Money Management articles from February 2009

Money Management archives from February 2009

Best of both?
February 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Third way retirement products have been marketed as solutions to income shortfalls in retirement. Will they ever become mainstream? Geordie Clarke reports Could an alternative to a conventional annuity be the...

Euro banks' GBP169bn in accounting alchemy.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White European banks conjured more than GBP169bn of debt into profit on their balance sheets in the third quarter of 2008, a leaked report shows. Money Managementhas gained exclusive access to a report from JP Morgan,...

Best bonds.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Harpeet Saijan and Pascal Dowling Corporate bonds continue to stoke fresh professional interest as credit spreads reach historically high levels and equity markets remain uncertain, say Harpeet Saijan and Pascal Dowling of Financial...

Statistics - February 2009.
February 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 Funds Investment TrustsInvestment Trusts Insurance FundsInsurance Funds Individual...

Inaccurate payment request prompts apology from trustee's solicitor.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Inaccurate bill prompts apology from trustee's solicitor EXCLUSIVE IFAs are being warned to closely scrutinise SIPP administration fees after discrepancies of hundreds of pounds were found in a bill to one adviser....

Is it a bus company? Is it a bust company?
February 1, 2009... Byline: Janet Walford Tomorrow Life? Er, that's the name under which GE Life is now known, which was itself the new name for National Mutual Life. Luncheon vouchers? No, LV is the reincarnation of Liverpool Victoria. Arriva? No,...

Top 15 stories online.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White Most read Money Management content online from 16 Decembr 2008 to 15 January 2009 1. Advisers braced as L&G gets litigious on clawbacks (Joe McGrath) 2. Cattles to close intermediary operation (Joe McGrath)...

With profits launch for Q1.(Financial report)
February 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Provider to unveil updated asset backed annuity EXCLUSIVE: Prudential is expected to launch a with profits annuity before the end of the first quarter of 2009. Company spokesman Darragh Leeson confirmed that...

The Obama bounce?
February 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White Will a new president help America out of recession? Lindsey White investigates whether the US is the place to invest in 2009 In 2008 America's Dow Jones Industrial Average, the most widely recognised US market...

Morningstar conference.(Conference news)
February 1, 2009... Byline: Lindsey White Morningstar and the IFP plan their annual conference for May 2009 The Institute of Financial Planning (IFP) has announced the details of the 2009 Morningstar investment conference. The annual two day event for...

Cautious offerings.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Structured products Morgan Stanley has rolled out a trio of 100% capital protected structured products, offering potential growth of the UK and Asian stock markets. The FTSE Protected Growth Plan 27 and the...

Income drawdown vs annuities.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath In the above article from the January issue we omitted to include details of the revised alternatively secured pension (ASP) rules relating to options for drawdown and annuities at age 75. We stated that funds could...

Gazumping service launched.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Homeowners looking to urgently sell their property will soon be able to join an online service that allows developers and landlords to bid for their property. Homeowners looking to urgently sell their property will...

Wrap service enhanced.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath First package of launches unveiled Nucleus has unveiled the first of two service enhancements to its wrap platform, aimed at improving the tools available to analyse funds. The platform is about to launch a tool...

Safe Met?
February 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Provider looks to capitalise on changing market Met Life is hoping to woo the market with the launch of a bond offering capital, withdrawal and death benefit guarantees. The bond is a single premium, unit...

Delays hit Windsor complaints.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Insurer says that no rules were broken by dispute resolution delays EXCLUSIVE: Windsor Life is once again facing the wrath of advisers after dozens of complaints fell on deaf ears and were drawn out for months...

An inequitable solution.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw Major concerns raised over proposed compensation scheme A compensation scheme has been agreed by the Government for those worst hit by the problems of beleaguered life office Equitable Life. Speaking at the...

Tall order for BOI.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Giraffe Money brand strategy axed as part of cuts EXCLUSIVE Bank of Ireland UK is putting its Giraffe Money brand out to grass, The brand offered mortgages directly to consumers and insurance services through...

Instant annuity quotes.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Enhanced annuity quotes available immediately EXCLUSIVE Legal & General, Aviva, Prudential, Just Retirement, LV=, Partnership and Canada Life are to provide instant enhanced annuity quotations through Assureweb from...

Fox Hayes closes remortgage unit.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw Property transfer company scales back amid industry downturn EXCLUSIVE: Fox Hayes Property Transfer Company (PTC) is to close its remortgaging department with the loss of up to 70 jobs. Stephen Coupland, chief...

Reap what you sow.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw Agricultural funds Not fazed by the falling commodity prices around the globe, Baring Asset Management is launching a Global Agricultural OEIC to UK retail investors. The fund will primarily invest in companies...

Deutsche and Merrill failures unearthed.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Time line of a doomed partnership EXCLUSIVE First ever details of the events that led to the failure of a Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank joint venture have been uncovered exclusively by Money Management. ...

Low risk investments flourish.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw Global bonds and gilts dominate the best performing unit trusts for 2008 EXCLUSIVE: Low risk investments have produced the strongest returns as investors flock to secure, fixed interest funds, research from Money...

Big wide world.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Global equity income fund Invesco Perpetual is shaking up its fund offerings with the launch of an equity income fund and a reorganisation of others. The Invesco Perpetual Global Equity Income fund will be...

PI service to launch.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Comparison site to offer PI evaluation service EXCLUSIVE Intermediaries seeking professional indemnity insurance (PII) will soon be able to compare insurers through price comparison site uSwitch.com. Providers...

Rock to different beat.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Geordie Clarke Venture capital trust During a time when the search is on for recession beating alternative assets, live music might just hit the right note. Edge Performance VCT, an investment fund for the live music and...

A brighter future.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Simon O'Connor With life in retirement now lasting up to 30 years or more, not only are pension funds increasingly falling short, but so are traditional retirement planning products, writes Simon O'Connor, head of products and...

Long time coming.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Peter Carter Unit linked guarantees are likely to explode in popularity. But as Peter Carter, head of product marketing at MetLife writes, this will only happen when more providers enter the market If the American experience is...

Top 100 unit trusts.(Survey)
February 1, 2009... Byline: Gareth Shaw The end of 2008 saw big investment in low risk funds in a flight to safety but the best returns can still be found in the developing world, finds Gareth Shaw Consistency is something that is hard to find in the...

Taxation spotlight - Tax relief on pensions.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Marcia Banner High net worth individuals can obtain tax relief of up to GBP192,000 in 2008/9, explains Marcia Banner of Clerical Medical As the tax year draws to an end, clients that have been lucky enough to still have bonuses...

Taking stock - time to buy shares?
February 1, 2009... Byline: Russell Taylor If markets are now at a sensible value level, does that justify investment, asks former investment banker Russell Taylor? Warren Buffett claims that his investment success is based on the principles of...

Protections spotlight - Changing the TPD goalposts.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Helen Pridham TPD claims often fail. Helen Pridham considers the potential benefits of the alternative definition that will soon be proposed by the ABI. This year should see important progress made towards clarifying one of...

Pensions spotlight - Death of personal pensions?
February 1, 2009... Byline: John Chapman An American professor has a plausible alternative to money purchase pension plans, reports John Chapman In its 15 December 2008 edition, Time magazine ran the headline Kill the 401(k)? with a sub line saying 'A few...

Mortgage spotlight - Equity release gains momentum.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Laverne Hadaway In the current economic conditions, equity release is likely to come into its own, Laverne Hadaway discovers It seems that nothing remains unscathed by the current economic conditions - and equity release is no...

Take cover.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Joe McGrath Professional indemnity insurance premiums have hit some firms harder than others in the past year, but 2009 looks set to be a completely different affair. Joe McGrath investigates Advisers seeking out professional...