Nine employees from Royal & Sun Alliance will embark on a month long environmental mission to the Antarctic. The project, called 'Mission Antarctica', will measure contamination at the Russian research base at Bellingshausen, which is presently being cleaned up. The nine representatives, from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland and Colombia were drawn from the group's businesses worldwide. Royal & Sun Alliance UK chief executive Paul Spencer says: “We have the ability to influence our clients, employees and communities by setting a proper example of environmental care.”
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IFAs predict stakeholder will not be a hit with the public
Most IFAs believe stakeholder will not have a major impact on the pension market, according to a survey by George Street Research. It found that 79 per cent of IFAs believe stakeholder will make little or no difference to levels of investment into pensions. The research, which is part of a monthly review of the […]
Axa website will offer advice and sell direct
Axa is setting up a new website through which it plans to offer online advice on its own and eventually its competitors' products direct to the public. The site, internally named eAxa, aims to build awareness on the back of Axa's FA Cup sponsorship. But the move has stirred IFA concerns that it will pave […]
Broadband leaders
The two most common complaints I hear from IFAs about online services are that they are slow and phone charges can make them expensive. Both are valid criticisms. It is not without reason that all too often the internet is referred to as the World Wide Wait. Equally, the historical practice of charging for local […]
PIA disciplines RJ Hurst and Partners
The Personal Investment Authority has taken disciplinary action against RJ Hurst and Partners of 131-133 New London Road, Chelmsford for pensions review failings. The firm has been fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,300 and received a reprimand. In addition, the firm was ordered to appoint external consultants to carry out certain aspects […]
Out from the long grass? An IT and NI merger
Those with a long memory will recall that at the start of the last parliamentary term George Osborne announced his intention to merge income tax (IT) and national insurance (NI). Headline grabbing as the initiative was, the reality of the complexities, challenges and costs of such a move resulted in this idea being kicked into the political long grass.
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Can new tools solve the sustainable drawdown conundrum?
Michael Klimes examines if advisers can resolve all drawdown issues themselves or if a wider effort is needed
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Intrinsic pays redress over pension transfer advice complaint
Intrinsic must compensate a client for the pension transfer advice it gave them. According to a Financial Ombudsman Service decision, in 2015 Mrs C was told to transfer her two existing personal pensions valued around £80,000 to a new Sipp provider. This money was placed in a scheme where Mrs C could adopt a dynamic […]
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Phil Wickenden: The gauntlet has been laid for annuities
“There is nothing permanent except change”, so said the “weeping philosopher” Heraclitus circa 500 BC. Few would argue change was not needed in the retirement income market; it is just no one expected it to be so inorganic and non-negotiable. The impact of the pension freedoms Budget bombshell in 2014 was immediate and significant. Revisiting […]