Earlier this week I spoke at a TISA seminar on Mastertrusts. I was a bit of an interloper – Mastertrusts are certainly not my specialist subject – but I was asked to talk about lessons to be learnt from the Sipp market.

Back in 2001 - when we almost succeeded with a MBO of the Sipp provider I was running (Personal Pension Management Ltd long since defunct) – I was questioned by the VC who was backing us about the sustainability of the interest “turn” that we derived from the pooling of bank accounts.

I guess by now I shouldn’t be surprised at anything that emerges from the regulator on the subject of Sipps. There have been numerous well documented failures in the advice regime governing Sipps that it’s hard to believe that worse could follow.

The Financial Services Authority has published new guidance today which may mean advisers will be less able to recommend a pension transfer.

The Financial Services Authority is consulting on proposals to change pension transfer analysis after criticising certain advisers for taking a “mechanistic” approach.