Latest News
FCA confirms anti-greenwashing guidance and proposes extending sustainability framework: reaction
Ahead of the anti-greenwashing rule coming into force on 31 May, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is supporting industry with guidance to help firms and teams to meet the standard. The new rule is designed to protect consumers by ensuring sustainable products and...
We are all economists…the BoE crash course
On an exploration for wider reading, IFA Magazine’s Senior Financial Journalist, Jenny Hunter, finds a surprisingly useful crash course in economics published in a book by none other than The Bank Of England. In this article, she explains why she thinks it might be of...
PFS launches course on Sustainability Disclosure Requirements and Anti-Greenwashing
The Personal Finance Society (PFS) has launched a new course designed to help financial advisers adapt to social and regulatory expectations around sustainable investment. The course is aligned with the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) recently issued...
SMART Client objectives – The foundation of planning and advice with Sparrow Solutions
How do we make sure the planning and advice we give our clients is right for them? This is the question Caroline Stuart at Sparrow Solutions will be addressing in her upcoming Sparrow Solutions Practical Planning session on Wednesday 1st May. We believe the only way...
Business & Development
We are all economists…the BoE crash course
On an exploration for wider reading, IFA Magazine’s Senior Financial Journalist, Jenny Hunter, finds a surprisingly useful crash course in...
SMART Client objectives – The foundation of planning and advice with Sparrow Solutions
How do we make sure the planning and advice we give our clients is right for them? This is the question Caroline Stuart at Sparrow...
New co-presidents appointed to CISI Scotland committee
The CISI is delighted to announce that Jonathan Gibson, CFP™ Chartered FCSI, and Shaid Moughal ACSI are the new co-presidents for...
Anti-greenwashing: UK firms gearing up for new rules and guidance
As we celebrate World Earth Day, Jessica Reed, Partner, and Edward Twigger, Associate at Farrer & Co LLP, look ahead and into some of...
The CISI and Evertreen partner to plant trees and build a sustainable future
In a significant step towards environmental sustainability, charity and global professional membership body, the CISI (the Chartered...
Economy
Strong US CPI inflation rules out a June interest rate cut: latest analysis from Close Bros AM
With the market now pricing in 1-2 interest rate cuts by the Fed this year, and top US central bank officials including Fed Chair Jay...
UK inflation down to 3.2% – but what does it mean for interest rates? Analysis from across the industry
This morning, the Office for National Statistics has reported the latest UK CPI inflation data, showing that prices rose by 3.2% during...
Disappointment as US inflation rises to 3.5% – but what does this mean for interest rates and markets?
Yet again it seems that market expectations have been dashed with the March US CPI inflation data coming in at 3.5% compared to...
FCA finds many still struggling with cost of living – the industry reacts
New research from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found that while many are struggling to meet financial commitments, the...
Invesco: When will central banks cut interest rates?
Written by Kristina Hooper, Chief Global Market Strategist, Invesco Key Takeaways: When will cuts start? Perceptions change with each new...
Insurance and protection
Insurance firms must address escalating global risk profiles with structured data and automation, says M-Files
Well-organised data provides the agility and efficiency insurance firms need to react to market shocksThe insurance industry acts as a...
LifeSearch Protection Awards 2024: Winners revealed
Legal & General was the biggest winner at the LifeSearch Awards today (17th of April). Voted for by ‘Searcher advisers, they took home...
I&P Podcast #3: Family Income Benefit – an under-advised protection product with Shelley Read, Royal London
This week we will be taking a look at a much under-advised protection product, Family Income Benefit (FIB). Protection planning, can at...
2023 another record year for group risk market – Swiss Re
The UK group risk market saw another record year of growth in 2023, according to Swiss Re’s annual Group Watch report published today. The...
Dentists’ Provident delivers resilient performance in challenging market
The 2023 annual report from Dentists’ Provident, a leading income protection provider for dental professionals, shows that the Society,...
Mortgage & Property
Just Mortgages kicks off second broker academy of 2024
Just Mortgages, one of the UK’s largest mortgage brokerages, is hosting its second broker academy of the year. The academy programme caters to applicants who have some knowledge of the mortgage industry and have completed their CeMAP 1. These are individuals who have...
Dudley Building Society reduces mortgage rates by up to 0.35%
Dudley Building Society has reduced rates on a selection of its fixed and discounted rate Expat and Self-Build mortgages. Two-year fixed expat residential mortgage rates now start at 6.45% for loans up to 60% LTV and from 6.55% for loans up to 85% LTV. Two-year...
Legal & General Ignite: Market activity robust in March but buyers’ needs remain complex
The latest data from Legal & General Ignite, the free mortgage research and sourcing platform, shows that UK mortgage market activity remained robust throughout March despite ongoing economic headwinds. This was driven by resilient pockets of demand, particularly...
Amendment to Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill to ‘water down’ ground rents proposals
Significant potential changes to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill were reported over the weekend, which will effectively ‘water down’ the Bill. The Bill proposed to reduce the ground rents to ‘a peppercorn’ (ie zero) which led to resistance from the Treasury due...
Buy-to-let product availability shows signs of stability
Buy-to-let product availability is showing signs of stability, according to the latest analysis by Moneyfactscompare.co.uk. Overall buy-to-let product availability (fixed and variable) rose month-on-month, albeit marginally (39 deals). This comes after a reduction in...
BSA calls for radical change to fix broken housing market
A new report from the Building Societies Association (BSA) has found that significant changes are required if we are to help prospective first-time buyers get onto the property ladder in the current housing market. It also warns that policy solutions that help today’s...
Regulation & Compliance
FCA confirms anti-greenwashing guidance and proposes extending sustainability framework: reaction
Ahead of the anti-greenwashing rule coming into force on 31 May, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is supporting industry with...
Anti-greenwashing: UK firms gearing up for new FCA rules and guidance
By Jessica Reed, Partner, and Edward Twigger, Associate at Farrer & Co LLP With sustainability becoming a key priority across the...
‘Big Tech a priority’ says FCA Chief Executive
In a speech delivered today, the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi announced the regulator's plans to...
Advisers ‘complacent’ on decumulation approach in light of thematic review, finds Copia
New research from Copia Capital in conjunction with the lang cat reveals that at the start of this year, just one in five advice firms...
It’s time to level the playing field: Here’s why the APCC wanted to expand the Skilled Person Panel
Richard Farr, Working Group Chair at The Association of Professional Compliance Consultants (APCC) discusses why the APCC has worked to...
Digest
New research reveals the Top Financial Concerns Driving Half the UK’s Wealthy to Consider Moving Abroad
New research conducted by private and commercial bank, Arbuthnot Latham has revealed that 81% of the UK’s most affluent individuals are stressed about their finances, indicating that financial wellbeing is about more than just the totality of your wealth. But what...
Cyber attack surge is “Tip of Iceberg”, expert warns
New figures showing a surge in cyber-attacks on businesses are just the “tip of the iceberg”, a leading expert has revealed. Government data shows 50% of companies have experienced a breach or attack in the past year. But Roy Shelton, CEO of the Connectus...
UK businesses record a 55% increase in sick leave
New analysis of over 1,700 businesses has revealed that the average business has seen a sharp rise in sick leave - with 55 percent more days lost in the last four years due to short and long-term illness. The Sick Leave Report 2024, conducted by HR systems...
Financial expert comments on Brits methods of obtaining financial freedom
Amid reports that more than half of adults in the UK claim their financial situation has worsened in the last year, the concept of “financial freedom” has soared with 91.8 million views on TikTok.1,2 With this in mind, the investment experts at Oxford Capital surveyed...
House prices skyrocket at faster rate than wages in these English areas
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is the area of England where homeownership affordability has fallen most in the last 10 years, with house prices more than doubling to £380,000 and wages only rising by £2,182. Another London borough, Hillingdon, ranked...
Life milestones missed as cost of buying a house, marriage & kids soars to £400k
The average cost of getting married, buying a house and having children in the UK soars to almost £400k, according to financial mutual, OneFamily This has increased by £35k in two years, up from £360k in 2022 Being able to afford all of these life goals is becoming...
More News from Around the Web
Coro Secures $100 Million Funding Round to Drive Aggressive Growth to Transform Cybersecurity for SMEs
New funding, led by One Peak, to accelerate global expansion, R&D innovation and investment in Coro’s strategic partnerships and channelNEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coro, the leading cybersecurity platform purpose-built for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),...
Suzuki Global Ventures, Suzuki’s Corporate Venture Capital Fund, Invests in Soracom
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced that it has received an investment from Suzuki Global Ventures (SGV), the corporate venture capital fund of Suzuki Motor Corporation....
Software Supply Chain Security Leader Binarly Closes $10.5 Million Financing Led by Two Bear Capital
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#cybersecurity--Binarly, provider of an industry leading AI-powered firmware and software supply chain security platform, today announced the closing of a $10.5 million seed funding round. The oversubscribed round was led by Two Bear...
OrdinalsBot Raises an Oversubscribed $3M+ Seed Round to Continue Building Out the Data Layer of the BTC Blockchain
OrdinalsBot has built the only API-first company in the Ordinals ecosystem, bringing unmatched utility and infrastructure to the Bitcoin blockchain.LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#Blockchain--OrdinalsBot, the leading team within the Ordinals space building out the data...
H.I.G. WhiteHorse Europe Finances Stordata
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#Acquisition--H.I.G. WhiteHorse Europe, a credit affiliate of global investment firm H.I.G. Capital ("H.I.G.") is pleased to announce that it has arranged a financing package for Stordata (the “Company”). Founded in 1988, and headquartered in...
Bristol Myers Squibb Expands Health Equity Grant Initiatives to Improve Health Outcomes
Company Awards $1.8M in Grants to Eight Organizations in Brazil, India, Thailand and the United KingdomPRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--$BMY #bloodcancer--Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today unveiled a $1.8 million initiative to advance health equity by addressing...
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