Money Marketing
8 April 2009

  • £7.6M write-off for Lighthouse Group

    9 Apr 2009

    Lighthouse Group has had to write down £7.6m, with £5.6m directly related to its £12.6m merger with Sumus in May last year.

  • 10 Years of isas

    9 Apr 2009

    Isas are 10 years old this year but rather than reaching the anniversary in rude health, commentators say the products are in need of a revamp if declining sales are to revive.

  • 100 TPR staff to police a million firms

    9 Apr 2009

    The Pensions Regulator plans to have 100 field staff to check one million employers comply with the new pension regulations which take effect in 2012.

  • 1st - The Exchange says IFAs must take "ruthless" approach

    14 Apr 2009

    1st - The Exchange says now is the time for IFA firms to adopt a “ruthless” approach to help them identify profitable clients going forward.

  • 3A reveals holdings in Altin to dispel myth

    9 Apr 2009

    Fund of hedge funds manager 3A has taken the unusual step of disclosing all the holdings in its closed-ended Altin portfolio and this is helping to narrow its discount to net asset value.

  • Abbey - First-Time Buyers Four Year Fixed Rate

    9 Apr 2009

    AbbeyFirst-Time Buyers Four Year Fixed Rate

  • ABI looks at sector for cash stability

    9 Apr 2009

    The Association of British Insurers is consulting on plans for a new fund sector to help consumers choose the right money market fund. It would run in parallel with the money market sector but identify funds with a greater focus on capital stability.

  • Adviser Fund Index: Aggression goes out of style

    9 Apr 2009

    The Adviser Fund Index aggressive index has fallen out of fashion as investors have been punished rather than paid for taking on risk. Over 12 months to March 30, the index dropped by 22.74 per cent, against a fall in the MSCI World index of 20.66 per cent.

  • Aegon paid 93 per cent of IP claims in 2008

    9 Apr 2009

    Aegon Scottish Equitable paid 93 per cent of its income protection claims in 2008, representing a 12 per cent increase on 2007.

  • Alderson takes helm at T Rowe Price

    14 Apr 2009

    Chris Alderson has taken over the role of president and chief executive officer of T Rowe Price International (TRPI) after the retirement of David Warren.

  • Allianz Global Investors - RCM European Equity Income Fund

    9 Apr 2009

    Allianz Global InvesorsRCM European Equity Income Fund

  • Analysis: Japan’s fiscal stimulus

    8 Apr 2009

    The Japanese government has pledged to pump the equivalent of 2% of the country’s GDP into its slowing economy.

  • Another one bites the dust

    8 Apr 2009

    The RDR has been something of a hot potato within the FSA since it was first flagged up in September 2006. Dan Waters has now become the latest regulator to drop the spud.

  • Aon staff pension cut 'next stage of employer withdrawal' - Altmann

    8 Apr 2009

    Aon is slashing contributions to the pensions of its employees who do not choose to make matching payments, a move that has been described as marking the next stage in employers' withdrawal from pensions.

  • Aon to slash pension payments by half

    8 Apr 2009

    Aon Limited is cutting contributions to its workers’ pensions, according to press reports.

  • Arc Capital & income - Accelerated Income Plan

    8 Apr 2009

    Arc Capital & incomeAccelerated Income Plan

  • Arch cell value plunges 30%

    9 Apr 2009

    Arch's fair value estimate for one of the Guernsey-listed cell companies under its cru funds is currently 30 per cent below its last published net asset value, with an average fall of 10-15 per cent.

  • Assets surge in gold and oil ETCs

    8 Apr 2009

    Investors flocked to invest in gold and oil exchange-traded commodities (ETCs) during the first quarter, boosting ETF Securities’ assets under management by 44%.

  • Aviva acquires ING Group's £30m Russian pension business

    14 Apr 2009

    Aviva has bought ING Group's £30m pension fund business and its holding company in Russia.

  • Aviva scraps free staff pension

    9 Apr 2009

    Aviva is to end its free pension for 16,000 staff and will be asking all members to start contributing from July.

  • Axa shifts to fees for GPPs

    9 Apr 2009

    Norwich Union has reaffirmed its commitment to initial commission on group personal pensions as Axa moves to support a fee-based model.

  • Bank holds rate and reaffirms easing strategy

    9 Apr 2009

    The Bank of England has held the base rate at 0.5 per cent and has also reaffirmed its commitment to £75bn of quantitative easing.

  • Barclays sells iShares to CVC for £3bn

    9 Apr 2009

    Barclays has agreed to sell its ETF operation iShares to private equity firm CVC Partners for 3bn.

  • BlackRock - European Absolute Alpha Fund

    8 Apr 2009

    BlackRockEuropean Absolute Alpha Fund

  • BlackRock's sleeping dog could take lead

    9 Apr 2009

    BlackRock managing director Alex Hoctor-Duncan says the firm's UK equity income fund is the sleeping dog of the sector.

  • Blood line

    9 Apr 2009

    Some things, no matter how unpalatable, are unavoidable. One such bitter pill is that a lack of qualifications makes our profession less attractive to intelligent, young, would-be IFAs.

  • British rates on hold

    9 Apr 2009

    The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has voted to hold interest rates at 0.5%. The last change was a half-point reduction on March 5. In a release, the committee outlined problems still facing the British economy, including depressed consumer confidence, rising unemployment and a sharp drop in output in the fourth quarter of 2008.

  • Broker Talkback

    9 Apr 2009

    Do you think the G20 agreement has done enough to get the global economy on the road to recovery?Yes 63%No 37%

  • Bupa CI offers discounts and partial payouts

    9 Apr 2009

    Bupa Individual Protection is enhancing its critical-illness product with a number of changes.

  • Canada Life wants protection pooling for multi-nationals

    9 Apr 2009

    Canada Life has urged advisers to use pooling on group protection policies for multi-national firms to get a dividend of up to 20 per cent of pooled premiums.

  • CashFac teams up with Altus to deliver STP solution

    14 Apr 2009

    CashFac and Altus have teamed up to deliver a integrated straight through processing solution for pension investment processing.

  • Cautious bull

    9 Apr 2009

    First up, I do apologise for focusing on corporate bonds for the second time in a month - not least because such questionable practice almost certainly contravenes some part of the Geneva Convention. However, it would appear I only gave you half the picture when we touched on the subject last month.

  • Chartwell picks Fundsdirect

    9 Apr 2009

    Chartwell Group has chosen Fundsdirect to launch its Sipp and its investor centre platform, powering its direct investment brokerage and advisory services.

  • Chelsea FS calls on the Chancellor to increase tax relief on VCTs

    8 Apr 2009

    Chelsea Financial Services has called on the Chancellor to increase the level of tax relief on Venture Capital Trusts in the upcoming Budget.

  • Commission more tax efficient for small firms than fees - Aegon

    9 Apr 2009

    Aegon has confirmed its ongoing commitment to offering commission and says it can be a more efficient way for smaller businesses to fund advice.

  • Competitive edge

    9 Apr 2009

    Having previously used Transact to a limited extent, we started to use them more extensively in 2006 when we switched our equity fund recommendations from actively managed to passively managed funds.

  • Consulting Consortium and Competent Adviser to launch joint RDR package

    8 Apr 2009

    The Consulting Consortium and Competent Adviser have joined forces to develop an RDR package of learning and assessment solutions to help firms understand and comply with the FSA’s RDR requirements.

  • Cru awakening

    9 Apr 2009

    or every adviser reciting "I told you so," there is another who believes the suspension of the cru funds is a result of a witch-hunt by the press, the authorised corporate director and the list goes on. Even God has been pulled into this debate.

  • Cru chief says he has hit 'wall of silence'

    9 Apr 2009

    Cru founder Jon Maguire says there has been “a complete breakdown” between cru and Arch’s managing partner Robin Farrell and head of fund platforms Robert Addison.

  • Cru’s Maguire writes to Chancellor

    8 Apr 2009

    Cru founder Jon Maguire has penned a letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling questioning the roles of ARCH, Capita and the FSA in the suspension of the £400m Arch cru fund range.

  • Darling will get tougher on tax in Budget

    9 Apr 2009

    Stronger enforcement of existing taxes and anti-avoidance measures are likely to be a central focus of the Budget, says tax specialist Baker Tilly.

  • Deficit of DB schemes deepens to £242bn

    14 Apr 2009

    The Pensions Protection Fund says the deficit of defined benefit pension schemes has worsened from a deficit of £205bn at end of February to £242bn at end of March.

  • Demand grows for gilt-backed products

    9 Apr 2009

    Demand for gilt-backed structured products will grow but providers will have a challenge pricing them in the low-interest-rate environment, says AWD Chase de Vere senior manager Jason Walker.

  • Direct products go live on Trigold

    8 Apr 2009

    Trigold has now upgraded its sourcing system to display direct products offered by lenders.

  • Draw align

    9 Apr 2009

    Last week, I considered the current momentum, both for businesses and individuals, behind accessing value and reducing costs. I linked the potential importance of tax reduction through planning to this growing phenomenon and suggested that advisers seeking to have profitable conversations with existing and potential new clients should, in deciding what communication initiatives to lead with, seriously consider alignment with these strong underlying demands.

  • Dual purpose

    9 Apr 2009

    Advisers are calling on lenders to be up front about their dual-pricing strategies.

  • Europe gets tough on offshore bonds

    9 Apr 2009

    The European Commission is set to crack down on offshore bonds, with UK insurers forced to install expensive cross-border reporting systems to increase transparency or slap a 10 per cent compulsory life cover on policies.

  • Fed minutes reveal downbeat outlook

    9 Apr 2009

    Yesterday’s publication of the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting held on March 17-18 reveals a downbeat short-term outlook for the American economy.

  • Fees frame

    9 Apr 2009

    Paying for performance is under increased scrutiny as fund management houses look to justify fund charges in light of steep losses felt by investors. While top-performing funds may be able to command or maintain a higher charge, the pressure on fees will be felt on those which have underperformed. With equity markets still struggling to advance significantly, this trend is likely to accelerate.

  • Firm recently fined by FSA is market maker for Arch cru cells

    8 Apr 2009

    Fined share trader Winterflood Securities is the market maker for the Arch cru Guernsey investment cells, it has been revealed.

  • First electronically signed mortgage hailed

    14 Apr 2009

    The Land Registry is hailing an important step in the UK mortgage market with the completion of the first mortgage to be signed electronically.

  • Fitch downgrades Irish banks

    9 Apr 2009

    Fitch Ratings has downgraded both the Allied Irish Bank and the Bank of Ireland as it predicts further government bailouts.

  • Fitch keeps an eye on Abbey’s collection agency

    14 Apr 2009

    Fitch has warned that the inexperience of the collections company hired by Abbey to service its residential mortgage portfolio may affect its securitisation vehicle.

  • Fortis may look at link-up ventures

    9 Apr 2009

    Fortis Life UK is looking to team up with other distribution companies to launch protection plans following its initiative with Lifesearch.

  • Fortunes turning for Luckraft?

    8 Apr 2009

    The first glimmer of hope has appeared for investors in George Luckraft’s Axa Framlington Monthly Income and Equity Income funds as performance begins to turn.

  • FSA allows electronic consent for transfer of investment fund units

    9 Apr 2009

    Fund managers are now permitted to sell or transfer units held in an authorised investment fund with electronic instruction from investors, according to the FSA.

  • FSA defends £200,000 Christmas party spending spree

    14 Apr 2009

    The Financial Services Authority has defended it decision to spend over £200,000 on three Christmas parties, claiming it was good for staff morale.

  • FSA fee rise cannot be justified

    9 Apr 2009

    An open letter to the FSA

  • FSA RDR chief Dan Waters moves to new role in shake-up

    8 Apr 2009

    FSA head of the RDR Dan Waters is to step aside as part of a major internal restructure at the regulator.

  • FSA to host pension switching seminars for compliance consultants

    9 Apr 2009

    In May the FSA is hosting training seminars for compliance consultants in London and Dudley on its expectations in regards to pensions switching.

  • FSA to investigate RBS and HBOS

    14 Apr 2009

    The FSA is to launch a formal investigation into the events that led to the collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS, according to press reports.

  • FSA's annuity listings are misleading, say life offices

    9 Apr 2009

    Prudential has suggested that the FSA should scrap individual providers' listings of annuity rates on its Money Made Clear website, arguing that the information is misleading.

  • FTSE breaks through 4,000 barrier

    14 Apr 2009

    The FTSE returned from Easter break with renewed vigour breaking through the 4,000 barrier in early trades.

  • FTSE slides in early trading

    8 Apr 2009

    The FTSE 100 opened at 3,904, over 25 points lower on the previous session as further losses continued in the banking sector.

  • FTSE slips 1 per cent on week

    9 Apr 2009

    The FTSE 100 closed 1.1 per cent lower on Monday's open of 4029.67 to close at 3983.71 despite buoyant trading in financials.

  • Fund managers turn to technology

    9 Apr 2009

    Fund managers have increased their exposure to technology and telecoms after seeing an uplift in performance.

  • G20 turns to blacklist in haven clampdown

    9 Apr 2009

    G20 leaders have pledged to clamp down on non co-operative jurisdictions and tax havens using a blacklist from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development as their starting point.

  • Gaining useful Insight on income

    8 Apr 2009

    Insight Investment has launched Insight UK equity income booster, a UK equity income fund that uses derivatives to boost income and reduce volatility.

  • Gee heads marcoms for T Bailey

    9 Apr 2009

    Fund of funds specialist T Bailey has recruited Philippa Gee to head its marketing and communications team. Gee was investments director at IFA firm Torquil Clark.

  • Government told to get grip on banks to lend

    9 Apr 2009

    Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable has slammed the Government's "arm's-length" approach to overseeing nationalised banks.

  • Govt set to change Sipps policy on remortgages

    14 Apr 2009

    HM Revenue & Customs will allow people with mortgages above 50 per cent within a Sipp to restructure or re-mortgage without suffering a tax penalty, according to the Association of member directed pension schemes.

  • Green could turn gold

    9 Apr 2009

    Investors are sticking with ethical investments despite the recession.

  • Hargreave Hale launches Sipp for active investors

    14 Apr 2009

    Hargreave Hale has launched a self invested personal pension with no annual charge for active investors.

  • Henderson reveals £4.24m New Star lock-ins and confirms manager moves

    9 Apr 2009

    Henderson is expected to pay up to £2.9m in cash and £1.34m through 1.65m new ordinary shares to lock in certain New Star directors and employees until September 30.

  • Henderson reveals final manager line-up

    9 Apr 2009

    Henderson and New Star today completed their merger and revealed the complete fund manager line-up.

  • High Fidelity in the groove

    9 Apr 2009

    Fidelity International UK retail managing director Gary Shaughnessy is upbeat about the opportunities in the market at the moment.

  • 'Holding pattern' over guided sales irks Aegon

    9 Apr 2009

    Aegon has hit out at the FSA for letting the guided sales channel fall off its agenda and allowing it to become detached from the retail distribution review.

  • Hopes for Euro move on equal footing with bonds

    9 Apr 2009

    Blue Sky Asset Management is hoping that the European Commission will create a level playing field between the governance of structured deposits and other bond-based structured products in its forthcoming review.

  • HSBC Blues

    9 Apr 2009

    This week HSBC caused a bit of a stir in the UK mortgage market by revealing it would be dedicating £1bn to 90 per cent lending.

  • HSBC rolls out 90% LTV range

    8 Apr 2009

    HSBC is launching a new range of up to 90 per cent LTV mortgage products next week, backed with £1bn of funding.

  • HSBC set to rethink trackers and add two more funds

    9 Apr 2009

    HSBC global asset management managing director of UK wholesale Andy Clark says the firm is considering revamping its index trackers.

  • I am not with the Woolwich

    9 Apr 2009

    I note that the Woolwich continues to display its disregard and utter contempt for introducers with its Canute-like insistence in pressing ahead with its ludicrously ineffective and frustrating mortgage service.

  • IFA Life launches outsourcing forum

    8 Apr 2009

    Social networking website IFA Life has launched a forum for IFAs and financial planners to discuss and share best practice on outsourcing of business processes.

  • Incentive themes

    9 Apr 2009

    This year's Budget is bound to attract more attention than usual. All eyes will be on the size of the rabbits that the Chancellor is going to have to pull out of the hat in order to help move the economy out of recession.

  • Invesco leads final Isa surge

    9 Apr 2009

    Leading investment firms are reporting a strong end to the Isa season, with Neil Woodford's Invesco Perpetual high-income fund leading the way.

  • Ireland tries to stabilise economy

    8 Apr 2009

    The Irish government has announced the details of an emergency budget designed to shore up the country’s flagging economy.

  • Isa flow

    9 Apr 2009

    Have you had a busy Isa season? How did this compare with your expectations?

  • Isa season flat but bond funds dominate sales

    14 Apr 2009

    Isa sales figures from the major fund platforms indicate that this season was fairly flat, with corporate bonds still the dominant asset class.

  • Kilminster clients claim £140,000 so far from FSCS

    8 Apr 2009

    The Financial Services Compensation Scheme has so far received claims of an estimated £140,000 from clients of Kilminster Financial Management Limited, the network which went into liquidation last July.

  • KSF creditors to vote on scheme of arrangement

    9 Apr 2009

    The Isle of Man’s Treasury's scheme of arrangement to guarantee payments to Kaupthing depositors has been given approval to continue onto the next stage.

  • L&G calls for FSA to clear up charging

    9 Apr 2009

    The 2012 RDR deadline for adviser charging will be "almost impossible" to achieve unless the FSA clarifies its stance on legacy products in the June consultation paper.

  • Land registry fee hike to cover reduced transactions in property market

    14 Apr 2009

    Land Registry is proposing an increase in fees in a bid to reduce the losses caused by the fall in the number of transactions in the property market.

  • Lincoln i2Live £100 admin fee is removed

    14 Apr 2009

    Lincoln Financial Group has removed the administration fee on its retirement product Lincoln i2Live.

  • Market conditions ask new questions of structured product providers

    14 Apr 2009

    Last week's decision by the Bank of England to hold interest rates at 0.5 per cent for April has left income seekers in a quandary as to where to put their money to maximise returns.

  • May the farce be with you

    9 Apr 2009

    Positions have been shifting but we are now able to view the seating arrangements at the great RDR circus which is due to visit again in June.

  • Meteor and actuaries devise deposit plan that links interest to FTSE 100

    9 Apr 2009

    Meteor Capital Holdings has teamed up with actuarial consultancy firm Intersolve to launch a three-month notice deposit plan.

  • Mismatch fears could bring an exodus of firms

    9 Apr 2009

    London could see an exodus of financial institutions if the FSA rushes through new regulation before an international consensus is reached, according to law firm Allen & Overy.

  • Miton management buyout rejected

    14 Apr 2009

    Miton Optimal’s management team made an offer for the business which has been vetoed by Midas Capital, its parent company.

  • Moneymadeclear rolls out in Northern England

    14 Apr 2009

    HM Treasury and the FSA have today launched their Money Guidance Pathfinder, Moneymadeclear, in the North East and North West of England.

  • Mortgage brokers banned for regulatory failings

    8 Apr 2009

    The FSA has banned Dorset mortgage brokers Peter and James Dean for a long list of regulatory failings, including submitting false mortgage applications and acting without authorisation.

  • MPs attack IFAs on Iceland risk

    9 Apr 2009

    MPs have criticised the quality of advice from IFAs in the run-up to Icelandic bank failures.

  • Multi-asset allocation key for Baring fund

    8 Apr 2009

    Baring Asset ManagementMulti-Asset Fund

  • New Star underperformers get new managers

    14 Apr 2009

    Investors in the underperforming New Star Higher Income and Sterling Bond funds can expect changes to the portfolios, after manager changes last week.

  • NU withdraws bond guarantee

    9 Apr 2009

    Norwich Union is withdrawing the inflation-proof guarantee for new customers on its with-profits bond from April 17, as revealed by MoneyMarketing.co.uk.

  • O&M using regulator's switching template

    9 Apr 2009

    O&M Systems has added the FSA's pension switching suitability assessment template to its Pensions Profiler system.

  • Opt-out copout

    9 Apr 2009

    Nobody said it was going to be easy but the new process of automatic enrolment is proving more compli-cated than it needs to be.

  • Origo Options slashes annuity transfer times to 12 days

    14 Apr 2009

    The Origo Options initiative has reduced annuity transfer times to 12 days, according to Just Retirement.

  • Outsourcing trend for IFAs

    9 Apr 2009

    IFAs are increasingly outsourcing structured product assets to discretionary managers.

  • Overseas wraps will move in to fill pension gap

    9 Apr 2009

    The UK pension gap will attract further overseas entrants to the domestic wrap market, says Axa Distribution Services managing director Paul McMahon.

  • Pada costs hit £37m

    9 Apr 2009

    The Personal Accounts Delivery Authority has incurred costs of almost £37m since it was established in July 2007.

  • Paradigm Mortgage Services teams up with Triangle Direct

    14 Apr 2009

    Paradigm Mortgage Services has linked with data management company Triangle Direct, to offer its members access to life insurance leads.

  • Pearl close to raising £500m for stock market float

    8 Apr 2009

    Pearl has revealed it is close to a capital restructure that would raise £500m in new equity from investors for a stock market flotation after which it will pursue acquisitions.

  • PFS extends study groups programme

    8 Apr 2009

    The Personal Finance Society is rolling out a series of regional study groups to help its members prepare for the diploma in financial planning exams.

  • Philip Calvert

    9 Apr 2009

    IFA Life founder Philip Calvert has come a long way from his early days as an amateur rock concert and wedding photographer and is now firmly established as a leading commentator on all things internet-related.

  • PosSol recruits 100 new IFAs in Q1 2009

    8 Apr 2009

    National IFA Positive Solutions has recruited 100 new partners in the first quarter of 2009, marking its best quarter in four years.

  • Pru says platform won't pay off at present

    9 Apr 2009

    Prudential has ruled out launching its own wrap any time soon, saying that it does not make economic sense.

  • Public get dismal response, says FOS

    9 Apr 2009

    Consumers are increasingly suffering "dismal" treatment from financial businesses when they complain, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

  • Purchases up in February as remortgaging declines, says CML

    14 Apr 2009

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders has revealed that the number of house purchase loans ticked up in February, but remortgage figures continued to fall.

  • Quantum steps back from structured market

    8 Apr 2009

    Structured product provider Quantum Asset Management has temporarily pulled out of the market and cut its sales team after struggling to structure investments in the current economic climate.

  • Quick on the drawdown

    9 Apr 2009

    My favourite software systems enable IFAs to make large amounts of money by helping consumers find better financial products. I am always delighted when I come across another of the very few systems that can genuinely deliver such benefits.

  • RBS axing 9,000

    9 Apr 2009

    The Royal Bank of Scotland will axe up to 9,000 jobs over the next two years, with half in the UK.

  • Realism for recovery

    9 Apr 2009

    The financial sector has likely never been so loathed by so many - markets, politicians and consumers.

  • Recovery position

    9 Apr 2009

    I think it is fair to say that Standard Life Investments' UK equity team generally had a poor year in 2008. This was due in no small part to their exposure to banking shares but of course they were not the only group to make that mistake. However, rather than cower in their shell, the company's head of UK equities David Cumming has come out fighting with a new retail fund - UK equity recovery.

  • Relaunched Lifetime looks at bringing in protection

    9 Apr 2009

    Norwich Union's Lifetime platform is considering ways of integrating new products such as protection to increase its mass-market appeal following its relaunch to new business.

  • Repeated failures to rein in banks

    9 Apr 2009

    Margaret Cole, director of enforcement at the FSA, is quoted as having said: "Taking action against Winterflood shows the FSA is determined to tackle abusive behaviour and to deter market participants from threatening the integrity of markets."

  • RSA announces 1,200 UK job cuts

    9 Apr 2009

    Global insurer RSA is cutting 1,200 jobs from its UK operations in a bid to meet its £70m cost cutting target.

  • S&P strips rating from five Madoff-exposed funds

    8 Apr 2009

    Standard & Poor’s has changed five funds of hedge funds which were exposed to Madoff strategies to ‘not rated’.

  • Saving grace

    9 Apr 2009

    Times are tough for many but not all. Most people with a mortgage will have felt their load lighten substantially over the last few months and with no early sign of a pick-up in the economy, low interest rates look set for a while.

  • Service fears as Aviva axes 1,100

    9 Apr 2009

    Advisers have criticised Aviva's decision to slash nearly 1,700 jobs in its UK life and pension business.

  • Share today

    9 Apr 2009

    Despite the market turmoil, I am now in a position to be able to invest in the equities for the first time. What are the different options available to me and how much do the different options cost to invest?

  • Sheila Nicoll replaces Dan Waters as FSA head of retail policy

    9 Apr 2009

    Former IMA deputy chief executive Sheila Nicoll will replace Dan Waters as FSA head of retail policy and conduct.

  • Short order

    9 Apr 2009

    The difficult economic backdrop for UK plc looks likely to continue in the short to medium term.

  • SimplyBiz launches "premium service"

    9 Apr 2009

    SimplyBiz has this week launched its premium service, SimplyBiz PLUS, designed to appeal to larger and more complex IFA firms.

  • Skills Council and Leeds Financial Services in new alliance

    8 Apr 2009

    The Leeds Financial Services Initiative and the Financial Services Skills Council have signed a memorandum of understanding designed to help them work together in raising skills and awareness of financial services.

  • Slippery slope on Iceland

    9 Apr 2009

    The Treasury select committee's swipe at IFAs in its report into the failings of Icelandic banks only takes into account a small part of a complex subject.

  • Split view over risk assessment

    9 Apr 2009

    Structured product companies are divided over the best indicator of risk for IFAs.

  • Standard Life looks to scrip dividends

    8 Apr 2009

    Standard Life is asking shareholders to approve the replacement of their cash dividend payments with a scrip dividend.

  • Standard slashes executive pay

    9 Apr 2009

    Standard Life has reduced the remuneration package for its executive directors, cutting chief executive Sir Sandy Crombie's package by 16.4 per cent from £1.64m in 2007 to £1.39m for 2008.

  • Stick struck off list as Woolnough added

    9 Apr 2009

    Hargreaves Lansdown has added Richard Woolnough's M&G strategic bond to its Wealth 150 list and removed the Rathbone income fund, managed by Carl Stick.

  • Strong bonds

    9 Apr 2009

    It has been a long time since the corporate bond sector was the talk of the town for the right reasons.

  • Structure struggle sees no solace for Quantum

    9 Apr 2009

    Structured product provider Quantum Asset Management has temporarily pulled out of the market and cut its sales team after struggling to structure investments in the economic climate.

  • Swip says cautious funds should look to Ucits III

    9 Apr 2009

    Scottish Widows Investment Partnership multi-manager sales director Bernard Henshall has criticised poorly-performing cautious managed funds for failing to take advantage of Ucits III.

  • Taskforce slams ABI for not raising protection profile

    9 Apr 2009

    Members of the Income Protection Task Force have hit out at the ABI for failing to help the industry raise the profile of income protection.

  • Tax-free transfers

    9 Apr 2009

    Pension transfers have been very much in the news recently with the FSA releasing its report on the quality of advice on pension switching and the impact of market volatility on fund values.

  • Tension attention

    9 Apr 2009

    Brokers, networks and homebuyers have used the hiatus in mortgage activity to strengthen their position and gain competitive advantage. Major players that want to succeed have focused on getting match-fit for the new season and are waiting for the signal that the game is about to start.

  • Terrible quarter for dividends

    8 Apr 2009

    The first quarter of 2009 was one of the “most catastrophic in the history of dividends,” says a report from Markit, a financial information services company.

  • The long haul

    9 Apr 2009

    River and Mercantile is a business with roots stretching back to the 1800s, founded to finance the growth of Argentina. Since its birth in 1881, the company slowly developed into an investment specialist, running five closed-ended funds with £400m under management by the 1990s.

  • Tories say big banks should be broken up

    8 Apr 2009

    Conservative Shadow Chancellor George Osborne says it may be unsustainable to keep the big banks going and has suggested breaking them up into smaller institutions.

  • Track events

    9 Apr 2009

    When Richard Branson made his foray into the world of unit trusts in 1995 with his index tracker, no one questioned his grasp of fund management despite Virgin being better known for taking on the likes of British Airways and Coca-Cola.

  • Tranche lending could hamper a recovery

    9 Apr 2009

    The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries says lenders limiting intermediary distribution through tranche management could suffer in the upturn.

  • Treasury compiles regulatory dossier

    9 Apr 2009

    The Treasury is to release a white paper this month drawing together recommendations made for regulatory reform in the Turner review, the G20 and other bodies of work.

  • Trillion trigger

    9 Apr 2009

    A careless trip over a kerbstone last week left me with my foot up on a cushion and plenty of time to catch up with my financial reading. Too much time, really.

  • Waters quitting RDR to take on risk role

    9 Apr 2009

    FSA head of the RDR Dan Waters is to step aside as part of a major internal restructure.

  • Whole lotta shaking

    9 Apr 2009

    Last week, I was dragged on to the radio again, this time BBC Scotland wanting comment on the Dunfermline.

  • Widows and NU to introduce factory gate pricing for corporate pensions

    8 Apr 2009

    Scottish Widows and Norwich Union are both planning to launch factory gate pricing options for their corporate pensions offerings.

  • Wrap assets to triple in five years

    9 Apr 2009

    Navigant Consulting says assets held on UK wrap platforms will more than triple over the next five years to over £300bn.

  • Write of passage

    9 Apr 2009

    One of the dubious benefits of having been a personal finance journalist for more than a couple of years is that, eventually, people pretend they want to know your opinion about issues related to money.

Poll

Will Greece leave the euro?

Current Issue

Advanced search