Money Marketing
4 May 2005

  • Investment view

    5 May 2005

    Central banks are now too focused on a single issue of economic management - controlling inflation, says Brian Tora.

  • 1.4bn slashed from AIG

    4 May 2005

    American International Group, the world's largest insurer, has cut 1.4bn from its net worth after detailing a list of accounting misdemeanours dating back to 2000.

  • 100 per cent pass new CII mortgage paper

    9 May 2005

    The CII has announced all 219 candidates sitting the first lifetime mortgage activities paper have passed.79 per cent of those taking the mortgage advice paper also passed bringing the total number of holders to 709 since its introduction in January.CII qualifications and compliance manager Paul turner says: "This is good news for those seeking mortgage advice, particularly in the area of equity release, and will boost client confidence and trust in the sector."

  • A consumer's view - Lorna Bourke

    5 May 2005

    With the election out of the way, we can concentrate on the issue which dare not speak its name - pensions. Labour refused to be drawn on its intentions during the pre-election period but the subject is now the biggest and most pressing issue that the Government faces.

  • ABI backs EU single-market plans

    4 May 2005

    The ABI has endorsed the European Commissions new approach to the single market for financial services.

  • Abroad range of taxes

    5 May 2005

    Our panel of experts take a w ide-ranging look at taxing issues for people who move overseas.

  • Adviser in search of 1,000 refund from property firm

    5 May 2005

    An IFA wants 1,000 refunded after a disagreement with an online property search company targeting IFAs.

  • Advisers take legal advice over Shepherds' claims

    5 May 2005

    Advisers of investors who placed over 26m in an offshore Shepherds traded life fund are seeking advice on what part of the organisation should be pursued in a legal claim.

  • Backwoodsmen of the PFS

    5 May 2005

    I have just completed a four-year term as a director of Sofa. During my last year, I did privately voice my concerns that any merger between the LIA and Sofa may lead to a dilution of standards.

  • Balancing act

    5 May 2005

    Major life offices have completed their FSA returns, including for the first time "realistic" balance sheets which provide the analyst with a new perspective, and include "rule of thumb" indicators of financial strength - the working capital ratio and the cover for the risk capital margin.

  • Barclays takeover of Absa to change SA banking landscape

    10 May 2005

    Standard & Poor have said the Barclays acquisition of Absa could change the competitive landscape of the South African banking sector.

  • Blight of the hunter

    5 May 2005

    It might be that Artemis needs to update its mailing list slightly. A whole armada of envelopes arrived at the office of this paper with enticing invitations to a briefing from top profit hunters on the new strategic bond fund, James Foster and Alex Ralph.

  • Blue is the colour for Iimia

    5 May 2005

    Iimia's multi-manager team thinks small caps could be running out of steam and believes there are opportunities to be exploited among bigger companies.

  • Bond appetit

    5 May 2005

    The collapse of the with-profits market in the UK is no secret and figures published recently by the ABI show how dramatic the shift away from WP business has been.

  • Bond managers react to GM and Ford downgrade

    10 May 2005

    Investec Sterling Bond Fund managers Anna Lees-Jones and Harsha Patel say the downgrading of GM and Ford from investment grade to high yield by Standard & Poors highlights the need for radical change at the firms.

  • Boulger on Mortgages

    5 May 2005

    Now the general election is behind us there is another important election, or rather referendum, coming up. I doubt that the gilt market would react very much to the result of the general election as the difference in macro economic policy between the two main parties, at least for the first two years after the election, is not big enough to generate wild swings in interest rates.

  • Boulger on Mortgages

    5 May 2005

    Now the general election is behind us there is another important election, or rather referendum, coming up. I doubt that the gilt market would react very much to the result of the general election as the difference in macro economic policy between the two main parties, at least for the first two years after the election, is not big enough to generate wild swings in interest rates.

  • Britannia locks in growth

    9 May 2005

    Britannia Internationals guaranteed lock-in bond is a guaranteed equity bond which locks in a minimum level of growth, depending on the performance of the FTSE 100 index.

  • Capita launches into loss adjusting market

    9 May 2005

    Capita Group is launching a new business focussing on the high-end corporate and complex loss adjusting market.The new division, named Teceris, will be within Capita's Insurance Services arm and will target major corporations, affinity groups, Government and the commercial insurance market at a national and global level.Capita director Stewart Steel will head Teceris.

  • Cavanagh turnover doubles

    4 May 2005

    Cavanagh Group has announced an operating loss of 2.5m in its final results for the year ending December 2004. This takes into account the acquisition of Ernst & Young Financial Management. Turnover more than doubled compared to 2003 reaching 10.4m.

  • Chasers hit Pru hurdle

    5 May 2005

    Endowment complaint firms have had a bit of a bruising recently, which is ironic since they are the ones who are chasing the ambulances.

  • Chasers hit Pru hurdle

    5 May 2005

    Endowment complaint firms have had a bit of a bruising recently, which is ironic since they are the ones who are chasing the ambulances.

  • City lawyer becomes FSA's director of enforcement

    5 May 2005

    The FSA has appointed City lawyer Margaret Cole as its new director of enforcement.

  • Clarkson Hill announces 36 per cent rise in turnover

    9 May 2005

    Clarkson Hill, the mortgage and investment IFA, has announced a 36 per cent rise in turnover in its results for the six months to January 31, 2005.Turnover is now 3.8m, from 2.8m in 2004, the number of advisers up 36 per cent from 149 to 203, with 8 small companies of IFAs being introduced to the group. The group aims to grow its business to be one of the top 10 UK IFAs within the next two years. It hopes for Aim listing in the next six months.

  • Clerical to drop James Hay in relaunch of Sipp

    5 May 2005

    Clerical Medical is to bring Sipp admin back in-house and drop James Hay.

  • Close Bank consolidating under one offshore brand

    5 May 2005

    Close Private Bank is consolidating its operations in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, under the new brand of Close Private Bank Group of Companies.

  • Cofunds appoints distribution chief

    5 May 2005

    Cofunds' new managing director of distribution, Mark Campbell, says he is confident that platforms have huge potential in the adviser market.

  • Consumer debt breaks 1 trillion barrier

    10 May 2005

    Personal bankruptcies are at their highest for 40 years, according to Department for Trade and Industry figures released this week.

  • Cordea Savills Wealth Management -Diversified Residential Opportunities Fund

    5 May 2005

    Cordea Savills Wealth ManagementDiversified Residential Opportunities Fund

  • Correspondent's Week

    5 May 2005

    Monica Woodley

  • Costa living

    5 May 2005

    Buying property abroad is becoming increasingly popular but the dream of owning a foreign home can quickly turn into a nightmare without professional advice which presents opportunities for IFAs.

  • Coulson set for 500 firms in multi-tie mortgage network

    5 May 2005

    Ex-Zurich Advice Network director Richard Coulson is planning to launch a multi-tie mortgage network called Home of Choice by June, with former Zurich colleagues joining him in the venture.

  • Deeds' charge rocks mortgage adviser

    5 May 2005

    Northern Rock is letting down its customers with poor admin and unfair charges, says The Mortgage Portfolio sole trader Danny Lovey.

  • Demand for FSA to suspend endowment misselling cases

    5 May 2005

    IFA Defence Union chief Evan Owen is calling on the FSA and Financial Ombudsman Service to suspend all endowment misselling cases against IFAs until the confusion caused by Lautro projections is resolved.

  • Don't delay A-Day

    5 May 2005

    The industry is still waiting on simplification details but few want to put back the April 2006 deadline yet again.

  • Double standards on double charge

    5 May 2005

    How wearyingly typical of the FSA to double-charge IFAs who switch mid-year from being appointed reps of a network to directly authorised and how amazing that, despite being the most powerful regulator in the world, the FSA's admin and accounting systems are apparently unable to handle refunding this blatant overcharge.

  • Easier visas demanded for cross-border funds

    5 May 2005

    European fund chiefs are demanding simpler registration procedures for funds which are marketed across borders.

  • Egg shuts Fundsdirect

    5 May 2005

    Egg has closed down its Fundsdirect wrap project after failing to find a buyer, saying potential buyers were put off by the investment needed to support the business into profitability.

  • EMS sale means end of any link with Enterprise

    5 May 2005

    Having read September 21 article in Money Marketing concer-ning Richard Coulson "buying into a brokerage", I feel it is appropriate to clarify the position.

  • Exchange announces new deal with L&G

    10 May 2005

    The Exchange has announced a new five-year deal with Legal & General for future use of the Exweb portal.The new agreement means IFAs can continue to access L&Gs products via the portals electronic comparative quotation and new business services either via Exweb or directly through the providers extranet.The Exchange managing director David Child says: "We are delighted to have secured this significant long-term extension of our important relationship with L&G which ensures our ...

  • Exchange sale sanctioned

    9 May 2005

    The acquisition of Marlborough Stirling by Vertex Data Science has been sanctioned by the high court of justice.Marlborough Stirling is the parent company of IFA portal The Exchange.Vertex, a subsidiary of United Utilities, bought the company in March for 95.3m.It is expected to take control from 12 May.

  • F&C builds Japanese equity team

    10 May 2005

    F&C Asset Management has poached Adrian Hickey from Shell Pensions Management Services to bolster its Japanese equity team.Hickey, who joins as director of Japanese equities, will report into the group's head of Pacific Basin equities, Mike Hanbury-Williams.Hickey has previously worked for Edinburgh Fund Managers, Commerz International Capital Management in Tokyo and Scottish Equitable.

  • Fee spirit

    5 May 2005

    Axa Management and Training management consultant Simon Olive says clients are willing to pay a fee for advice in return for peace of mind, a trusted relationship and a value-added service and advisers can profit by cutting their admin burden and concentrating on a smaller client base paying a retainer.

  • Fidelity Investments - Fidelity Funds Euro Bond Fund

    10 May 2005

    Type: SicavUpdate: Total expense ratio reduced to 0.95% from 1.15%Tel: 0800 414124

  • Forbes white-labels Standard Sipp

    5 May 2005

    Alexander Forbes Financial Services is offering a white-labelled version of the Standard Life Sipp.

  • Free PFS advice service helping the wrong client

    5 May 2005

    As a member of the old LIA until last December, I have followed the changing face of the organisation as the new Personal Finance Society.

  • Friends pension sales leap by 24 per cent

    4 May 2005

    Friends Provident saw UK pension business rise 24 per cent in the first quarter from 46.2m last year to 57.3m.

  • Friends Provident gets activ

    6 May 2005

    Friends Provident has designed a unit-linked fund of funds for its group pension range which combines actively managed funds with a passively managed fund.

  • Fry quits Premier after two decades

    5 May 2005

    Structured product innovator Jonathan Fry has unexpectedly quit as joint chief executive of Premier Asset Management.

  • FSA boosts Edinburgh staff to cope with wider role

    5 May 2005

    The FSA is more than doubling its staff in Edinburgh to cope with mortgage and general insurance regulation and increase its presence in Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland.

  • FSA called on to name Freemasons

    5 May 2005

    The FSA has been asked to publish a list of Freemasons on its staff by IFA Defence Union chief Evan Owen.

  • FSA is acting against the public interest

    5 May 2005

    The FSA claims it is in the public interest not to disclose communications between it and the Treasury on the 1 per cent price cap.

  • FSA tells IF to review exit fees

    4 May 2005

    Intelligent Finance has been forced to review its exit fee charges after the FSA viewed its wording as unfair to customers. IFs terms allowed it to unilaterally increase its exit charge for mortgages within the all-in-one account. This was criticised by the FSA for using terms viewed as unjust. IF says it has worked with the FSA to address these concerns and has inserted new wording to its terms and conditions.

  • Fund industry digs in heels on disclosure

    5 May 2005

    Investment professionals are backing IMA resistance to disclosing both reductions in yield and total expense ratios in literature.

  • Fund stars are hit hard as Marconi share price halves

    5 May 2005

    Invesco Perpetual took a 100m hit last week as Mar- coni's share price crashed.

  • Gang of four

    5 May 2005

    The ball really is rolling on trust taxation reform. This, combined with the relatively new changes driven by the Trustee Act 2000, makes trustee investment a very interesting area for advisers to be engaged in if they have relationships with the professionals who are the gatekeepers to trustee investment business - solicitors and accountants.

  • GE Life slashes lifetime mortgage rate to 6.69%

    5 May 2005

    GE Life is cutting its lifetime mortgage interest rate from 7.19 to 6.69 per cent, making it one of the most competitive products in the market.

  • Halifax predicts a stagnant UK housing market

    9 May 2005

    Halifax is advising homeowners of the stagnant UK housing market, announcing house prices have not moved at all throughout April.

  • Hartford goes for gold

    6 May 2005

    Hartford LifeHartford Gold Flexible Investment Bond

  • Hatch joins M:Communications

    4 May 2005

    Louise Hatch, one of the four founding partners of financial services public relations company Penrose Financial, is joining M:Communications.

  • Howard quits as Tory leader

    6 May 2005

    Michael Howard has announced his decision to quit as Conservative leader after failing to stop Labour winning an historic third term.However Howard says he will stay on until the party commits to a new way of electing its leader after criticism of this process in the past.

  • IFAs achieve 95 per cent A-day pass rate

    9 May 2005

    Just under 95 per cent of candidates sitting the first Pensions Simplification Update Programme examination achieved a pass, according to the CII.Results issued this week to candidates who sat the exam in April reveal that 288 passed the exam unit. The CII has already received a further 2000 entries for the remaining exam sessions this year.The Update Programme was launched in February to help advisers prepare for the new pensions simplification regime that comes into effect ...

  • IFAs achieve 95 per cent A-day pass rate

    9 May 2005

    Just under 95 per cent of candidates sitting the first Pensions Simplification Update Programme examination achieved a pass, according to the CII.

  • Iimia chief Greenwood claims STS is defying logic by fighting against bids

    5 May 2005

    Iimia chief investment officer Nick Greenwood says the board of Securities Trust of Scotland is fighting against logic in the drawn-out sage of fending off bids.

  • Income cover ASU like it

    5 May 2005

    Instead of making a choice between protection products, it could be worthwhile to combine them.

  • 'Income protection needs big overhaul'

    5 May 2005

    Income protection needs urgent simplification, says industry consultancy Le Beau Visage.

  • Independent view - Peter Hargreaves

    5 May 2005

    As in all legislation where somebody tries to cover all the bases, they inevitably find out that it is impossible to do so and when it is a desperate Government trying such a ruse, they eventually revert to common law.

  • Intelligent Finance - Offset Tracker 500

    9 May 2005

    Intelligent FinanceOffset Tracker 500

  • Investec seeks economies as it merges offshore fund ranges

    5 May 2005

    Investec Asset Management is merging its 264m Guernsey-based international accumulation fund range into its 1.51bn global strategy range to avoid duplication.

  • Investors unimpressed by election result

    6 May 2005

    A third of investors feel the general election result is negative according to research from Gartmore.The survey of professional and active investors, in conjunction with Citywire, shows only 30 per cent think Labours third term will have a positive effect on the economy.29 per cent believe it will have a negative effect and 39 per cent remain completely ambivalent towards who is in power and their relationship with the economy.Gartmore senior investment manager UK equities ...

  • Is Threadneedle getting the point?

    5 May 2005

    Management moves and fund charge rises have thrust Threadneedle into the investment spotlight.

  • Isn't it time we gave with-profits a fair hearing?

    5 May 2005

    I read with interest the front-page article in Money Marketing's April 21 issue - IFAs told to cover their backs on with-profits. Some of the points made in the piece are valid but painting such a wholly negative picture about with-profits hardly seems to be constructive or helpful for IFAs and their clients.

  • JP Morgan axes Fleming brand across Europe

    5 May 2005

    JP Morgan is to drop its Fleming brand across Europe, becoming JP Morgan Asset Management as it aligns the UK arm with changes already made in America.

  • Kleinwort Benson Private Bank - Hybrid Certificate

    5 May 2005

    Kleinwort Benson Private BankHybrid Certificate

  • Labour wins third term but suffers in key marginal seats

    6 May 2005

    Labour has won an historic third term in this year's general election, but suffered a series of defeats in key marginal electorates.

  • Land Registry releases Q1 figures today

    10 May 2005

    The housing market slowdown is hitting sales of lower priced homes harder than more expensive properties, according to Q1 figures released from the Land Registry today.

  • Leeds & Holbeck Building Society - Non-Conforming Two Year Fixed Rate

    6 May 2005

    Leeds & Holbeck Building SocietyNon-Conforming Two Year Fixed Rate

  • Lime in deal to broaden general insurance range

    5 May 2005

    Lime, the Tenet Group's mortgage and general insurance arm, is signing a deal with Callbruce to expand its commercial general insurance range.

  • Matrix Corporate Finance - World Golf Systems EIS

    6 May 2005

    Matrix Corporate FinanceWorld Golf Systems EIS

  • Merrill Lynch launches first "hedge fund style" unit trust

    5 May 2005

    Merrill Lynch is launching what it claims is the first long/short hedge fund style fund aimed at retail investors.The Merrill Lynch UK absolute alpha fund is the first fund in this country to take advantage of Ucits regulations to allow conventional long-only only investments alongside short-selling of stocks where it considers a stock price will decline.The fund is managed by Mark Lyttleton and aims to achieve a positive return for investors in all market conditions. Unlike a ...

  • Merrill takes long with the short

    10 May 2005

    Merril Lynch Investment Managers has introduced the UK absolute alpha fund a unit trust that takes full advantage of the Ucits III regulations.

  • Money Marketing makes the headlines with triple victory

    5 May 2005

    Money Marketing swept the board at the headlinemoney awards ceremony last week, winning all three trade journalism prizes.

  • Moneyfacts awards Bank of Scotland Intl instant access account

    9 May 2005

    Bank of Scotland International wins the award for best offshore no notice account provider for its instant access savings account from Moneyfacts.

  • Moving story

    5 May 2005

    Premier Mortgage Service managing director John Malone says lenders must adapt products to meet the needs of first-time buyers and first-time sellers.

  • NAB to close 20 per cent of its branch network

    9 May 2005

    National Australia Bank is controversially closing over 20 per cent of its UK branch network, with victims being announced tomorrow.

  • Nationwide - 10 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage

    10 May 2005

    Nationwide10 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage

  • Nationwide ceo Philip Williamson becomes chairman of BSA

    6 May 2005

    Nationwide chief executive Philip Williamson becomes the newly elected chairman of the Building Societies Association for 2005 to 2006.

  • Nationwide takes a longer view

    4 May 2005

    Nationwide10 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage

  • New appointments see SGAM merge retail, marketing and sales

    5 May 2005

    SG Asset Management has appointed Mikkel Bates and Richard Phillips as heads of marketing and sales respectively.

  • New Star moves into Jupiter orbit

    5 May 2005

    New Star is set to overtake chairman John Duffield's previous venture Jupiter after almost doubling its assets under management last year.

  • NU Boosts policies after charge error

    4 May 2005

    Norwich Union will be refunding 70,000 unit linked fund policyholders after discovering not all its charges were correctly disclosed. The move will see policyholders given an increase in their policy value averaging 90. NU will be writing to customers in the next three months to advise them of the refund and when their policy value will be increased.

  • NU brings Indian call staff in-house

    5 May 2005

    Norwich Union is bringing its 1,000 Indian call-centre staff in-house in a move that will enable it to bypass a potential tax charge.

  • NU cutting term cover premiums

    5 May 2005

    Norwich Union is cutting term insurance premiums by up to 5 per cent.

  • NU turns to whole of life

    5 May 2005

    Norwich Union aims to combat competition in the protection market with the launch of a non-profit whole-of-life product.

  • Out of context

    5 May 2005

    "I am Standard life through and through. If you cut my arm off, it would say Standard Life and I want that same commitment from the directors." - A passionate Standard Life policyholder at the firm's AGM.

  • Pension cash could switch to US after tax change

    5 May 2005

    Pension investors can escape Gordon Brown's tax raid by investing in US equities following a change in tax policy, says Standard Life marketing technical manager John Lawson.

  • PFS warns IFAs failing to offer option for fees

    5 May 2005

    IFAs are neglecting the obligation to provide customers with a fee option under the menu and could face a fine from the FSA, PFS public affairs director John Ellis warns.

  • Platform - Self-Certification Five-Year Fixed Rate

    9 May 2005

    PlatformSelf-Certification Five-Year Fixed Rate

  • Positive Solutions aims to be biggest IFA in UK

    5 May 2005

    Positive Solutions claims it will be the biggest UK IFA firm by size by the end of this year, expecting to reach a total of 1,700 registered individuals.

  • Pru to go it alone with lifetime loan

    5 May 2005

    Prudential is set to end its relationship with Northern Rock for equity release and launch its own lifetime mortgage.

  • Pru's Byford moves to Webline

    4 May 2005

    Prudential ebusiness strategy manager Adam Byford is to join Webline after 15 years at the provider.

  • Raising the stakes

    5 May 2005

    How do I develop more high-value clients into my business? Nick Kelly and Neill Shillito try to find the answer.

  • Rates on hold for another month

    9 May 2005

    The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee has decided to leave rates on hold for another month.

  • Reit petite

    5 May 2005

    Sonia Speedy looks at the prospects for real estate investment trusts and finds that building critical mass could prove difficult

  • Revenue fails to close tax-free cash loophole

    5 May 2005

    The Inland Revenue has left open a loophole in the Finance Act 2004 that enables some pensioners to double their tax-free cash allowance.

  • Reversion business set to soar

    5 May 2005

    The home-reversion market will grow to 10 to 20 per cent of the equity-release market next year, claims Grainger Trust managing director Peter Couch.

  • Roar with the Lions

    5 May 2005

    Your chance to win fantastic sporting trips every month in a superb promotion being run by First Active

  • Rooftop Mortgages introduces right-to-buy schemes to its product range

    6 May 2005

    Rooftop Mortgages extends its product range with a series of right to buy schemes.

  • RU64 confusion blamed for NU pension slump

    5 May 2005

    Norwich Union has blamed much of its 15 per cent first-quarter slump in pension sales on continuing confusion over the FSA's RU64 requirements.

  • S&P launches tool for assessing risk of sponsor default

    10 May 2005

    Standard & Poors is launching a tool to help pension fund trustees to carry out a risk assessment of their pension funds sponsoring company.

  • Savills property guide to Sipps

    4 May 2005

    Savills Private Finance is launching a guide to putting residential property in a Sipp called Guide to Residential Property in Pensions.

  • Schroders - Schroder US Small & Mid Cap Fund

    4 May 2005

    SchrodersSchroder US Small & Mid Cap Fund

  • Schroders' plea to ease SME burden

    5 May 2005

    Schroders fund manager Andy Brough is sending out a plea for action to help small and medium-sized business.

  • ScotEq and Winterthur revamp for Sipp boom

    5 May 2005

    Competition in the Sipp market is intensifying with Scottish Equitable and Winterthur revamping their products ahead of the anticipated sales surge.

  • SEI targeting UK retail market in link with Selestia

    5 May 2005

    US multi-manager SEI Investments has added retail share classes to its UK manager of managers range, which IFAs can access through the Selestia platform.

  • Sesame increases fees for its members by 10%

    5 May 2005

    Sesame is raising charges for members by 10 per cent.

  • Short in the act

    5 May 2005

    Baring Asset Management London marketing director Ian Pascal on how Ucits III has opened the door for investors to short the market

  • Simple pension seminars

    5 May 2005

    James Hay Consultancy is running a series of half- day seminars covering the impact of pension simplification on directors' pension schemes.

  • Sipp investors planning to move into buy to let

    5 May 2005

    Two-thirds of Sipp investors plan to use the pension wrapper to buy residential property, according to a survey of Sippdeal users.

  • Skandia offers active protection

    5 May 2005

    Skandias protected portfolio investment range provides capital growth linked to an equally weighted portfolio of five externally managed funds with varying degrees of capital protection and return over a five year term.

  • Skipton launches new fixed rate bonds in Pick N Mix range

    9 May 2005

    Skipton Building Society is launching a range of fixed rate bonds all at 5.3 per cent gross per annum.

  • Skipton ponders return to share dealing

    5 May 2005

    Skipton Building Society is considering re-entering the share-dealing market.

  • Sparks fly over Tilly move

    5 May 2005

    There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth in financial services journalistic circles with the news that one of the most stylish and sparky PRs on the circuit, Ms Tilly von Twickel, was to quit Penrose to go to corporate PR outfit M:Communications where she may grace these pages and the party circuit less.

  • Standard English

    5 May 2005

    Standard Life group chief executive Sandy Crombie managed to stick his size 10s in his mouth several times at the firm's post-AGM press conference last week.

  • Stewart Ritchie on pensions

    5 May 2005

    Most of the attention on post-retirement changes from A-day has focused on income withdrawal and Alternatively Secured Pensions, but the changes to annuities merit serious consideration. The Inland Revenue plan to change the way annuities will work in the new pensions tax simplification regime after April 6 2006. The primary legislation for these changes is in Finance Act 2005.

  • Surveyors see rising confidence for commercial rents

    5 May 2005

    Rent rise expectations for commercial property are at their highest for four years, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

  • Take the politics out of pensions with dream team

    5 May 2005

    Whether you think it is an actual crisis or a perceived one, there is no doubt that Britain is in the grip of a crisis of confidence in pensions that has the potential to be crippling if it is not tackled head-on.

  • The IFP's view

    5 May 2005

    One of the fascinating things about the International FPSB meeting that I have just been attending in Cape Town is the level of different regulation around the world and the impact on certified financial planner professionals.

  • The starting grid

    5 May 2005

    In this article, I will conclude my discussion of some of the main factors which might determine the advisability or otherwise of effecting a transfer from a final-salary pension scheme.

  • TMB launches online conveyancing platform

    10 May 2005

    The Mortgage Business is launching an online conveyancing platform to be ready in the middle of May 2005.

  • Tony Nutt

    5 May 2005

    Jupiter's income fund manager believes in uncovering value and is not impressed by company bosses who aim to make themselves rich at the expense of shareholders.

  • Trade bodies in instalment bid

    4 May 2005

    Trade associations have agreed to work together to agree a common strategy to attempt to persuade the FSA to allow firms to pay their 2005/06 fees and levies by instalments. The decision was made at a meeting held by the FSA in conjunction with the Small Business Practitioner Panel and the FSCS where trade bodies and credit providers were brought together to develop a market solution. Representatives will be meeting with selected providers shortly to negotiate the terms on which finance ...

  • Tri Investments launched by former HSBC AM pensions specialist

    9 May 2005

    Former HSBC Asset Management head of pensions product development Christopher Finch is launching Tri Investments, a new retail and institutional specialist investment business.

  • UK pensions among the lowest in OECD

    5 May 2005

    The UK provides one of the lowest state pensions for employees on average earnings among developed countries.

  • Unexpected demand puts Axa service under strain

    5 May 2005

    Axa has been forced to take action to improve service levels to IFAs after it underestimated business volumes on its new protection product.

  • Webline poaches Pru's Byford

    6 May 2005

    Fromer Prudential e-business strategy manager Adam Byford is joining Webline as head of service strategy.Byford, who had been at Pru for 15 years, will draw on his experience in managing relations with portals and technology suppliers for his new employers. He was also previously chairman of Unipass.

  • Which? report exposes inadequate property valuations

    10 May 2005

    Property valuations can vary by as much as 125,000, suggesting they are stabs in the dark, rather than professional opinions, reveals latest research by Which?

  • Why is FSA trying to keep the cap on the Treasury talks?

    5 May 2005

    The FSA's refusal to reveal its part in the Treasury's decision to set a 1 per cent commission cap on stakeholder products has met with fierce criticism from the industry.

  • Winterthur revamps Sipp ahead of A Day

    4 May 2005

    Winterthur Life has established the flexible self-invested personal pension in anticipation of the changes to the pension rules on A-Day in April 2006.

  • Winterthur Sipp gets a nip and tuck

    10 May 2005

    Winterthur LifeSelf-Invested Personal Pension

  • Woolwich Plan Managers - Accelerated Growth Plan

    4 May 2005

    Woolwich Plan ManagersAccelerated Growth Plan

  • Woolwich plan offers four times FTSE growth

    5 May 2005

    Woolwich Plan Managers is offering investors four times the growth in the FTSE 100 index through its accelerated growth plan.

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