complaints for 2009, up from just £133,000 in 2008.
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18% rise is cost of FSA 'deterrent'
25 March 2010
FSA business plan 2010/11
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32% use the internet for retirement advice while just 8% turn to an IFA
25 March 2010
Calvert: ‘The internet is not a threat to IFAs unless they ignore it. It is actually a superb opportunity’
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90% Of banks and societies fail Which? mystery-shop test
25 March 2010
Almost 90 per cent of banks and building societies gave inappropriate advice on how to invest a lump sum to mystery shoppers from Which?
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A foot in both camps
30 Mar 2010
Phil Jeynes says protection advisers can be split into two camps.
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ABI steps back from battle over projection figures
25 Mar 2010
The Association of British Insurers has drawn up draft guidelines for members on projection rates after accepting the FSA will not budge on the issue.
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Adjudicator to rule on credit refusals
25 March 2010
The Goverment will set up an adjudicator to review complaints from SMEs that have been denied credit. It will have the power to enforce judgements where it feels credit has been wrongly denied.
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Advantage to Cross
29 Mar 2010
10 MINUTES WITH… ANTHONY CROSS James Smith
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Advisers and providers split over Nest charges
25 Mar 2010
Helen Pow gets industry reaction to 2% charge on contributions
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Advisers ask why FSCS rejects non-Isa claims
25 March 2010
Keydata clients turned down for compensation
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Analysts sceptical at growth forecasts
25 March 2010
Analysts were unconvinced by Chancellor Alistair Darling’s predictions of bullish growth after 2010.
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Appeal court rules adviser is not liable after six-year limit
26 Mar 2010
The Court of Appeal has overturned a county court decision which ruled an adviser should pay complaint costs to Lighthouse Group, on the basis of a six-year limitation clause.
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Ascentric helps wrap the pots simply
29 Mar 2010
“For me, it is a no-brainer. I often say to my clients that I’m a ’pot wrapper’,” says Fleming Macdonald’s Wendy Fleming
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Bank on renewables
25 March 2010
An investment bank is planned that will control £2bn worth of equity for investing in green transport and sustainable energy.
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Blast from the past
29 Mar 2010
MARR’S MARKETS Julian Marr
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BUDGET 2010: Govt to consult on lump sums and couples' pooling pensions
24 Mar 2010
The Government will consult on whether small personal pension pots can be taken as a cash lump sum in addition to trivial commutation rules.
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BUDGET 2010: Tax avoidance move puts burden on IFAs
26 Mar 2010
Experts have warned that the Government’s tougher disclosure obligations on tax avoidance schemes will put increased requirements on IFAs and will be difficult to police.
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Call a halt to change
26 Mar 2010
Yet another committee would just be regulation for its own sake
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Can the FSA keep pledge to crack down on banks?
26 Mar 2010
Bank Advice
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Capital gains
25 March 2010
Capital Asset Management chief executive Alan Smith says he wanted a different approach to advice and transformed his business so clients can now engage with and understand the process. Report by Cherry Reynard
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CFA Society to develop QCF level four qualification
26 Mar 2010
The CFA Society of the UK is developing a QCF level four qualification by combining an updated version of its Investment Management Certificate and the first level of the CFA programme.
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CGT stays at 18%
25 March 2010
The 18 per cent main rate of capital gains tax will not rise this year.
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Complex common sense
26 Mar 2010
Lee Jones and Luke Moore report on the emergence of complex prime lending which aims to help people who are being turned away by the big banks but without suffering the problems of the sub-prime sector
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Conveyance conundrum
26 Mar 2010
Paul Thomasreports on why the CML’s plea for tough solicitor regulation has been rejected by the SRA
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Cut in business rates welcomed
25 Mar 2010
Chancellor Alistair Darling’s decision to cut business rates and double the annual investment allowance for small firms has been welcomed by industry experts.
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Darling fails to fix flaws in housing
26 Mar 2010
Mortgage experts have attacked the Government’s housing market proposals set out in the Budget, saying they show a lack of understanding of the market.
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Darling squeezes the rich on way to the polls
26 Mar 2010
Chancellor Alistair Darling delivered a boring, politically loaded Budget that makes it difficult to write big headlines but was firmly intended to ease Labour’s difficult path to the general election.
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Davidson joins FSA board as IFA representative
25 March 2010
Baigrie Davies director Amanda Davidson has been appointed to the FSA board as a non-executive director. She will be resigning from her role as deputy chair of Aifa to prevent potential conflicts of interest.
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Dear Rob & Roderic...
25 March 2010
Our resident agony uncles and The Ideas Lab directors Rob Reid and Roderic Rennison answer adviser queries
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Deficit cut too slow, say Tories
26 Mar 2010
Conservative leader David Cameron slammed Labour’s plans to halve the UK’s £167bn deficit by 2014, saying faster action is needed.
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Election could delay FSSC bid
25 Mar 2010
Financial Services Skills Council interim chief executive Liz Field is concerned that a decision on the council’s bid for relicensing may be delayed until after the general election.
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European rise looms for FSCS
25 March 2010
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme limit will “almost certainly” increase to €100,000 (£89,500), according to City minister Lord Myners.
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Faster bank licences
25 March 2010
The licensing process for new banks will be speeded up in a bid to improve competition.
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Four-year freeze poses IHT threat
25 Mar 2010
The last Budget of this Parliament has frozen the inheritance tax nil-rate band for the next four years which will mean that more estates will suffer an inheritance tax charge on death.
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Four-year freeze poses IHT threat
26 Mar 2010
The last Budget of this Parliament has frozen the inheritance tax nil-rate band for the next four years which will mean that more estates will suffer an inheritance tax charge on death.
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Freeman picked as Intrinsic CEO
25 March 2010
Intrinsic Financial Services has appointed Richard Freeman as chief executive officer. He has been at the company since it was set up in 2006.
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FSA takes latest insider dealing arrest to criminal court
30 Mar 2010
The FSA has commenced criminal proceedings against Helmy Omar Sa’aid for insider dealing.
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FSA takes part in joint swoop on insider dealing
25 March 2010
Six men have been arrested in a joint FSA and Serious Organised Crime Agency investigation into insider dealing.
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Fundamental changes
25 March 2010
FundQuest’s Paul Kim says investors need to lock in profits while they still can
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Gang were thwarted in £1.2m fraud
25 March 2010
The final member of a gang of mortgage fraudsters, who was on the verge of obtaining an illegal seven-figure loan, was sentenced last week to threeand-a-half years in jail.
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Goal keepers
25 March 2010
Your business vision has become clearer, now you need to enter the key stage of setting goals. Write down what you want to achieve and you can react positively to issues such as RDR, pension reform and adviser charging
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Govt expects 2% Nest charge to last 20 years
25 Mar 2010
Pensions minister Angela Eagle tells Parliament she expects 2% charge to last around 20 years.
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Growing anger at move to go ahead with relief cuts
25 Mar 2010
Pension experts are outraged that Chancellor Alistair Darling is ploughing ahead with restrictions to higher-rate tax relief on pensions, having ignored near unanimous calls to reduce the annual allow-ance instead.
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Hat-trick for Axa in protection awards
25 March 2010
Axa picked up the highest number of accolades at this year’s Lifesearch protection awards for the third year running.
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Henderson to change name and policy of New Star technology fund
26 Mar 2010
Henderson Global Investors is seeking unitholder approval to change the investment policy and name of the New Star technology fund to the Hendersonglobal innovation fund.
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Ian Furniss to succeed Suffolk Life CEO Catchpole
29 Mar 2010
Suffolk Life appoints group finance director Furniss to succeed outgoing chief executive Henry Catchpole.
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Ian Taylor
29 Mar 2010
Wraps in the UK are coming up to their 10th birthday this month and Transact’s managing director is proud of helping to blaze the trail. He believes the company is well placed for the next 10 years as it is already positioned for the RDR and concentrates on its core business of service for IFAs Interview by Tracey Scott
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IHT threshold in the deep freeze
25 March 2010
The Government is freezing the inheritance tax threshold at £325,000 for four years.
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IMA adding offshore funds
25 March 2010
The Investment Management Association is including a number of offshore funds within its sector classifications from April 1.
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Income in the East
29 Mar 2010
INVESTMENT MATTERS Kira Nickerson
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Isa limit to rise in line with RPI
25 March 2010
The Isa annual allowance will rise in line with the September retail price index for the preceding tax year.
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It’s All About Managing Risk
25 March 2010
Changing fundamental elements of a business carries with it certain risks, but leaving significant change until the last minute, or to a tight timescale, magnifies these risks further. How are you managing yours?
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Justice ministry probes chaser
25 March 2010
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that it is investigating claim management firm Grass Roots Financial, which shares the same offices as suspended claim-chaser Cartel Client Review.
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Lakey threatens legal action over RDR
26 Mar 2010
Adviser Alliance has told the FSA that it will take legal action if the regulator imposes mandatory higher qualifications under the retail distribution review.
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Last wishes
26 Mar 2010
As the Chancellor polished up the details of this week’s Budget, Hannah Stodell asked IFAs for their lastminute hopes
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Leader: Cherry Reynard
25 March 2010
Cherry Reynard Consulting Editor, Adviser Evolution
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Life planning lessons bring benefits
25 March 2010
Case study James Harvey Associates
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Liontrust's assets fall further in first quarter
25 Mar 2010
Liontrust Asset Management has seen a further decline in its assets under management continue in the first quarter of the year, down to £1.16 billion, according to a trading update released today.
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Living wills to be the gauge for risk
26 Mar 2010
Legal Matters
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March of the markets
25 Mar 2010
It is a year since the UK stock - market sank to a dismal low with stunning falls in some share prices but 2009 saw a remarkable turn-round with huge gains. Gregor Watt finds out if we can expect further growth
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Merchant Cap in Keydata discussions
26 Mar 2010
Merchant Capital is in talks with Keydata administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers over the sale of its structured products book and residual third-party administration, Money Marketing understands.
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Myners tells banks to go back to old days
25 March 2010
Myners: ’Our major banks were ownerless corporations’
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NAPF proposes £8,000 'foundation pension'
29 Mar 2010
The NAPF says the simple state pension would lift two million people out of means-tested benefits.
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Nest heads for disaster
25 Mar 2010
Nic Cicutti
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New rules in a new world
25 March 2010
Graham Hooper Marketing director All My Plans
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On good form
29 Mar 2010
A couple of days at racecourses with upbeat investment managers and optimistic investors proves a welcome diversion to the Budget
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OUT OF CONTEXT
25 March 2010
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Parallel lines
26 Mar 2010
“The banks managed to scare most of us when we found that far too many of them did not understand what they were doing, nor did they seem to care for their clients.”
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Pensions Regulator boosts budget following rise in avoidance cases
30 Mar 2010
The Pensions Regulator has boosted its core budget for 2010-11 to £29.5m, up £1.3m from the previous year.
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Phoenix action
26 Mar 2010
“We could now be entering a period of British politics and thereby financial supervision which may come to feel like sucking porridge through a straw.”
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Product rating is the key to risk
25 March 2010
ADVICE
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Property sector focus: Caution is the key
26 Mar 2010
Annie Shaw reports that investors are being attrac ted back to the commercial property sector by imp roved prospects but they are being urged to tread carefully with their choices
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Property sector focus: Yield of themes
26 Mar 2010
Samantha Downes reports that income remains the driving force behinds property investment
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PruProtect announces 300% new business spike
29 Mar 2010
PruProtect new business jumped by 309 per cent to £13.5m in 2009 compared with £3.3m in 2008.
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Quantitative surveying
25 March 2010
This is the second of a series of articles that are designed to aid those looking to deepen or refresh their financial advice knowledge as the industry faces up to level four. This article will look at quantitative easing
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Quinn Insurance in administration
30 Mar 2010
The Ireland-based insurance firm has been placed into provisional administration following an application to the High Court.
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Raise money for the bears
25 March 2010
Money Marketing reporter Nicole Blackmore is running in the Virgin Money London Marathon on April 25 to raise money for Animals Asia.
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RDR: Capital requirements will drive small advisers to networks
26 Mar 2010
An impact assessment published alongside today’s paper says networks will benefit from RDR changes.
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RDR: FSA goes ahead with ban on factoring citing competition issues
26 Mar 2010
The FSA is going ahead with its ban on factoring after the Office of Fair Trading warned standardised rates could breach competition rules.
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Rebak replaces Pothier on HSBC open funds
25 Mar 2010
Jon Rebak is to take over the management of the HSBC open global return and open global distribution funds as Nicholas Pothier returns to his native South Africa.
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Referral points
25 March 2010
The days of buying lists of clients to build up an advisory business are fading but how should a modern advice practice go about generating newclients? Our two advisers agree that referrals are the ideal but differ on how to go about it and the other ways of building up a client base
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Regulator needs to take lead in helping rebuild confidence
26 Mar 2010
Richard Fox
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Resolution says financial discipline and timetables are stalling further deals
24 Mar 2010
Resolution says its “financial discipline” and vendors’ timetables have stalled further acquisition deals.
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Retirement reform
25 Mar 2010
Raise the state pension age to 75 to head off a crisis
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Review for retirement age
25 March 2010
Chancellor Alistair Darling has pledged to review the default retirement age and will either scrap it or offer greater flexibility.
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Reynolds to leave PMS
25 March 2010
PMS director of business development Martin Reynolds is to leave the firm to pursue other opportunities. Managing director John Cupis will take over Reynolds’ responsibilities.
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Richards makes move from Fidelity
25 March 2010
Fidelity International chief investment officer Nicky Richards is leaving the company after four years. FIL president and CEO for Europe Robert Higginbotham will take over direct responsibility for the investment division until a successor is appointed.
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Risk fears at Aim link for Isas
25 March 2010
Advisers are concerned at Bud-get proposals to consult on making Aim shares eligible as a tax-advantaged investment for retail savers through Isas.
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S&S brand to stay after merger
25 March 2010
Stroud & Swindon Building Society has agreed to merge with Coventry Building Society. The group will be known as Coventry Building Society but the S&S brand will remain. No decision has been taken on the broker brands.
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Sales tactics make bank advice a ‘numbers game’
25 March 2010
THE EDITOR’S WEB COMMENT OF THE WEEK
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Sants pledges to get tough over bank incentives
25 March 2010
Which? Future of banking commission - reports by Nicole Blackmore
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School for support
25 March 2010
Advisers can get invaluable help in achieving RDR qualifications by linking up with the Money Marketing Academy website run in conjunction with the CII
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Schroders cautious fund has benefited from consistent approach
25 March 2010
Schroders says a consistent approach and a stable team has helped its multi-manager cautious managed fund outperform the IMA cautious managed sector average in four out of the last five years.
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Service industry
25 March 2010
The Business of Advice book and website looks at how to manage and grow advice businesses. In his third article, author David Shelton discusses choosing the right service framework for your business
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Service wil search for specialists
25 March 2010
Lewis: ‘Need for quality advice’
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Set realistic targets
25 March 2010
In the November/December issue of Adviser Evolution, MGP (Employee Benefits) felt five RDR questions needed answering. Director Kevin Cannon charts their progress
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Slice of life
29 Mar 2010
The continuing complexities over tax means advisers must be well informed to help clients
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Small pension boost
25 March 2010
Small personal pension pots may be allowed to be taken as a lump sum, with couples able to combine small pots to buy a joint-life annuity.
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Some light relief
29 Mar 2010
With interest in VCTs running high, it is worth taking a fresh look at what appeal such holdings offer in the way of tax
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Split decision
29 Mar 2010
Choosing between a discretionary or advisory investment manager does not have to be a case of either or
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Staircase to heaven
29 Mar 2010
Profit is likely to be the driving force for the market over this year
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Stamp break is little help as state banks are set to cut lending
26 Mar 2010
The big question is, why? The headline tax break was the two-year holiday for first-time housebuyers on purchases of up to £250,000 but I do not understand the thinking.
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Standard Life warning on dual charge against Nest
25 Mar 2010
Standard Life believes that providers looking to offer a dual-charge structure to recoup commission costs on corporate pensions may struggle to justify their products against the nat-ional employment savings trust.
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Status symbols
25 March 2010
We live in the real world and are not full-time students so studying for exams means striking a balance between business, family and other commitments. The path to chartered status should not be taken lightly
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Survival of the strategist
25 March 2010
FP Advance explores fee options and outlines their pros and cons. Recommendations around customer agreed remuneration in the RDR will force advisers to face up to the question: ’What do I get for my money?’ as clients see clearly what they pay for access to advice
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Tech is back, 10 years after bubble burst
25 March 2010
Adviser Fund Index
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The clock is ticking
25 March 2010
Help is at hand for advisers as the RDR draws closer although the sizable minority still considering leaving the industry need to formulate an exit strategy now
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The dichotomy of Japan
29 Mar 2010
Despite the country’s problems, Neptune Japan opportunities fund manager Chris Taylor believe there is scope for returns
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The need for collective strength
25 March 2010
Rob Reid Director The Ideas Lab
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The reality of risk
29 Mar 2010
“The right procedure for getting people to understand risk is to forget the algebra and ask them to quantify their needs.”
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The right to expect transparency
25 March 2010
PLATFORMS
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The sum of the parts
26 Mar 2010
Looking back at the pluses and, mainly, minuses of Labour’s Budgets
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Thiam sticks with his day job
25 March 2010
Prudential chief executive Tidjane Thiam has rejected a nonexecutive director role at Société Générale following strong criticism from shareholders that he should be devoting his time to dealing with the insurer’s acquisition of AIG’s Asian arm.
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Time and type wait for no man
25 March 2010
The force of time has thrown my exam schedule out of kilter but with replanning and the aid of London’s transport system, I can get back on track
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Towers leaving Standard Savings
25 March 2010
Former Standard Life Savings chief executive Geoff Towers is leaving the group at the end of March. Towers moved into the role of category director, established affluent in January.
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Transact looks to add GPPs
25 March 2010
Transact is considering launching a group personal pension on its wrap.
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Treasury group to probe bank incentives
25 March 2010
The Treasury-led Retail Financial Services Forum will investigate how staff targets and incentives within banks lead to poor outcomes for consumers.
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Treasury note reveals £10m IFA bill for pension tax relief changes
25 Mar 2010
The Government estimates advisers will spend between 8 and 48 hours becoming familiar with the new rules.
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Triple tax pact
25 March 2010
The Government is ready to sign three new tax information exchange agreements with Dominica, Grenada and Belize.
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Trust rules' review
25 March 2010
The Association of Investment Companies has welcomed the news of a review of tax legislation for investment trust companies with a view to modernising rules.
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Turner wants power to seize 'party punchbowl'
25 March 2010
Turner: Four macro-prudential tools put forward in speech
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Value managers pay off as Witan beats benchmark
25 March 2010
Recent outperformance of the Witan investment trust relative to its benchmark has been attributed to a combination of a multi-managerapproach, the reintroduction of gearing and a commitment to share buybacks.
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Volatile Aim not right for savings
26 Mar 2010
This is a Budget for the tabloids and not for the long term. Just how employers are meant to engage on providing benefits for employees when their own relief is being reduced is beyond me.
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We need solution to Catch-2012 situation
25 Mar 2010
“I would have liked to have seen was a complete retraction of the crazy idea of taxing some people twice if they choose to save for a pension.”
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Website comments
25 March 2010
Website comments on Amanda Davidson’s appointment to the FSA board:
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West End buoys
26 Mar 2010
Gregor Watt reports that London is leading the way with a rental recovery
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Whose default is buy to debt?
26 Mar 2010
Our panel consider the default rates on high-LTV BTL loans, the growth of Santander and the entry of Metro Bank
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Zurich appoints Cecilia Reyes as chief investment officer
29 Mar 2010
Zurich Financial Services has appointed Cecilia Reyes as chief investment officer.




