Popular News
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FCA reassures Hartley clients after ‘concerning’ letter
The Financial Conduct Authority has reassured Hartley Pensions clients following a letter sent by the joint administrators over the unauthorised movement of monies from their SIPPs by Hartley.
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TPR expects DB schemes to switch to ‘endgame planning’
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) said it expects DB schemes to switch their focus to ‘endgame planning’ from deficit recovery.
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Annuity misconceptions remain despite rise in sales
Almost half, 48%, of over-50s are unfamiliar with what lifetime annuities are and how they compare to other annuity products.
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FCA delays SDR for portfolio managers
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has delayed its plans to apply sustainability disclosure requirements (SDR) to portfolio managers.
Latest Blog
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James Jones-Tinsley: Aiming for an advice-guidance sweetspot
As Nikhil Rathi is reappointed as CEO of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for another five years, the FCA has set out its strategic direction for 2025/26, with important implications for financial advisers.
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Martin Tilley: FCA must grapple growth v regulation question
In late December, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer tasked 10 regulators with removing ‘barriers to growth’ in order to attach the jump leads to the UK economy. On 16 January, the FCA wrote a letter to the Government to outline their plans to support the growth agenda.
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Lisa Webster: Over-taxation of pensions remains an issue
HMRC’s January pension schemes newsletter announced changes to tax codes for pensions, and a few headlines followed proclaiming HMRC had finally fixed the over-taxation issue. It would be fantastic if that was the case, but despite nearly 10 years of getting it wrong, the problem isn’t resolved yet.
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Lisa Webster: Divorce impact on lump sums raises question
The lifetime allowance may have been consigned to the annals of history but the various forms of protection are still relevant in the new world, especially when it comes to the amount of pension commencement lump sum (PCLS) that can be taken.
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Martin Tilley: How education can tackle pension scams
The dark reality of pension scams is that we don’t really know how common they are. Fraud is a crime which tends to have low reporting events and with pension scams, it’s no different. The emotional toll can be as large as the financial, with some people being too embarrassed to report that they have been the victim of a scam.
Almost half (46%) of over 55s have no idea how much money they need in order to retire comfortably, according to new research.
UK dividends jumped 51.2% to £25.7bn in the second quarter, beating expectations, according to a new report.
Investment platform AJ Bell has reported a 15% rise in advised customers year on year, and 4% over the third quarter, in its latest trading update.
Total platform customers grew 32% year on year, and 6% in the quarter, as direct to consumer customers rose 42% (8% in the quarter). The platform now has 353,299 customers, of which just over a third (122,757) are advised.
Total platform net inflows increased by 40% over the prior year to £2.1bn, with just over half (£1.1.bn) being advised (a 57% growth year on year in advised net inflows).
Platform assets under administration closed the quarter at £63.1bn, a 32% rise year on year and a 9% rise in the quarter.
Assets under management at the platforms investment management business, AJ Bell Investments, increased 186% year on year and 43% over the quarter to £2bn. Total net inflows in the quarter were £524 million, including a one-off inflow of £253m.
Andy Bell, CEO at AJ Bell, said: “In the advised market, third quarter platform inflows were up 57% compared to the prior year. The introduction of simplified pension options is proving particularly popular with advisers as it provides them with different price points and flexible investment options to cater for a diverse range of client needs.
“We also continue to see strong demand for our in-house investment solutions. There is growing awareness amongst financial advisers of the value and performance that our managed portfolio service is delivering to their clients and our multi-asset funds continue to prove popular with advisers and retail customers alike.
“As we head into the final quarter of our financial year, we remain focused on providing an excellent service to our customers and continuing to support our people as we navigate the current wave of the pandemic. Looking further ahead, the structural growth drivers for our sector remain strong and we are well placed to deliver further growth across our platform.”
A third (31%) of UK homeowners over 40 who are not yet retired plan to work beyond their State Pension age, according to a new report.
The Financial Conduct Authority has secured £25m more compensation for 4,500 investors in the failed Park First scheme which saw investments sold to a number of SIPP investors.
Funds under direction (FUD) for adviser platform Transact rose 7.2% over the quarter ending 30 June.