Money Marketing
6 August 2008

  • Morley's Norman joins Credit Suisse

    7 Aug 2008

    Credit Suisse has appointed David Norman to the new position of chief executive of asset management for the UK and Ireland. He was previously director of marketing and products at Morley Fund Management.

  • Openwork picks Hornbuckle Mitchell

    7 Aug 2008

    Openwork has appointed self-directed pension specialist Hornbuckle Mitchell to provide self-invested personal pension services for its investors.

  • £2 Or not £2 is the question

    7 Aug 2008

    If you were told that after 20 years of forgoing 4 per cent of earnings, you were going to increase your income in retirement by only £2 a week, I suspect you might be tempted not to bother. That is what the Department for Work and Pensions has just confirmed that someone on £10,000 a year can expect after two decades auto-enrolled in personal accounts.

  • £3Bn to shore up Rock

    7 Aug 2008

    The Government has had to pump another £3bn into Northern Rock to shore up the firm after it made losses of £585m for the first half of this year.

  • 30 Firms taken to task in FSA mortgage probe

    7 Aug 2008

    Seven small mortgage advisers have been referred for enforcement and a further 23 are required to review customer files following the FSA's second quality of advice review.

  • 600 advisers register for Pos Sol learning academy in three days

    6 Aug 2008

    Almost 600 IFA partners have registered for membership of the Positive Solutions Learning Academy in its first three days since launch.

  • A&L profits slump to 2m

    7 Aug 2008

    Alliance & Leicester's profits fell by 99 per cent in the first half of this year to 2m, down from 295m in the same period last year.

  • Abbey loses precipice bond plea

    7 Aug 2008

    Abbey has failed in its bid to challenge the Financial Services Compensation Scheme's legal authority to sue the firm for £21m for alleged precipice bond misselling.

  • Absolute appetite

    7 Aug 2008

    As the credit crunch continues to hit funds, investor demand for absolute return offerings has continued to soar.

  • Absolute return move by Gartmore

    7 Aug 2008

    Gartmore is merging its UK high alpha and global high alpha funds to form the multi-manager absolute return fund.

  • Advisers bemused as Channel Islands miss out on top rating

    7 Aug 2008

    Advisers have hit out at the European Union for its decision not to place Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man on the white list of countries with top anti-money-laundering standards.

  • Advisers split on professional body to watch over standards

    7 Aug 2008

    Nearly 70 per cent of adv- isers believe they can ach- ieve a diploma-standard qualification within three years and 83 per cent within five years.

  • Aegon UK reveals 22% fall in pre-tax underlying earnings

    7 Aug 2008

    Aegon has announced a 22 per cent fall in pre-tax underlying earnings for the first half of 2008.

  • AHIPPs deputy director-general to head BSA’s new mortgage team

    12 Aug 2008

    The Building Societies Association has recruited Association of Home Information Pack Providers deputy director-general Paul Broadhead to the position of head of mortgage policy.

  • AIG reveals £2.68bn losses

    7 Aug 2008

    American Insurance Group has recorded losses of £2.68bn during the second quarter of 2008.

  • ALIL hires internally for acting joint managing directors

    12 Aug 2008

    Alliance & Leicester International has appointed Simon Nuttall and Simon Ripton as acting joint managing directors.

  • Aon says regulation threatens transfers

    7 Aug 2008

    Aon Consulting is warning that additional unnecessary regulation surrounding defined-benefit pension transfers could force firms to withdraw transfer options.

  • Assureweb launches equity release service

    6 Aug 2008

    Assureweb is to launch a new equity release comparison service in association with Ship.

  • Aussie software firm joins Aifa

    7 Aug 2008

    Australian software company Logic 100, which offers UK IFAs access to an holistic financial planning platform, has joined Aifa as an affiliate member.

  • Axa distribution expands team

    7 Aug 2008

    Axa distribution services has appointed Richard Lloyd as investment marketing manager.

  • Axa UK profits up 14%

    7 Aug 2008

    Axa UK & Ireland has reported a 14 per cent increase in underlying earnings from £160 million for the first half of 2007 to £183 million for the same period this year.

  • Bank votes for rate hold at 5%

    7 Aug 2008

    The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has voted to keep the Base Rate at 5 percent.

  • Barclays reveals ‘acutely disappointing’ 33% losses

    7 Aug 2008

    Barclays have revealed profit are down a third in the first half of 2008 thanks to credit crunch debt writedowns.

  • Barclays Wealth gets set for global titans

    7 Aug 2008

    Barclays Wealth is to widen its protected investments range with a launch of a glo- bal titans product.

  • Baring Emerging Europe appoints non executive director

    11 Aug 2008

    Baring Emerging Europe has appointed Jonathan Woollett as a non-executive director.

  • 'Bestinvest was in the frame to buy Pantheon'

    7 Aug 2008

    Bestinvest was one of the firms to bid for IFA Panth- eon Financial before Friends Provident dropped plans to sell the business, Money Marketing understands.

  • Birkett plea to Prestbury shareholders against his removal

    11 Aug 2008

    Prestbury chief executive officer Lee Birkett has written to shareholders urging them to vote against the resolution to remove him and his mother, finance director Lynne Birkett, from their roles.

  • Bonds have more funds

    7 Aug 2008

    The torrid time for equities has by and large continued. The UK market has recovered from the losses of three weeks ago but we have seen some really vicious sector rotation, causing problems for equity managers.

  • Bright Grey 12 per cent down on new business

    7 Aug 2008

    Protection specialist Bright Grey has recorded a 12 per cent drop in new business during the first half of 2008.

  • Broker Talkback

    7 Aug 2008

    Is the Financial Services Compensation Scheme right to chase Abbey for precipice bond misselling costs where the adviser firm has gone bust?

  • Brokers wary of absolute future

    7 Aug 2008

    The future prospects of many absolute return funds have been questioned by advisers who believe there are better investment opportunities in the short and long term.

  • Canada Life International expands fund range

    11 Aug 2008

    Canada Life International has launched five new Fortis Investments funds.

  • Case for the defence

    7 Aug 2008

    It should be made clear that at no stage have I accused Adam Samuel of showing any sympathy for the Pickerings and their legal battles against the Financial Ombudsman Service.

  • CII to offer BS ISO 22222 certification

    12 Aug 2008

    The CII Group has become an approved assessor of the BS ISO 22222 financial planner certification.

  • CML reports 19,000 repossessions in 2008

    8 Aug 2008

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders have revealed there has been nearly 19,000 home repossessions in the UK so far this year.

  • Collins Stewart Wealth profits drop

    12 Aug 2008

    Collins Stewart Wealth Management announces falls in revenue and operating profits for the first half but remains positive in light of difficult trading conditions.

  • Conflicts of interest

    7 Aug 2008

    The relevant property regime for inher-itance tax, incor-porating entry, periodic and exit charges, is now part of everyday tax planning for those considering the use of trusts with financial services products in estate planning strategies.

  • Cru's Maguire rounds on Dampier over private equity remarks

    11 Aug 2008

    Cru chairman Jon Maguire has called on Hargreaves Lansdown head of research Mark Dampier to explain his comments with regards to the CF Arch cru portfolio.

  • Defence mechanism

    7 Aug 2008

    I am a moderator on a couple of internet forums. The job generally involves making sure that people behave when responding to each other's comments and observe the rules of that internet community.

  • Defining moment

    7 Aug 2008

    For those of you who have been eagerly awaiting the outcome of the review of the IMA's fixed-income sectors, the wait is over.

  • Delegates divided on referrals

    7 Aug 2008

    A discussion on the merits of general advisers referring retirement clients on to specialists drew differing views from round table delegates.

  • Difference of opinion

    7 Aug 2008

    I have always enjoyed reading Alan Lakey's views and his latest offering is just as stimulating.

  • Dog days for UK equity income

    7 Aug 2008

    Almost half the funds in Bestinvest's latest Spot the Dog survey invest in the UK.

  • 'Don't put RDR on backburner'

    7 Aug 2008

    Lord Adair Turner may shift the FSA's focus away from the retail distribution review and on to the security of the banking system and liquidity issues when he becomes chairman next month, warns Axa.

  • Ever decreasing Qrops circles

    7 Aug 2008

    Beware Qrops or at least be aware that Qrops may change.

  • Ex-critic Carr is joining the Pru

    7 Aug 2008

    Former scourge of Prudential Kevin Carr is to join the provider to help develop its Pru- Protect product.

  • Fannie Mae predicts further slump after £1.17bn loss

    8 Aug 2008

    Fannie Mae has recorded losses of £1.17bn in the second quarter of 2008 - and predicts further losses as US credit markets deteriote.

  • Fears of false boom as Darling hints at shelving stamp duty

    7 Aug 2008

    Brokers have given a mixed response to hints from the Chancellor that he is looking at suspending stamp duty as part of a package of measures to help the mortgage market.

  • For whom the bells toll

    7 Aug 2008

    Picture this. I was chatting with my partner over dinner and the conversation came round to work. My partner asked: "What sort of life cover do you do?" With enthusiasm, I explained a bit about differing types of cover. Perhaps surprisingly, she asked me to explain further, so I talked about LTA, DTA, FIB, CIC, WOL, IP and so on.

  • Former Swiss Re chief hits out at non-disclosure guidance

    7 Aug 2008

    New guidelines for dealing with non-disclosure on insurance policies are too lenient and have created a "claims' drift", warns former Swiss Re head of life and health underwriting Jerry Brown.

  • Fortis UK's profits more than double

    8 Aug 2008

    Fortis UK has recorded profits of £43.3m during the first half of 2008, more than doubling last year's results.

  • Friends appoints global manager

    7 Aug 2008

    Peter Drummond has joined Friends Provident International as international strategic business development and global account manager. He has over 15 years experience in the insurance industry, most recently at Muscat Life Assurance in Oman.

  • Friends profits dive 20%

    7 Aug 2008

    Friends Provident saw its gross underlying profit fall 20 per cent in the first half of this year to £211m, down from £264m at the same time last year.

  • FSA attacks specialist lenders over arrears

    7 Aug 2008

    The FSA has launched a fierce onslaught on specialist lenders, hitting out at their arrears management standards and suggesting several could face enforcement action for irresponsible lending.

  • FSA bans and fines fraudulent mortgage broker £100,000

    11 Aug 2008

    The Financial Services Authority has banned a mortgage broker and fined him £100,000 for submitting false mortgage applications.

  • FSA bans mortgage broker for personal loan application fraud

    12 Aug 2008

    The FSA has banned Doncaster-based mortgage broker Ian James for supplying false documents and overstating his income on a personal loan application.

  • FSA delays RDR feedback statement

    7 Aug 2008

    The FSA has announced that it will delay publishing feedback on the RDR discussion paper until November.

  • FSA finds no proof of share manipulation

    7 Aug 2008

    The FSA says it has not uncovered evidence that market rumours over HBOS were part of a concerted attempt by individuals to profit by manipulating the share price.

  • FSAS director Alistair Mackay to retire

    12 Aug 2008

    Lighthouse Group has announced that Financial Services Advice and Support Limited director Alistair Mackay is to retire at the end of December.

  • Going for gold

    7 Aug 2008

    For the first time since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the US is facing a consumer-driven recession that is having a dramatic impact on the global economy.

  • Halifax offer FTBs leg up onto the property ladder

    6 Aug 2008

    First-time buyers are being given a lifeline by a deposit doubling scheme from Halifax and Persimmon Homes.

  • HBOS sees loan share dive to 7%

    7 Aug 2008

    HBOS's share of net mortgage lending plummeted to 7 per cent for the first half of this year, with profits tumbling by 56 per cent from £2.139bn to £950m.

  • HML appoints sales and development manager

    6 Aug 2008

    Homeloan Management Limited has appointed Stephen Schofield as its sales and development manager.

  • HMRC moves to quell tax fears on CAR

    7 Aug 2008

    HM Revenue & Customs has confirmed that it does not expect advice fees taken out of a pension contract to attract tax penalties if customer-agreed remuneration is introduced.

  • HMRC offshore probe risks punishing many to catch the few, says Grant Thornton

    11 Aug 2008

    HM Revenue & Customs' clampdown on perceived offshore tax evaders is likely to catch legitimate investors in the crossfire, warns business and financial adviser Grant Thornton.

  • IFA sales fall as Widows' bonds are hit by CGT changes

    7 Aug 2008

    Scottish Widows has been hit hard by capital gains tax changes,with a 53 per cent drop in IFA sales of savings and investment products in the first half of this year as insurance bond business suffered.

  • IFP to launch Financial Planning Week next month

    6 Aug 2008

    The Institute of Financial Planning is launching Financial Planning Week next month to raise awareness among consumers about the importance of financial planning.

  • IMA Q2 stats reveal 2% increase in fund of funds

    8 Aug 2008

    Fund of funds remain resilient but sales show increasing diversification amongst investors, according to the IMA's quarterly statistics.

  • Impact assessment

    7 Aug 2008

    Rugby aficionados talk sagely of "impact substitutes". In the world of tax and financial planning, the Chancellor has been an impact substitute par excellence.

  • In-depth knowledge of the issues

    7 Aug 2008

    For your information, I am FCII, Dip PFS, IMAAQ.

  • Industry needs focused regulation, says IMA survey

    8 Aug 2008

    The UK asset management industry needs more focused regulation, not more regulation, according to the latest annual survey from the Investment Management Association.

  • Investec expands Jersey financial intermediaries team

    6 Aug 2008

    Investec Bank has made three appointments to its Jersey financial intermediaries team.

  • Investors flow out of offshore

    7 Aug 2008

    Retail sales of offshore funds saw outflows of 164.7m in June and the total of offshore funds under management fell by 6 per cent compared with the previous month.

  • Jail for broker who traded without licence

    7 Aug 2008

    Mortgage and credit brokers who operate without a licence could face jail sentences, even if their clients have no loss, a court has warned.

  • Just Retirement sees rise and fall

    7 Aug 2008

    Just Retirement group sales rose by 12.8 per cent to 763.5m in the year ending June 30 but suffered a 5.2 per cent year on year drop in business last quarter to 191.8m.

  • L&G profits up by 6%

    7 Aug 2008

    Legal & General's profits rose by 6 per cent in the first half of the year from 589m to 626m on an EEV basis.

  • Lenders must reduce MPPI rates, says British Insurance

    12 Aug 2008

    Lenders should lower MPPI rates to slow down the number of repossessions, says independent provider British Insurance.

  • Little sympathy for the banks

    7 Aug 2008

    The preparation for the retail distribution review is most certainly already beginning. I have recently been called several times by IFA networks asking whether I want to join them to shelter under their umbrella. Such consolidation is made necessary by capital adequacy requirements that are part of the RDR.

  • LivVic must pay back interest on missold PPI

    7 Aug 2008

    Liverpool Victoria Banking Services has been fined £840,000 and could be forced to pay back up to £23m to customers for serious failings in the sale of single-premium payment protection insurance.

  • LVAM launches diversified income fund

    11 Aug 2008

    LV= Asset Management has launched a new diversified income fund.

  • M&G seeks Ucits III powers on bond funds

    7 Aug 2008

    M&G is planning to introduce Ucits III powers across its bond fund range.

  • Matthews says Friends will stick with

    7 Aug 2008

    Friends Provident new chief executive Trevor Matthews, says he has no intention of disposing of Sesame.

  • May the force be with you

    12 Aug 2008

    Tomorrow could see the beginning of a shift in the relationship between Income Protection and mortgage sales as the Income Protection Task Force meets in London to discuss how to encourage more sales of IP from mortgage brokers.

  • Mobius says emerging markets will stay on the rollercoaster

    7 Aug 2008

    Templeton emerging markets investment trust manager Dr Mark Mobius says emerging markets are set for more short-term volatility.

  • MPPI for shared ownership

    7 Aug 2008

    British Insurance is offering a mortgage payment protection insurance policy for homeowners under shared-ownership schemes.

  • New awards look to raise profile of paraplanners

    7 Aug 2008

    The Paraplanner.com is introducing two awards to boost recognition of the paraplanning industry.

  • New marketing head at MetLife

    8 Aug 2008

    MetLife Europe Limited has appointed Claire Oldstein as its UK head of marketing communications.

  • New Star could pump more into Heart of Africa

    7 Aug 2008

    New Star may consider keeping its Heart of Africa fund open past its £100m limit.

  • Now for the good news

    7 Aug 2008

    Since markets were hit by the credit crisis last summer, bonds have priced in a lot of bad news, both real and that which was expected but never materialised. Having suffered considerably more than equities, corporate bonds now look excellent value from an historical perspective. Investment-grade bonds are pricing in four times the last worst period for defaults in 1984.

  • NU cribbed our academy idea, says PosSol's Reeve

    7 Aug 2008

    Positive Solutions chief executive officer Jim Reeve has slammed Norwich Union and says the company copied his idea for a learning academy for advisers.

  • NU orphan cash deal disappoints advisers

    7 Aug 2008

    Advisers feel let down by the Norwich Union £1bn reatt- ribution deal reached last week after nearly two years of talks with policyholder advocate Clare Spottiswoode.

  • Octopus adds three VCTs

    7 Aug 2008

    Octopus Investment has bought three Aim venture capital trusts totalling £65m in assets from Close Investments.

  • One in ten in rent arrears

    11 Aug 2008

    More than one in ten buy-to-let tenants are in rent arrears due to rising costs of living.

  • Painless extraction

    7 Aug 2008

    Combining the CGT annual exemption allowance with the part-disposal calculation of gains under collective investments means the above scenario can easily be achieved and extend beyond the return of the original capital invested.

  • Para planning

    7 Aug 2008

    Tony Blair, remember him, once said the three most important matters for his government were education, education, education. Well, as the RDR rumbles on, it is clear that, apart from remuneration, this will be the key issue in establishing financial advice as a profession.

  • Partnership plans web tools to compare income options

    7 Aug 2008

    The Retirement Partnership is drawing up comparison tables to allow advisers to make simple comparisons between annuities, drawdown and third-way products.

  • Persimmon and Halifax help FTBs

    7 Aug 2008

    Persimmon Homes and Halifax have set out a joint initiative to double first-time buyers' savings for a deposit on a new Persimmon home. Savers must make regular deposits up to a total of £5,000 into a Halifax or Bank of Scotland savings account for a minimum of six months.

  • Personal Touch sees big interest in scheme to widen skills

    7 Aug 2008

    Personal Touch Financial Services has started a programme to train advisers in pensions and investments as well as mortgage brokers looking to become IFAs.

  • Positive charge

    7 Aug 2008

    One idea is the 5 per cent vendor deposit where the seller gives the buyer 5 per cent in cash to help fund the deposit rather than reducing the price by 5 per cent.

  • Positive Solutions launches new conveyancing deals

    11 Aug 2008

    Positive Solutions has launched a range of conveyancing deals allowing advisers to earn up to £200 from referrals.

  • Power absolute

    6 Aug 2008

    With the credit crunch celebrating its first birthday the search for a safe haven has seen absolute return funds rise to become the biggest thing on many an adviser’s radar.

  • PPF reveals rise in scheme shortfalls to £80.1bn

    12 Aug 2008

    The Pension Protection Fund estimates pension schemes faced a total £80.1bn shortfall at the end of July, up from a £63.1bn shortfall the previous month.

  • PPI investigation hasn't halted MPPI sales, says TMA

    6 Aug 2008

    The Competition Commission’s investigation into PPI has not had a negative effect on MPPI sales, according to a survey by The Mortgage Alliance.

  • Principal believes funds can meet IMA yield

    7 Aug 2008

    Principal Investment Management expects all the 12 funds on its equity income white list to meet the IMA's new yield definition by the January deadline, despite 11 funds currently falling below the target.

  • Product providers misusing TCF, says Milburn

    7 Aug 2008

    Some product providers are using treating customers fairly as a marketing tool to increase business volumes without signing up to the principles behind the initiative, claims Munich Re.

  • Property expert calls on Government not to ignore commercial market

    7 Aug 2008

    Property expert Bridging Finance has called on the Government not to ignore the commercial property sector while it considers a freeze on stamp duty.

  • Prudential postcode annuity move marks tipping point, says Hargreaves Lansdown

    11 Aug 2008

    Prudential’s decision to offer postcode rated annuities marks a tipping point in the market trend towards individualised annuities, says Hargreaves Lansdown.

  • PSigma Investment Management to manage PS balanced managed FoFs

    6 Aug 2008

    PSigma Investment Management has announced it is to manage the PSigma balanced managed fund of funds on behalf of PSigma Unit Trust Managers.

  • Qrops confusion mars the market

    7 Aug 2008

    International adviser Abbey Expatriate Services has warned that Qrops are a misselling scandal waiting to happen due to a lack of Government information and the poor quality of offshore brokers.

  • RBS reveals ‘regrettable’ losses of £691m

    8 Aug 2008

    Royal Bank of Scotland has reported pre-tax loss of £691 million during the first half of 2008.

  • Recovery position

    7 Aug 2008

    House prices have been falling since last October, according to Nationwide's house price index. They have declined every month since and are now 9 per cent off the peak.

  • Red hot Chile prospects

    7 Aug 2008

    New Star International sales manager James Rushmere says there are major opportunities to invest in South American financials.

  • Resolution in new Argonaut launch

    7 Aug 2008

    Resolution is introducing a European absolute alpha fund via its Argonaut joint venture. It will be run by Barry Norris and Oliver Russ.

  • Richard Stevenson

    7 Aug 2008

    Focus Solutions chief executive Richard Stevenson has seen his career in the IT industry take him round the world but his decision to get involved in the business was only partly premeditated.

  • Rize and fall

    7 Aug 2008

    Operation Rize, the Metropolitan Police's raid on safe deposit boxes at three London locations, has produced a succession of ever more sensational headlines since news of the story broke at the start of June.

  • Rose aims for marzipan slice with Chadney Bulgin merger

    7 Aug 2008

    Philip Rose's pension advisory firm Chandos Rose is to merge with Hampshire IFA company Chadney Bulgin.

  • Royal London reveals shape of combined international business

    12 Aug 2008

    Royal London, the UK’s largest mutual life and pensions company has appointed David Kneeshaw as chief executive of its combined international business.

  • RSA profits up 9 per cent

    8 Aug 2008

    RSA Insurance Group has recorded a 9 per cent rise in profits for the first half of 2008.

  • Saffron launches mortgage brokerage

    12 Aug 2008

    Saffron Building Society has created its own mortgage intermediary, Saffron Mortgage Brokers.

  • ScotLife Intl seals deal with Allfunds Bank

    7 Aug 2008

    Scottish Life International has signed a deal with Allfunds Bank to link its international products to the fund range.

  • Simple sample

    7 Aug 2008

    If you want to take the temperature of corporate Britain, now is a good time to assess the effect of the credit crunch and the economic slowdown.

  • Skandia moves existing MultiFunds business to Selestia Investment Solutions

    11 Aug 2008

    Skandia is to transfer existing business from its Skandia MultiFunds platform onto its Selestia Investment Solutions platform.

  • Skandia net client cash flow down 54%

    6 Aug 2008

    Skandia UK and Offshore has seen net client cash flows plummet 54 per cent to £1.1bn for the first half of the year, compared to £2.4bn for the same period last year.

  • Stand your ground

    7 Aug 2008

    There was probably a quiet celebration in the offices of the Financial Ombudsman Service in South Quay Plaza in London after recent wins in the Court of Appeal involving the long-running dispute with IFA firm Heather Moor & Edgecomb.

  • Standard Life profits up 51 per cent

    6 Aug 2008

    Standard Life’s gross operating profit jumped 51 per cent to £534m in the first half of this year, compared to £353m in 2007.

  • 'Structured products

    7 Aug 2008

    Structured products and exchange traded funds could eventually wipe out the need for fund managers, claims Barclays Wealth director Colin Dickie.

  • Swip appoints European MD

    7 Aug 2008

    Christian Elsmark has joined Scottish Widows Investment Partnership as managing director of Europe. He was previously managing director at FundQuest, the multi-management business of BNP Paribas Investment Partners.

  • Swiss Re buys Barclays life business for £753m

    7 Aug 2008

    Barclays has sold its life insurance arm to Swiss Re for £753m, making the bank £330m in profit.

  • Syndicate adds two more IFA acquisitions

    7 Aug 2008

    Syndicate Asset Management has continued its acquisition of IFA firms by buying St Andrews Asset Management and Pagan Osborne Independent Financial Advisers.

  • The Hartford appoints Marc Lieberman as European CEO

    11 Aug 2008

    The Hartford has appointed Marc Lieberman as president and chief executive officer of European operations.

  • The offshore Fof route

    7 Aug 2008

    With the British weather so unpredictable, it is understandable that many advisers will be going offshore in the coming weeks for some well earned rest but, from an investment perspective, going offshore is often less appealing. The Cayman Islands might sound like a nice holiday destination but are you comfortable putting your clients' money there?

  • The pot thickens

    7 Aug 2008

    I am aged 40 and have accrued 17 years in a final-salary pension scheme. I am still in the same employment and my salary is now £150,000. I am currently making AVC contributions of £600 a month. How do I assess if this is the most sensible form of retirement saving, bearing in mind the new lifetime allowance?

  • Third of brokers plan to sell more protection business, says Astra

    11 Aug 2008

    A third of brokers are planning to sell more protection business as a way of dealing with the credit crunch, according to a survey by Astra Mortgages.

  • TMA launches Abbey semi-exclusive

    12 Aug 2008

    The Mortgage Alliance has launched a two-year semi-exclusive tracker mortgage funded by Abbey for Intermediaries.

  • Tories attack Darling’s stamp duty ‘denial’

    8 Aug 2008

    The Conservatives have blamed the Government’s uncertainty over proposed stamp duty levies as the reason for more housing market chaos.

  • Towergate buys M2 Financial

    7 Aug 2008

    Towergate Financial has bought Nottingham-based M2 Financial. Mark Howard will remain as managing director, with M2 becoming Towergate's East Midlands regional business.

  • Trade body could help with HMRC

    7 Aug 2008

    A trade body made up of advisers and product providers dealing with Qrops is required to lobby for the interests of the sector, claims international pension adviser Panthera.

  • UK house prices slip further

    7 Aug 2008

    Halifax has revealed that UK house prices have slipped a further 1.7 percent in July 2008.

  • UK inflation hits 4.4% in July

    12 Aug 2008

    The UK inflation rate rose to 4.4 per cent in July meaning it is now more than double the Government’s 2 per cent target.

  • Wealth and safety

    7 Aug 2008

    Keydata has produced a highly attractive plan called the 100 per cent capital protected growth plan. It pays 109.5 per cent of the return on the FTSE 100 index with no upper growth limit over a period of six years, with 100 per cent capital protection.

  • Widows lifts restrictions on its property funds

    7 Aug 2008

    Scottish Widows is to remove the six-month notice periods on its life and pension property funds from August 18.

  • With-profits business trebles for Pru

    7 Aug 2008

    Prudential has seen a 9 per cent increase in UK operating profits from £462m to £504m for the first half.

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