Money Management articles from April 2009

Money Management archives from April 2009

Everything to everyone.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Once a niche product, SIPPs have entered the mainstream following the launch of simplified versions with reduced investment options. Which way is the market headed? Geordie Clarke surveys the offerings Could the...

A qualification conundrum.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White While the FSA's former deputy chairman had no banking qualifications, IFAs will have to negotiate ever higher hurdles to satisfy the Retail Distribution Review's newest requirement. Lindsey White navigates the level...

Spotlight - Pensions.
April 1, 2009... Byline: John Chapman Up to half of those saving for retirement are at risk of losing a sizable chunk of their income because of means testing. It is time they are told, says John Chapman The debate over auto enrolment into Personal...

Statistics - April 2009.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White Click on any of the links below to view this month's statistics in a PDF file UK Registered Investment FundsUK Registered Investment Funds Investment Trusts Investment Trusts Insurance Funds Insurance...

With profits endowments: latest results.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw Maturity values have fallen again but with profits endowments are performing surprisingly well in the downturn. Gareth Shaw looks at the latest figures Life offices do not often make it easy for themselves when it...

Spotlight - Mortgages.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Laverne Hadaway In light of the FSA's recent paper on consumer responsibility, how can the issue be addressed in the context of mortgages? Laverne Hadaway sought the perspectives of advisers, lender and consumer organisations ...

Recession and retirement plans.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White The credit crunch and changes to pension policy that come into effect over the next few months mean that many may need to reconsider their retirement plans, finds Lindsey White At the start of the new tax year on...

A new platform.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Britannia's intermediary lender will shortly unveil its new near prime range Platform, the intermediary lender of Britannia, is launching a range of specialist mortgage products for the near prime market. These...

Baaaaaa.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Janet Walford OBE Without a doubt, the proudest moment of my career so far was being awarded an OBE. I never dreamed I'd ever be honoured in such a way and every time I see the letters after my name I get a kick out of it all...

Insurance you need?
April 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White Fortis launches new online insurance product Insurance giant Fortis is set to launch a new insurance product later this year, Money Management can reveal. The product, branded 'Insurance U Need', will be web based...

UK equity income funds - Hidden wealth.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath The search for income after the collapse of returns on deposits has brought a surge in the UK Equity Income sector. Joe McGrath looks at what the funds have to offer Those brave enough to continue watching the...

Spotlight - Protection.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Helen Pridham Hard pressed families have started cancelling insurance policies to make ends meet. Helen Pridham considers ways in which they can cut their protection costs without losing their cover completely. There has been a...

Top 15 stories online.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White Most read MM content online from 17 February 2009 - 18 March 2009 1. "Ludicrous" Woolwich booking system unfair to IFAs (Lindsey White and Laverne Hadaway) 2. Halifax cuts mortgage team (Geordie Clarke) ...

With profits bonds.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw In the with profits bonds survey that appeared in the December 2008 issue of Money Management, we regret that Teachers Assurance provided incorrect cash in and current values, understating its performance. The correct...

CII to launch Chartered directory.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw Highest qualified firms and advisers get top online billing EXCLUSIVE: A microsite to exclusively promote IFAs with Chartered status is to be launched by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). The individual...

Intermediaries to launch mortgage club.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White Brokers band together to beat the credit crunch EXCLUSIVE: The credit crunch has led several mortgage firms to unite under one umbrella brand. The merger, led by Simon Checkley and his Hertfordshire based Private...

Scot Wids' apology over "snatched" client.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Provider apologises for deleting IFA from database EXCLUSIVE: Scottish Widows has become the latest provider to apologise for taking charge of a client's financial affairs without the permission of the introducing...

HIPs panel unveiled.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Mortgage club offers access to new panel for regulation changes Legal & General is to offer intermediary members of its mortgage club access a new panel of Home Information Pack (HIP) providers from the end of...

City adviser faces GBP100k salary claim.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath A former finance boss of a London investment firm is taking legal action against his previous employer, alleging he is owed GBP100,000 in unpaid earnings after leaving the firm. Stephen Naude was employed as head of...

FSA crackdown on banking sector.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw Lord Turner's report admits the regulations of the past have failed Banks will have to hold higher levels of capital to hedge against risky trading book activities under proposals laid out in the Turner Review....

Variable annuities top GBP1bn.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White Research shows the variable annuity market more than doubled between 2007 and 2008 Variable annuity premiums grew from GBP539m in 2007 to GBP1,153m in 2008, an increase of more than 53%, according to the latest...

Keeping it simple.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw SIPPs There has been no shortage of the number of bespoke SIPP launches of late and pensions specialist Denton's Pensions Management is expanding its range with two new offerings. In the second quarter of 2009,...

Fixed interest insulates with profits.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw Heavy fixed interest weighting sees smaller funds fight losses Life offices that have shifted investment holdings into the fixed interest sector for with profits funds have successfully restricted larger drops in...

Financial planner of the year awards 2009.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Janet Walford OBE Watch out for the May 2009 issue of Money Management, which will include the supplement containing the case studies for the 2009 financial planner of the year awards We already have a sponsor for the overall...

MoneySupermarket admits misguidance.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Online marketing tactic deemed misleading to users MoneySupermarket.com has admitted it may have misled customers by confusing payment protection insurance with income protection cover in its marketing...

Health = wealth?
April 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw Biotechnology funds The biotechnology and pharmaceuticals sector has shown resilience amid the global financial crisis and Julius Baer is looking to capitalise on this by making its biotech fund available to UK...

Technology on the spot.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw Fee based advice in the post RDR world IFAs have fought long and hard for the financial advice industry to be viewed as professional rather than commercial, and following the outcomes of the Retail Distribution...

Life cover and HIV.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Helen Pridham 20 years ago life assurers were doing all they could to avoid exposure to claims resulting from AIDs. Now they are offering cover to HIV sufferers, reports Helen Pridham The life assurance industry's approach to...

Coming back to life.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke UK Equities Standard Life's latest fund aims to generate returns from a potential market rally. The UK Equity Recovery fund will sit in the IMA UK All Companies sector and invest in companies that saw their...

With profits resurgence.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Annuities Prudential has unveiled the details of its new with profits annuity, as exclusively reported by MM in February 2009. In what can be seen as an indication of its confidence in with profits,...

From Russia with love.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Structured products Arc Capital & Income is venturing into Russia for its most recent structured product despite other providers sticking to the familiarity of the FTSE 100. The Series 1 Russian Linked...

Switching gears.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke SIPPs have shifted from the niche to the mainstream as more providers have entered the fray. What is the state of the market and what role does the adviser play? Geordie Clarke spoke to Merchant Investors to find out...

Taking control.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Mary Stewart During difficult times, having full control over the assets in a SIPP is an important way to maximise performance. Mary Stewart, director at Hornbuckle Mitchell, looks at the benefits of spreading risk and...

The carve-up of investment gains.
April 1, 2009... Byline: John Chapman The FSA should focus on sector practices and costs of pensions, not principles, says John Chapman The pension market has stakeholder pensions, personal pensions, and different SIPPs in competitive confusion. A...

Woolwich system "here to stay".
April 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White Barclay's will not back down on Woolwich mortgage system Woolwich's telephone booking system has left IFAs struggling to access its products, yet the company maintains that its tranche management system is...

Friends abandons F&C sale.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Fund manager to be distributed to shareholders Friends Provident will not sell its 52% interest in fund manager F&C after all. Following a year of on again, off again talks, Friends Provident has decided...

Lloyds, a cloaked counterparty?
April 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Troubled banking group asks not to be named in structured products Lloyds Banking Group has been singled out as one of the most unwilling banks to be named as a counterparty to structured products despite being...

French follow suit on IAS 39.
April 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White French banks jump on the debt transfer bandwagon French banks that had previously not reclassified debts and assets under the revised International Accounting Standards (IAS) rules have finally followed the...

NS&I holds hands up.
April 22, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath National Savings & Investments (NS&I) has announced that the seventh issue of its Guaranteed Equity Bond has been unsuccessful in making a return above the level of interest earned during the offer period. National...