Latest News
Deeply disappointing delays to auto-enrolment reform
Kate Smith, Head of Pensions at Aegon, has expressed her deep disappointment in the delay in the implementation of the 2017 reforms to auto-enrolment, announced at the Pensions Age Spring Conference today, commenting: “I’m deeply disappointed that the Pensions...
“Magnetic Pensions” – a better solution to small pension pots – LCP
Automatic enrolment into workplace pensions, introduced in 2012, has been a big success, bringing more than 10 million people into pension saving for the first time. But an unresolved side effect of the policy is that each new job brings a new pension, and...
Defaqto reveals top 10 recommended Multi-Asset investment solutions in Q1 2024
Defaqto, one of the UK’s most trusted sources of financial product and market intelligence, has identified the top 10 most recommended multi-asset investment solutions by value in Q1 2024. The first quarter of 2024 has seen very little change compared with the most...
Defaqto reveals top 10 recommended Single Asset investment solutions in Q1 2024
Defaqto, one of the UK’s most trusted sources of financial product and market intelligence, has identified the top 10 most recommended single asset funds by value for Q1 2024. Retaining the position at the head of the table for Q1 2024 is Terry Smith and his behemoth...
Business & Development
Rosemount appoints Contractor Financial as new Appointed Representative
Rosemount Financial Solutions (IFA) , the independent mortgage and protection network, has announced the appointment of Contractor...
Scottish Widows appoints new Head of Responsible Investment and Stewardship
Scottish Widows has announced that Eva Cairns has joined this week as Head of Responsible Investment and Stewardship. Eva brings 18 years...
2024 Alpha Manager Hall of Fame list announced by FE fundinfo
Today FE fundinfo, the global leader in investment fund data and technology for the fund management industry, announced six active fund...
Twenty7tec unveils FINPLAN wealth solution for financial advice businesses
Leading advice tech business Twenty7tec has announced the launch of FINPLAN Wealth today, a sophisticated web-based practice management...
Transforming your business for future success by balancing technology – including AI – and people: insight from Simplify Consulting’s Giang Hughes
In this exclusive analysis, Simplify Consulting’s Business Support Manager, Giang Hughes, assesses the rise of AI, how humans are needed...
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
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,...
Expert answers burning home insurance questions searched by 140,000+ Brits
Following a 36% surge in home insurance premiums, new research has revealed that confusion around home insurance - including costs -...
Mortgage & Property
Atom bank launches Near Prime products and reduces rates on
Near Prime rates reduced by up to 0.30 percentage points New three-year fixed rate products introduced Atom bank, the UK’s first app-based bank, has announced it is reducing the interest rates on its Near Prime range, as it continues to offer value to underserved...
Santander UK reduces selected fixed mortgage rates by up to 0.24% and launches new buy-to-let tracker products
Santander UK has today made reductions to selected fixed rates across its purchase, remortgage, and buy-to-let range. It is also launching a range of new buy-to-let two-year tracker products, up to 75% LTV. The full list of new rates can be found online here....
Glenhawk appoints Head of Credit Policy to support ambitious product expansion strategy
Glenhawk, the established UK short-term real estate lender, has appointed John Butt to the newly created role of Head of Credit Policy. John brings over 20 years’ experience in the specialist lending sector, and will support with the development and launch of a range...
Mansfield introduces product transfer proc fees
Mansfield Building Society has introduced proc fees for product transfers across the mutual’s entire product range, including Versatility, Versatility Plus, Credit Repair, Shared Ownership, Buy to Let and more. Through the product transfer process, existing Mansfield...
Xpress Mortgages adopts OMS CRM solution
One Mortgage System (OMS) has been adopted by award-winning intermediary firm founded by Rachel Lummis, Xpress Mortgages. Xpress Mortgages has opted for OMS as their CRM system of choice after an extensive review period. This partnership further extends OMS’s...
Beneficial Network adds Reliance Bank to lender panel
Mortgage and protection network Beneficial has added Reliance Bank to its mortgage panel. Members of Beneficial Network now have access to Reliance Bank’s range of First-Time-Buyer (FTB), Key Worker, and Shared Ownership mortgages. Beneficial Network charges a flat...
Regulation & Compliance
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...
How wealth managers should handle FCA’s new Consumer Duty
Written by Rachael Rowe, RVP for Financial Services at Seismic How wealth managers should handle FCA’s new Consumer Duty Rachael Rowe, RVP...
Improving picture for personal finances, but many still struggling finds FCA
New research from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found that while many are struggling to meet financial commitments, the...
FOS Increases Complaint Level Predictions as Performance Continues to Improve
The Financial Ombudsman Service has today published its final plans and budget detailing the next phase of its transformation, whilst...
Digest
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...
Santander offers free four-year Railcard freebie for new current account customers
From today, customers aged between 20 to 25 can get a free four-year Santander Railcard when they open any Santander current account before 30 April 2024. The Santander Railcard gives card holders a third off train travel across England, Scotland, Wales, and the...
Expert answers burning home insurance questions searched by 140,000+ Brits
Following a 36% surge in home insurance premiums, new research has revealed that confusion around home insurance - including costs - generates more than 140,000 searches every year. Being informed about home insurance is crucial for all property owners. Understanding...
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