Big life and pensions companies are "running scared" of the Budget reforms and appear to be angling for the implementation date to be postponed, a Sipps firm chief executive has claimed.

Barnett Waddingham has purchased Chase de Vere's Sipp and SSAS book for an undisclosed fee, it announced this morning.

There was a 46% rise in the number of complaints about Sipps made to The Pensions Advisory Service in the last year.

A ruling against a Sipp operator which sparked fears of a precedent being set and a rise in claims will be reviewed by The Financial Ombudsman Service.

A sipp firm has undertaken research, which suggests that awareness of Sipps among young people has risen significantly since the Budget in March.

IFG Group, which owns Sipp and SSAS wrap provider James Hay, has sold its Irish pension and advisory business to Willis Ireland for £10.8m.

Barnett Waddingham has purchased Harsant Pensions for an undisclosed figure, in a deal which will see the firm add more than 400 Sipp and 70 SSAS clients to its existing book of business.

The threat of a further levy hangs over advisers due to increased compensation linked to Sipp claims.

Sipp provider Xafinity has announced it has frozen its fees for the coming year after advisers told the firm some companies were 'abusing' their ability to make increases.

A Sipps firm has backed the FCA's new capital adequacy rules and announced it has acquired the Sipp book from a pension administration provider for an undisclosed sum.