Money Marketing
31 October 2007

  • £25Bn for the mortgage market to soak up after Northern Rock debacle

    1 Nov 2007

    Premier Mortgage Service managing director John Malone believes that the mortgage market will struggle to soak up £20bn-£25bn worth of lending that Northern Rock would have previously written.

  • 1st Software pilots new solution for group pensions

    1 Nov 2007

    1st Software is piloting a technology solution to allow advisers to generate and schedule valuation requests for group pensions.

  • A Shaw thing

    1 Nov 2007

    Sam Shaw is a reporter on Money MarketingI usually spend my Monday evenings attending body balance for an hour with my lovely colleague Nicola "Duchess" York before heading home to watch the double bill of Corrie (interspersed with an Enders-tastic episode and (sadly) checking in on my Facebook updates) but this week was somewhat different. The formidable Paul McMillan - regulation and politics reporter and online guru that he is - and myself headed off to Bill Safran's ...

  • A word to the wise

    1 Nov 2007

    Competing and cooperating is the way to restore confidence in the market

  • A2O joins Consortium to take membership over the 600 mark

    1 Nov 2007

    IFA network Alpha to Omega has joined the IFA Consortium, bringing its total adviser numbers to over 600.

  • Abbey denies it has withdrawn its high fee loan

    5 Nov 2007

    Abbey has denied it has withdrawn its high fee loan after a statement was released by Moneyfacts.co.uk today which claimed it has been withdrawn from sale after only five days.

  • Advisers look for direct cash as fears grow over packagers

    1 Nov 2007

    Some intermediary groups are seeking payment from lenders directly on packaged cases amid fears over the stability of packagers, according to PMS managing dir- ector John Malone.

  • After 24 hours... WHAT?

    1 Nov 2007

    After 24 hours of arduous climbing over 24 of the Lake District's most testing mountains, the Invesco Perpetual team has returned from the 24 Peaks Challenge unscathed. Weeks of gruelling training and sheer determination saw Sales Director Craig Newman and his colleagues conquer the 2,400ft mountains and in total the 24 Peaks Challenge raised over £108,000 for The Mitchemp Trust which works closely with young, disadvantaged children.

  • AIC and ECJ win VAT battle

    2 Nov 2007

    The Association of Investment Companies is urging the HM Revenue & Customs to pay back some £300m of VAT paid in the past after the Government gave up it battle on invesmtent trusts being exempt from VAT on management expenses.

  • Aifa publishes response to FSA's Platforms DP

    2 Nov 2007

    The Association of Independent Financial Advisers has published its response to the FSA's Discussion Paper "Platforms: the role of wraps and fund supermarkets".

  • Alastair Conway joins Cofunds

    2 Nov 2007

    Alastair Conway is joining Cofunds as marketing and proposition director, replacing Anthony Wolfe who will leave at the end of the year.

  • All the right moves

    1 Nov 2007

    In my last few articles, I have been identifying and discussing legitimate reasons why a member of a money-purchase pension scheme might benefit from a transfer to a different money-purchase scheme despite the likelihood of some sort of transfer penalty such as a transfer value below the fund value or initial charges under the new contract.

  • Alliance & Leicester - Five Year Fixed Rate 5.99%

    2 Nov 2007

    Alliance & LeicesterFive Year Fixed Rate 5.99%

  • An old film with new cast

    1 Nov 2007

    Moneyfacts recently reported that the number of mortgage products available on the market had dropped by 40 per cent in the last three months. Are we surprised, amazed or just resigned that the end is nigh?

  • Ascentric 'remains independent' after deal

    1 Nov 2007

    Royal London has bought wrap platform Ascentric in a deal that will see a £6m cash injection into the platform for development and growth.

  • Asset allocation king in battle for superior defaults

    1 Nov 2007

    The average default fund returned an average of 11 per cent a year over the last five years, but the difference between the best and worst was 13 per cent a year, according to a major survey by PensionDCisions.

  • Axa changes auto GPR limits on protection plans

    6 Nov 2007

    Axa has abolished automatic general practitioner reporting limits for consumers under 45 applying for life or critical illness products from this week.

  • Axa names its wrap platform Elevate and reveals pricing structure

    5 Nov 2007

    Axa's wrap is launching to market under the brand name Elevate through a new business unit to be called Axa Distribution Services.

  • Axa to open Winterthur platform for GPPs

    1 Nov 2007

    Axa is opening up the Embassy IT platform, acquired with its purchase of Winterthur, for its group pension schemes.

  • Bad news for those soldiering on

    6 Nov 2007

    In the absence of your favourite protection hack, I have the pleasure of bringing you all the latest and greatest protection news from the past week.

  • Balancing act

    1 Nov 2007

    The big question is whether to buy or sell financials. What is interesting for us as multi-managers is that none of the fund managers that we invest with is sitting on the fence.

  • BDS Mortgage Group launches new sourcing system

    5 Nov 2007

    The BDS Mortgage Group has launched a new free sourcing system to all brokers and satellite packagers.

  • Ben Goss

    1 Nov 2007

    The chief executive of Distribution Technology is passionate about driving forward the use of IT in the financial services industry and says he has learned valuable lessons about focusing on helping advisers improve their service and business with technology. Interview by Will Henley

  • Beta blockers

    1 Nov 2007

    The pre-Budget report proposals on inheritance tax were generally welcomed, despite the fact that they seemed to be developed by one political party and implemented by another.

  • Blood, sweat and tiers

    1 Nov 2007

    The industry is labouring to find a 'big solution' to the distribution problem but the answer might be as simple as to ask consumers what they want, says Winterthur pensions strategy manager Mike Morrison

  • BM Solutions plans new BTL range

    1 Nov 2007

    BM Solutions looks set to launch a number of competitively priced buy-to-let products in the next few weeks.

  • Bolton admits Edeus may not remain independent

    1 Nov 2007

    Edeus chief executive officer Michael Bolton admits he does not know whether Edeus will remain totally independent as a result of the liquidity squeeze.

  • Borderline cases

    1 Nov 2007

    The day of the Mifid is now upon us but many advisers are still confused about the effects of the wide-ranging directive which aims to open up the European financial services market, reports Will Henley

  • Boulding warns generic advice could be illegal

    1 Nov 2007

    Legal & General is lobbying the Treasury against using generic advice to guide consumers on personal accounts, claiming this would be classed as giving unfair state aid and illegal under EU law.

  • Boundaries change again as Mifid and Newcob arrive

    1 Nov 2007

    The FSA's new conduct of business sourcebook comes into force this week in conjunction with Mifid, aimed at offering advisers a less prescriptive set of rules.

  • Brave new world

    1 Nov 2007

    Simplified products and scaled back generic advice are coming. Lets not throw out the baby with the bath water

  • Britannia Building Society scraps Irish mortgage market launch

    6 Nov 2007

    Britannia Building Society has announced that it will no longer be going ahead with its proposed joint venture with Irish mutual EBS into the Irish mortgage market.

  • British employees long for duvet days

    1 Nov 2007

    An annual duet day is the most popular health and wellbeing feature amongst British employees, according to research from Business in the Community (BITC).

  • British soldiers could face £1,000 insurance premiums

    5 Nov 2007

    British soldiers are to be charged insurance premiums of up to £1,000 if they go to war to make up for inadequate Government compensation for death or injury, according to The Sunday Times.

  • Broker Talkback

    1 Nov 2007

    Following the FSA's concerns about advisers' computer security, particularly regarding laptops, are you confident your client data is adequately protected?

  • Bupa cuts rates on life and CI cover

    1 Nov 2007

    Bupa has cut premiums for life and critical-illness cover. Life rates have reduced on average by 4.5 per cent and CI by around 2 per cent.

  • Bupa ups benefit maximums on GIP

    1 Nov 2007

    Bupa is amending its group income protection product so that individuals can receive a maximum benefit of 75 per cent of their income, regardless of any state incapacity benefit entitlement.

  • Cable reiterates call for change of management at Northern Rock

    5 Nov 2007

    Liberal Democrat acting leader and shadow chancellor Vince Cable has reiterated his call for a change of management at Northern Rock following yesterday's resignation of Citigroup chairman and chief executive Charles Prince.

  • Cant in move to Falcon

    1 Nov 2007

    Steve Cant & Associates has left IFA network Kilminster and joined Falcon as an appointed representative of its network.

  • Capital concerns

    1 Nov 2007

    In its latest paper, Aifa has asked the FSA why it is focusing on capital adequacy for IFAs when a much wider debate is needed about financial stability in general.

  • 'CAR costs to end up with clients'

    1 Nov 2007

    Product providers supporting customer-agreed remuneration will ultimately end up passing the costs back to the end-user, warns Bankhall chief executive Peter Mann.

  • Central database mooted to combat non-disclosure

    1 Nov 2007

    Technology firm Computer Sciences Corporation is to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether a centralised medical database could help prevent fraudulent non-disclosure in the protection market.

  • CGT changes bring churning concern

    1 Nov 2007

    The pre-Budget report tax changes will result in IFAs switching masses of clients out of investment bonds, which shows why the FSA should have made it clear in its RDR paper that there is a difference between legitimate switching and wrongful churning, says Skipton Financial Services managing director Simon Holt.

  • Charges must be more transparent

    1 Nov 2007

    Transact says it supports the FSA's discussion paper on wraps and platforms but would like to see a focus on improving the transparency of charges.

  • Citigroup appoints new CEO following Prince's resignation

    5 Nov 2007

    Citigroup has appointed former US Treasury secretary Robert Rubin as chairman and former Schroders chief Sir Win Bischoff as temporary chief executive after Charles Prince resigned over the weekend.

  • Cleary makes plea for positive push

    1 Nov 2007

    Edeus managing director Alan Cleary is calling on trade bodies, mortgage commentators and the trade press to start talking about the positives in the mortgage market.

  • Clock is ticking for IFAs who fail to add to qualifications

    1 Nov 2007

    IFAs who are not looking to become chartered or certified risk losing market share, warn leading financial planners.

  • Close Investments selects open-ended structure for EuroPip

    1 Nov 2007

    Close Investments says it has decided on an open-ended structure for its EuroPip fund of property funds to allow investors to upgrade to Europe from UK holdings in their own timescale.

  • Close to nature

    2 Nov 2007

    Close Investments has introduced a capital-protected fund linked to the performance of an equally weighted basket of commodities over six years.

  • Clubcard deal on Tesco insurance

    1 Nov 2007

    Tesco Personal Finance is offering 2,000 Clubcard points to customers who buy Tesco life insurance before January 8, 2008.

  • Competition Commission publishes consultation paper on PPI

    6 Nov 2007

    The Competition Commission has published a consultation document inviting feedback on its views of competition in the payment protection insurance industry in the UK.

  • Connect Mortgage Group plans to double in size in 2008

    5 Nov 2007

    Mortgage outsourcing company Connect Mortgage Group says it is looking to double in size over the next 12 months by acquiring struggling packagers and small networks.

  • Crunching the numbers

    1 Nov 2007

    Tara Powley reports on a dramatic drop in mortgage products

  • Darling calls for banks to be more transparent over risks

    6 Nov 2007

    Chancellor Alistair Darling called yesterday for banks to be more transparent about the risks they are taking.

  • Darling investigating CGT business compromise

    31 Oct 2007

    The Treasury is investigating ways of mitigating the effect of its Capital Gains Tax changes on small business including tax breaks to encourage entrepreneurs.

  • Darling slams FSA over Rock debacle

    1 Nov 2007

    Chancellor Alistair Darling says the FSA should have placed greater regulatory focus on ensuring that Northern Rock had a fallback position in the event of a liquidity crisis.

  • Dawnay Day Quantum explores a different class

    2 Nov 2007

    Dawnay Day QuantumProtected Agricultural Commodities

  • Discretionary choice

    1 Nov 2007

    I am not a massive fan of wraps - it is difficult to see where the real advantage lies for the client but the additional cost is indisputable.

  • Edeus to make 15 per cent of workforce redundant

    2 Nov 2007

    Edeus has become the latest lender to confirm that it will be making 15 per cent of its current workforce redundant over the next few weeks, totalling 30 job losses.

  • Employee benefits make the difference in employee retention

    1 Nov 2007

    Two thirds of employees receive no employee benefits package at all, according to research carried out by Canada Life Group Insurance.

  • Eurocrat says Rock panic was due to gold-plating

    1 Nov 2007

    European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has pledged to review the "gold-plated transparency rules" of UK regulatory authorities which he blames for causing the Northern Rock crisis.

  • Every dog has its day

    1 Nov 2007

    What a difference a couple of months can make when it comes to performance. One minute, one style of fund is top of the charts. The next, something completely different occupies that space.

  • Exeter Friendly signs up as Carebridges' UK partner

    2 Nov 2007

    Private medical insurance provider Exeter Friendly Society has signed with international alliance of health insurers CareBridges as its sole partner within the UK.

  • Expensive medicine

    1 Nov 2007

    Advances in medicine has meant inflation-beating increases in the cost of medical insurance. But new medicines are also likely to lead to market innovations says Sam Barrett

  • Experience essential for private equity

    1 Nov 2007

    Readers have probably gathered by now that I have a liking for venture capital and private equity investing. Private equity bashing is a popular sport and it has gone as far as the Chancellor making his botched CGT changes to clamp down on profits made by private equity bosses.

  • F&C takes on multi-manager co-head

    5 Nov 2007

    F&C has appointed Dean Cheeseman as director of the group’s fund of funds division.

  • Fears over loss of goodwill

    1 Nov 2007

    The FSA's barring of goodwill as an asset could see many businesses being undervalued, says Cathedral chartered financial planner Tim Ames.

  • Few advisers attribute improved with profits performance to life companies, says FundsNetwork

    5 Nov 2007

    While a large number of advisers put the improved performance of the with profits market down to changing market conditions, few attribute it to life companies’ intervention, says Fidelity FundsNetwork.

  • Final call for Corporate Adviser award entries

    1 Nov 2007

    There is now just a month to go before the closing date for entries in the Corporate Adviser industry awards which take place at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Tuesday 19 February, 2008.

  • First criminal investigation by FSA leads to two arrests

    2 Nov 2007

    The FSA and police forces arrested two men in connection with an investigation into illegal overseas boiler rooms this week in the FSA's first criminal investigation into boiler room activities.

  • First State composes music catalogue fund

    1 Nov 2007

    First State is to set up a new media fund after the group acquired a second set of publishing assets from Wind-up Entertainment Inc.

  • Flex poses increasing threat to group risk market

    1 Nov 2007

    The group risk market stands at a crossroads, threatened by competition from other benefits, particularly through flex schemes, and the cost ramifications of age discrimination legislation.

  • Former Morgan Stanley COO launches PensionsFirst

    5 Nov 2007

    Former vice chairman and chief operating officer of Morgan Stanley in Europe, Amelia Fawcett, has launched securitisation group PensionsFirst, which aims to manage the risks faced by defined benefits schemes.

  • Fraud for thought

    1 Nov 2007

    Nicole Blackmore reports that the jail sentences in the Independent Insurance case show the courts are prepared to get tough on financial fraud

  • Friends Provident launches Sipp and income withdrawal option on GPP

    1 Nov 2007

    Friends Provident has launched a Sipp and income withdrawal option on its new generation group personal pension.

  • FSA fines stockbroker for poor risk warnings and advice

    31 Oct 2007

    The FSA has fined Wills & Co Stockbrokers Limited £49,000 for failing to ensure that its customers understood the risks involved with penny shares.

  • FSA focuses on troubles in transfer land

    1 Nov 2007

    The FSA’s thematic review of Sipps is to tackle potential troubles in the pension transfer market, according to Sipp guru John Moret.

  • FSA to hold extra RDR consultation sessions for small firms

    5 Nov 2007

    The FSA has announced it is offering additional RDR consultation sessions for small firms in November and December so that more advisers can have their say on the review.

  • 'FSA's cash proposals show failure to understand IFAs'

    1 Nov 2007

    The FSA's prudential rules paper shows a lack of understanding of the IFA market, reaches contradictory conclusions and focuses too narrowly on advisers, says Aifa.

  • Goodwin to set up her own business

    1 Nov 2007

    Former IFA Woman of the Year Yvonne Goodwin is leaving Pearson Jones after 28 years to set up on her own.

  • Government appoints Jones to lead new PA Authority

    1 Nov 2007

    The Government has appointed Tim Jones to lead the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority. The former chief executive of retail banking at NatWest, who is also co-director of the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation, has taken up the post with immediate effect.

  • Green funds net 15% of sales

    1 Nov 2007

    Ethical funds have grown their market share more than fivefold in the past 12 months, says fund analyst Lipper Feri.

  • Growing attraction for corporate bonds

    1 Nov 2007

    Iimia says the credit crunch has left corporate bond markets at their most attractive valuations in three years, leading the fund manager to raise fixed-interest weightings in its growth and income & growth funds.

  • Halifax draws IHT map

    1 Nov 2007

    England and Wales have 62 postcode districts where over a quarter of houses sold cost more than the combined inheritance tax threshold of £600,000, according to Halifax.

  • Henderson taking tech cash in house

    1 Nov 2007

    Henderson's multi-manager team has sold the Axa Framlington global technology fund from its independent growth portfolio following fund manager Nick Evans' move to Polar Capital.

  • Heritable Bank records 60% increase in profits

    5 Nov 2007

    Heritable Bank, the UK specialist banking subsidiary of the Icelandic bank Landsbanki Islands, has announced a 60 per cent increase in profits for the first nine months of 2007.

  • High society

    1 Nov 2007

    Coventry Building Society is among the latest companies to enter the equity-release business and its high-street profile should provide a boost for the sector which is continuing on an upward trend with IFAs increasing their market share. Gregor Watt reports

  • HL defies market conditions with £400m inflows

    6 Nov 2007

    Hargreaves Lansdown has revealed a £400m increase in assets under administration after publishing its first quarter statistics for the 2008 financial year.

  • HMRC loses disc containing 15,000 Standard Life clients' private data

    5 Nov 2007

    Standard Life has released a statement confirming that a disc containing 15,000 clients’ confidential information has been lost after HMRC sent the disc to Standard Life’s pensions department.

  • HSBC Investments - Open Global Property Fund

    2 Nov 2007

    HSBC InvestmentsOpen Global Property Fund

  • Husselbee goes North to focus on IFA market

    1 Nov 2007

    James Phillipps reports on an MBO looking to run bespoke multi-manager portfolios

  • IAF Securities - Capital Protected Commercial Property Plan

    2 Nov 2007

    IAF SecuritiesCapital Protected Commercial Property Plan

  • Independent Insurance fraud is industry threat

    1 Nov 2007

    The Independent Insurance debacle risks damaging the industry's reputation, says the British Insurance Brokers' Association.

  • Individual insolvencies see a decrease in Q3 2007

    2 Nov 2007

    The Insolvency Service has announced that there were 26,072 individual insolvencies in England and Wales in the third quarter of this year.

  • Intermediary move for Stroud & Swindon

    1 Nov 2007

    Stroud & Swindon Building Society is to launch an intermediary brand in the first quarter next year. It says it will focus on near-prime and light-adverse but will offer the whole range of mortgage products.

  • Investec picks Aird as business head

    1 Nov 2007

    Investec's David Aird has been appointed head of the group's institutional and retail business for the UK and Ireland. He has been managing director of the group's retail division since 2005 and will be assisted in the role by Frank Doyle, who has been appointed head of UK and Ireland institutional sales.

  • Investment bonds not dead, says Jelley

    6 Nov 2007

    Investment bonds still have a place in the post pre-Budget report world, according to Skandia.

  • Investment boost for rehab therapies

    1 Nov 2007

    The investment of £170m of new money in a psychological therapy service by the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson MP has been welcomed by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

  • Is Darling set for CGT rethink?

    1 Nov 2007

    Investment specialists believe the Chancellor will be forced to backtrack on capital gains tax changes due to the massive effect they could have.

  • Job cuts aplenty

    2 Nov 2007

    This week has seen even further job cuts being announced by the mortgage market. In the space of just one week, three lenders have decided to flush the bad news out of their systems and announce exactly how many redundancies they will need to make due to the credit crunch.

  • Kensington launches new rates across prime range

    6 Nov 2007

    Kensington has launched new rates across its whole prime range with effect from today.Self-cert fixed-rates are available from 6.14 per cent, with trackers from 6.15 per cent. Buy-to-let fixed-rates start from 6.08 per cent, with trackers from 6.20 per cent.Verified tracker rates start from 6.39 per cent, with fixed rates from 6.13 per cent.All prime products come with flexible features as standard and are available for both purchase and remortgage cases.

  • Kensington slashes 20 per cent of staff due to market conditions

    1 Nov 2007

    Kensington is to make around 65 redundancies and restructure the company’s operating model in light of the current market conditions.

  • King says Chancellor had final decision on Lloyds TSB takeover of Northern Rock

    6 Nov 2007

    Bank of England governor Mervyn King has told BBC Radio 4 that it was the chancellor who made the final decision not to give Lloyds TSB the go ahead to take over Northern Rock.

  • L&G increases maximum sum assured for critical illness

    1 Nov 2007

    Legal & General has increased the maximum sum assured for its personal critical illness cover to £1m, effective from November 18.

  • L&G starts CI cover reviews

    1 Nov 2007

    Legal & General is starting the first round of reviews for customers with reviewable critical-illness cover.

  • Land Registry scraps online mortgage deeds and leases over concerns of fraud

    5 Nov 2007

    The Land Registry has announced it will be scrapping online mortgage deeds and leases after concerns of fraud.

  • Leadbay appoints new managing director

    6 Nov 2007

    Leadbay has appointed Grant Stevens as its new managing director from December 1.

  • Learning to share

    1 Nov 2007

    Share incentive plans are the ideal tool for engaging staff of all levels in the company's performance. Sonia Speedy looks at how employers and senior employees can get the most out of them

  • 'Leave due diligence to regulator'

    1 Nov 2007

    Advisers are not equipped to carry out due diligence on platform providers and should leave it to the FSA, says CWC Research senior partner Clive Waller.

  • Legal & General - Guaranteed Capital Bond 5

    2 Nov 2007

    Legal & GeneralGuaranteed Capital Bond 5

  • Lifesearch’s Baigrie mauls FSA’s RDR plans in barnstorming speech

    1 Nov 2007

    Lifesearch managing director Tom Baigrie has launched a scathing attack on the FSA’s handling of the Retail Distribution Review claiming the discussion paper is “intellectually bust” and “dangerously incomplete”.

  • Lifestyle choice

    1 Nov 2007

    The switch to DC is thrusting lifestyling into the spotlight. James Phillipps examines whether existing solutions are up to the job

  • Linda Will to leave Accord Mortgages

    6 Nov 2007

    Accord Mortgages managing director Linda Will is leaving the intermediary lender in order to pursue other career challenges.

  • Longevity changes hit PPF funding

    1 Nov 2007

    The Pension Protection Fund has seen liabilities soar by £241m after it changed its longevity assumptions.

  • Lord Falconer plans to sue Prime Minister over pension size

    1 Nov 2007

    The former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer is planning to sue Prime Minister Gordon Brown because he is refusing to allow him to claim a bigger pension than other former Cabinet ministers.

  • Lyxor Asset Management -Lyxor ETF Russia

    2 Nov 2007

    Lyxor Asset ManagementLyxor ETF Russia

  • Marr will take passive approach with start-up

    1 Nov 2007

    Former Origen chief executive Gareth Marr has started a fee-only wealth management firm, The Red House, focusing on passive investment management.

  • Means to an end

    1 Nov 2007

    Minister for pensions reform Mike O'Brien is forging ahead with establishing a framework for personal accounts. John Greenwood finds he will not be distracted by means-testing but is keeping a watchful eye for unintended consequences

  • MetLife says bonds still have advantages over unit trusts

    1 Nov 2007

    MetLife is urging advisers not to rush into recommending unit trusts over investment bonds following pre- Budget report proposals to introduce a flat rate capital gains tax of 18 per cent from next April.

  • Mixed signals

    1 Nov 2007

    Two weeks ago, I was making my annual pilgrimage to the West Country when I observed the FTSE100 nudge into new high territory. Never one to pass up an opportunity, I rang my broker to take some profits, only to be talked out of precipitate action. He was right, of course, except the market then experienced several days of straight falls, handing back close to 5 per cent of the gains made - peak to trough.

  • Mortgages plc to cut 20 per cent of staff

    31 Oct 2007

    Mortgages plc has started a consultation process to make a number of roles redundant.

  • Move over, darling

    1 Nov 2007

    The much-hailed 'doubling' of the inheritance tax nil-rate band in the pre-Budget report is little more than window dressing and advisers would be well advised to continue using the discretionary will trust for married clients rather than letting them trust the new 'Darling method' of IHT planning, says Sovereign Will and Probate Services operations director Nick Plumb

  • Moving story for multi-managers

    1 Nov 2007

    Chris Salih looks at the multi merry-go-round that has been set spinning

  • Multi- managers may make move on Africa

    1 Nov 2007

    Africa funds are beginning to attract the attention of multi-managers.

  • Multiplechoice

    1 Nov 2007

    Pension providers have cottoned on to the need to offer external funds managed from leading fund managers. Some, though, have better ranges than others says Paul Farrow

  • New equity release plans increase by 15 per cent, says SHIP

    5 Nov 2007

    The total of new equity release plans sold in Q3 2007 has increase by 15 per cent, says SHIP.

  • New FSA conduct of business regime comes into force today

    1 Nov 2007

    The FSA’s new conduct of business sourcebook comes into force today in parallel with the introduction of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive.

  • New specialist member service from NAPF

    1 Nov 2007

    The NAPF has launched a new specialist member service aimed at those involved in defined contribution pensions. Called DC PensionsConnection, the service has been designed to help those involved in DC pension provision and will offer NAPF members access to a web-site which features a "have your say" discussion forum, online polls and presentations as well as a newsletter providing information on the news, legal and regulatory changes, research and case studies.

  • Niznik takes place in small companies team at Artemis

    1 Nov 2007

    Small-cap star Mark Niznik started at Artemis last week and has been named co-manager of the 663m Artemis UK smaller companies fund.

  • Northern Rock's BoE borrowing at £22.8bn but predicted to continue

    1 Nov 2007

    Northern Rock has borrowed another £2.2bn from the Bank of England, bringing the total amount borrowed to £22.8bn, but New Star predicts the loan could reach £30bn.

  • Not too grim up north

    2 Nov 2007

    With Money Marketing Live taking place this week in Manchester, some industry players might be forgiven to think the usual rain and drizzly October days might have cast a shadow over the mood at the G-Mex.

  • NU plans to focus on corporate pensions as A-Day effect fades

    1 Nov 2007

    Norwich Union has seen its pension business drop by 17 per cent, providing further evidence that the A-Day effect is waning.

  • Number of 100% mortgages double

    1 Nov 2007

    Twice as many people have taken out 100 per cent mortgages in the nine months to September compared with the same time last year, according to the Mortgage Advice Bureau. The firm found that a total of 1,209 100 per cent mortgages were taken out in the first nine months while only 549 were taken out by Q3 2006.

  • O'Brien delays DB regulations

    1 Nov 2007

    Pensions Minister Mike O'Brien has delayed bringing into force new regulations on defined-benefit pensions until October 1 next year to give the industry time to implement the changes.

  • Open Door added to Paradigm packager panel

    6 Nov 2007

    Paradigm Mortgage Services has added Open Door Solutions to its packaging panel.

  • Osney media hosts protection summit

    1 Nov 2007

    Osney Media is hosting a protection summit on November 6-7 at the Melia White House in London. Standard Life, Which? and Friends Provident will be among those discussing distribution methods and IFA engagement. For more information, contact mariame_lindell@ osneymedia.co.uk.

  • Out of Africa for New Star

    2 Nov 2007

    New StarHeart of Africa Fund

  • Paaleads.com says brokers diversifying client basis due to credit crunch

    5 Nov 2007

    Paaleads.com says it has seen the start of new broker behaviour as a result of the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

  • Paragon to make 62 redundancies at Mortgage Trust

    5 Nov 2007

    Paragon has announced it will be making 62 redundancies as its moves its centralises Mortgage Trust’s business processing to Paragon’s head office in the West Midlands.

  • Pearl attack over Friends' surrenders

    1 Nov 2007

    Pearl Group has launched a scathing attack on Friends Provident's third-quarter new business results, saying the life office has seen a 73 per cent increase in pension surrenders since 2004.

  • Pearl attacks Standard Life’s “value destructive” Resolution bid

    1 Nov 2007

    Pearl has hit out again at Standard Life branding its bid for Resolution undeliverable and value destructive.

  • Pink Home Loans- Amber Feather Adverse 2-Year Fixed

    2 Nov 2007

    Pink Home LoansAmber Feather Adverse 2-Year Fixed

  • PO pushes life cover with cashback offer

    1 Nov 2007

    The Post Office is offering £100 cashback to anyone who takes out its new life insur- ance product.

  • Politicians sharpening the knifes for personal accounts battle

    5 Nov 2007

    This week’s Queen’s Speech will include a Bill on personal accounts but it is likely to receive a rocky ride in the Commons with both the Conservatives and Lib Dems strongly opposed to important aspects of the current plans.

  • Post-holiday blues

    1 Nov 2007

    The axing of holiday pay schemes is fuelling speculation about the security of salary sacrifice. John Greenwood reports

  • PPF compensation to be shared in divorce settlements

    6 Nov 2007

    Pensions Minister Mike O'Brien has announced that legislation is to be drawn up to allow Pension Protection Fund compensation to be shared as part of a divorce settlement.

  • Primary plan is opportunity for platforms

    1 Nov 2007

    Platforms could reap the benefits if primary advice comes into operation, says FundsNetwork head David Dalton-Brown.

  • Product Innovations - Aria Dynamic Growth Protected Fund

    2 Nov 2007

    Product InnovationsAria Dynamic Growth Protected Fund

  • Professional practice

    1 Nov 2007

    Being a professional is not just about passing exams

  • Property companies punished in Q3, says LaSalle

    5 Nov 2007

    Higher interest rates, wary lenders and the credit crunch have resulted in the market punishing property companies during Q3 2007, according to LaSalle Investment Management.

  • Property party hangover?

    1 Nov 2007

    Over the past few years, the average pension fund has increased its property exposure significantly,from around 4 per cent at the turn of the millennium, to 7 per cent by 2004 - and this figure is believed to be even higher today.

  • Property to rise by just 1% in 2008

    1 Nov 2007

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders says house prices will rise by only 1 per cent in 2008 compared with 7 per cent in 2007. It expects gross mortgage lending to reach 360bn in 2007 and 340bn in 2008.

  • Protected Distribution/Barclays - Protected Water Fund

    2 Nov 2007

    Protected Distribution/BarclaysProtected Water Fund

  • Quality control

    1 Nov 2007

    Evaluating how your advice has benefited your client is essential to maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. Stephanie Spicer finds smart intermediaries are making a priority of monitoring their own performance

  • Queen's speech confirms introduction of personal accounts

    6 Nov 2007

    The Government has set out its programme for reform in the first Queen's Speech of Gordon Brown's premiership which includes the introduction of personal accounts.

  • Recycling in fast lane

    1 Nov 2007

    The Asian bull is still strong and has a long way to run with great walls of cash set for the stockmarkets

  • Retirees pay over the odds on equity release plans by going direct

    31 Oct 2007

    Retired homeowners in the UK are paying significantly over the odds on equity release deals by going direct to a product provider rather than an independent adviser, warns Key Retirement Solutions.

  • Rock's role

    1 Nov 2007

    I recently addressed a group of people who are not mortgage professionals and it proved difficult to explain some of the facts behind recent news.

  • Royal London new life and pensions business drops 1 per cent

    31 Oct 2007

    Royal London's total new life and pensions business dropped 1 per cent in the first nine months of this year.

  • Rozario joins Ship as director-general

    1 Nov 2007

    Safe Home Income Plans has appointed Andrea Rozario as its first director-general.

  • 'Run-in to spark fire sale for commission chasers'

    1 Nov 2007

    Syndaxi Financial Planning managing director Robert Reid is warning of a fire sale of high-commission products in the run-up to the RDR changes by advisers who know they will not survive in the new environment.

  • Samuel speech on complaint rules

    1 Nov 2007

    Compliance consultant Adam Samuel is to give a lecture at Lloyd's of London on the FSA's new complaint- handling rules on Tuesday, November 6 at 1.15pm.

  • Scheme pensions remain best advice post age 75

    1 Nov 2007

    Scheme pensions remain best advice for taking pensions from SSASs post age 75, according to Rowanmoor, despite the tax changes outline in the pre-Budget report.

  • Schroders invests in change

    2 Nov 2007

    SchrodersSchroder Global Climate Change Fund

  • Scottish Widows appoints Richard Jones as protection market director

    1 Nov 2007

    Scottish Widows has appointed Richard Jones as protection market director.

  • Screen savers

    1 Nov 2007

    Changes to tax rules are providing a boost to lower cost health screening arrangements. Edmund Tirbutt puts plans under scrutiny

  • Separate RDR rules for corporate sector says Aegon

    1 Nov 2007

    The FSA sees the delivery of pensions through the workplace as sitting squarely within the retail distribution review and wants advisers views on whether corporate schemes should be treated differently.

  • Service stations

    1 Nov 2007

    Sesame has been tracking advisers' attitudes to the service they get from product providers and sales and marketing director Stephen Young looks at some of the key findings from the surveys

  • Sesame defends commission in RDR white paper

    1 Nov 2007

    Sesame has issued a white paper on the retail distribution review to communicate its concerns to members.

  • Sipp probe to focus on transfers

    1 Nov 2007

    The FSA's thematic review on Sipps is to focus on the transfer market, according to Suffolk Life sales and marketing director John Moret.

  • SJP sees 28% new business growth for Q3

    1 Nov 2007

    St James's Place has reported a 28 per cent increase in total new business figures for the third quarter 2007, now sitting at £315.4m.

  • Soft skills boost business as clients fail to recognise qualifications

    1 Nov 2007

    Consumer understanding of chartered and certified qualifications is so low that advisers would do better to focus on developing other skills, says Wealth Strategies IFA Mark Hynes.

  • Specialist leads for fund business

    1 Nov 2007

    Investment Management Association business figures for September show the specialist sector saw the biggest net retail inflows at £267m, commodity funds took £118m and property funds £69m.

  • Split views on currency hedging

    1 Nov 2007

    When investing in overseas markets, currency movements can have a dramatic impact on a fund's projected and actual returns, so why don't more retail funds provide the security of currency hedging?

  • Standard Life says Pearl criticisms are self-serving and misleading

    2 Nov 2007

    Standard Life has branded Pearl's comments as "self-serving and potentially misleading" after Pearl accused the life office's bid for Resolution as undeliverable and value destructive.

  • Standard Life wants Swiss Re to take a stake to seal Resolution deal

    5 Nov 2007

    Standard Life has asked Swiss Re to consider taking a stake in Standard in a bid to stay in the running for Resolution.

  • State pension helpline gives wrong information

    1 Nov 2007

    Advisers have slammed pension reform minister Mike O'Brien after he admitted that the Government's state pension helpline has been giving out the wrong information to some callers.

  • Strategic ideas

    1 Nov 2007

    Skandia has produced yet another fund with great potential - the UK strategic best ideas fund.

  • Stroud & Swindon says Edeus book purchase not worth £500m

    31 Oct 2007

    Stroud & Swindon Building Society chief executive has hit out at reports in the media that its recent whole loan book purchase from Edeus will see as much as £500m worth of mortgages bought.

  • Suffolk Life MasterSipp goes live

    1 Nov 2007

    Suffolk Life's new product the MasterSipp which allows the self-investment of protected rights has gone live this week.

  • T1pster turns fund manager

    2 Nov 2007

    The editor of a share tipping website has turned his hand to fund management with the launch of the SF t1ps smaller companies growth fund.

  • Takeover Panel raps Standard

    1 Nov 2007

    Standard Life has been reprimanded for breaching takeover regulations over its £4.9bn bid for Resolution.

  • Tax relief on work pensions doubles

    1 Nov 2007

    The amount that tax relief on workplace pensions is costing HM Revenue & Customs has almost doubled since 1999. The total cost of tax relief for employees' and employers' contributions shot up from £9.3bn in the year to April 1999 to £17.4bn this year.

  • TCF progress is still too slow, says FSA

    6 Nov 2007

    Adviser firms must up their pace of progress in embedding Treating Customers Fairly if they are to meet next year's deadlines, warns the FSA.

  • Tenet offers members free recruitment services

    2 Nov 2007

    Tenet is launching a free recruitment service for members of M&E and Interdependence.

  • The big payoff

    1 Nov 2007

    A redundancy payment can be stretched further by investing it in a pension scheme

  • The bigger the better for PSigma American fund

    2 Nov 2007

    PSigma Asset Management has added the American growth fund to its range. This fund aims for growth by investing in big US companies.

  • The Diary was...

    1 Nov 2007

    The Diary was amazed to see that the lovely Widow - Hayley Hunt of Scottish Widows fame - has attracted none other than the delights of Facebook-heralded fame. Yes, the website that is failing to distract anyone from their work on a regular basis (honest) is currently boasting a 43-strong following in the Scottish Widows Appreciation Society.

  • The true test

    1 Nov 2007

    Do you have what it takes to be called a real professional?

  • Threadneedle Investments - American Extended Alpha Fund

    2 Nov 2007

    ThreadneedleAmerican Extended Alpha Fund

  • To cap it all

    1 Nov 2007

    The new proposed ceiling on indexation is another blow to DB schemes

  • Tories complain at delays by Treasury on answers

    1 Nov 2007

    The Conservatives have reported the Government to the Information Commissioner for failing to answer or delaying a series of freedom of information requests to the Treasury.

  • Tories will not vote for personal accounts unless means testing is addressed

    5 Nov 2007

    The Conservatives say they will not vote for personal accounts unless the issues of means-testing and ensuring light touch regulation are both dealt with.

  • Towry chief says the end is nigh for unprofessional advisers

    1 Nov 2007

    The demise of the "unprofessional" financial adviser is inevitable and should be welcomed, says Towry Law chief executive Andrew Fisher.

  • TPAS web tool aims to improve consumer access to annuities

    1 Nov 2007

    A new web-based structured choice tool to guide individuals through their retirement incomes is to be set up by the Pensions Advice Service.

  • Transition time

    1 Nov 2007

    The effects of rule changes on interest in possession trusts where there is a change of beneficiary

  • 'Two years in doldrums for sub-prime market'

    1 Nov 2007

    Nationwide non-retail executive director Matthew Wyles believes the sub-prime securitisation market will not fully recover for at least another two years.

  • Two, nil

    1 Nov 2007

    Looking further at the implications of the transferable nil-rate band and how clients can achieve their estate planning goals

  • UCB Home Loans - Buy To Let Prime 10 Year Fixed

    2 Nov 2007

    UCB Home LoansBuy To Let Prime 10 Year Fixed

  • Unum updates GIP claims procedures

    1 Nov 2007

    Disability insurer Unum is modifying its group income protection claims management procedures with the introduction of telephonic claims form completion options topping a list of changes.

  • Virgin Money to set foot in climate change fund sector

    1 Nov 2007

    Virgin Money will be the latest company to move into the climate change sector, with a fund launch planned for January 2008.

  • Watching the facts

    1 Nov 2007

    I am always wary of someone who either opens or closes a letter with a Latinism. From experience, it implies that the letter's arguments are portentous enough to merit especially serious consideration, when the reverse is usually the case.

  • Wave relaunches prime deals but withdraws sub-prime mortgage range

    5 Nov 2007

    Merrill Lynch subsidiary Wave has re-priced its range of prime residential and buy-to-let mortgages.

  • We need a resolution

    31 Oct 2007

    I don’t know about everyone else but I am starting to get tired of having to update stories on who is buying Resolution and for how much every five minutes.

  • Webline links with The Insurance Helpline for special risk clients

    2 Nov 2007

    Webline is now providing intermediaries with access to special risks protection service The Insurance Helpline, in conjunction with Totally Insured Group.

  • Wellness effectiveness proves difficult to quantify

    1 Nov 2007

    Only 50 per cent of European employers achieved reductions in employee absence, even though 95 per cent of employers identifed it as an important objective of their wellness initiatives, according to a global survey of wellness strategies by Buck ConsultantsBuck says this may in part be because many newly established arrangements have not had time to generate a measurable impact and some employers do not have the capability to measure results effectively.

  • Where is CAR driving us?

    1 Nov 2007

    This week, our expert panel respond to another reader's question about the RDR. The panel are on hand to answer questions about the potential future market landscape and where firms may want to think about positioning themselves, as well as broader issues underpinning the review. If you have any queries you want answered, or any nagging questions you do not feel have yet been addressed in these pages, email the panel at rdr@centaur.co.uk

  • Why are advisers being sold short on the long stop?

    1 Nov 2007

    Alan Lakey questions the Financial Ombudsman Service's time-bar stance

  • 'Wraps are not panacea as they don't add value'

    1 Nov 2007

    Wraps fail to add value to client portfolios and are not the panacea for IFAs, says Alpha to Omega chief executive Stew- art Wooles.

Poll

Will Greece leave the euro?

Current Issue

Advanced search