Money Management articles from October 2008

Money Management archives from October 2008

Bear necessities?
October 1, 2008... Byline: Geordie Clarke With world stock markets in turmoil, investors are seeking security. Geordie Clarke looks at which structured product can meet the demand for equity exposure with a safety net The appetite for retail structured...

Mortgage spotlight - Tools of value in a moving market.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Laverne Hadaway AVMs have become a fixture of the mortgage market during the housing boom. How will they fare now that the market is falling, asks Laverne Hadaway? In August 2008, Principality Building Society's secured loan...

Taking stock - Navigating dangerous waters.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Russell Taylor As the financial outlook darkens, former investment banker Russell Taylor looks at the four demons that frustrate good investment intentions Central bankers know it, Treasury ministers fear it but, for the...

Personal pensions - latest results.(Survey)
October 1, 2008... Byline: Janet Walford OBE Stock market falls are affecting returns across all sectors of the market. But there are some excellent returns out there, if you know where to look. Janet Walford OBE helps point you in their direction In the...

Statistics - October 2008.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Gareth Shaw 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 TrustsInvestment Trusts Insurance FundsInsurance Funds...

Multi-manager spotlight - Advisers kept in line.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Gareth Shaw In 2007, the success of multi-manager prompted the FSA to see at how small firms were dealing with the funds. With a TCF deadline and the RDR outcome imminent, Gareth Shaw assesses its impact one year on Back in...

Offshore Optimism.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath The latest IMA figures appear to show increased appetite for overseas funds, most platforms serving UK retail intermediaries are still assessing the exact levels of demand. A number of industry players are now being...

Protection spotlight - Keep on running - the value of business protection.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Helen Pridham The business protection market is still in its infancy but insurers believe it's time for it to come of age and are keen to promote it. Helen Pridham looks at the opportunities for advisers Like all types of...

Stay or go?
October 1, 2008... Byline: Vince Smith-Hughes With bonus rates continuing to plummet, should with profits policyholders continue with their policies? Vince Smith-Hughes, national pensions manager at AIG Life Wealth Management, looks at the practicalities ...

Pensions spotlight - Imagination for money purchase pensions.
October 1, 2008... Byline: John Chapman Increasing reliance on money purchase pensions is bringing out their shortcomings, suggests John Chapman The debate over the crown jewel of the Government's pension package, the National Pension Savings Scheme to...

Standard & Poor's top 15 UK life insurers.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Mark Button Positive news is hard to find for the UK life industry after a challenging year for the sector, says Mark Button of Standard & Poor's Economic, financial and industry risk factors are presenting strategic and...

Tax spotlight - Bypassing your spouse (or other beneficiary).
October 1, 2008... Byline: Marcia Banner Marcia Banner of Clerical Medical explores the use of the 'bypass trust' as a home for death benefits payable from personal or occupational pension schemes Death benefit payments from personal and occupational...

Packager launches high net worth facility.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath Y3S to offer bespoke lending services Welsh packager, Y3S Group, is to begin rolling out its high net worth bespoke lending proposition to the IFA market. The financial services group has secured agencies with a...

Powering returns.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Geordie Clarke Energy funds EXCLUSIVE The rising importance of alternative energy supplies is the driver behind Keydata International's latest fund. The Renewable Energy fund, launched during the second half of September,...

Equitable policyholders' proof of losses.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Janet Walford OBE Equitable Life policyholders should be able to prove that they sustained losses and claim compensation according to figures from the latest pensions survey. The survey of results, published in the supplement...

Healthcare affordability worries rise.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath Engage Mutual finds all age groups are feeling the pinch More than 60% of the population can no longer afford to pay for their family's healthcare needs, due to the spiralling cost of living, according to new...

Speculate to accumulate.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath LV Asset Management is expected to announce a series of new recruits this month, as it expands its fund management and sales teams still further, despite the recent gloom in the capital markets. LV Asset Management...

Insurer signs healthcare deal.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath L&G expands teleunderwriting Legal & General has signed a deal with a division of the Nestor Healthcare Group to expand its teleunderwriting service. Nestor's Primecare brand, will now replicate L&G's...

AIG will honour ETF obligations.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath Discussions begin over ETF Securities AIG has confirmed that all obligations will be honoured for its exchange traded commodities offered by ETF Securities, despite suspending trading on Tuesday 16 September. ...

Platform popularity.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath Standard life expansion winner IFAs have voted Standard Life as the wrap platform to which they would most like to see new funds added. SVM Asset Management conducted the poll with over 680 intermediaries,...

Insurers begin marketing battle.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Gareth Shaw Aegon hires new creative team for project Aegon has responded to more intense competition, with a multi million pound marketing drive and a new advertising agency. Aegon has hired the full service Leith Agency...

Compo, Cleg and Foggy.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Janet Walford OBE No, this not about the BBC TV programme 'Last of the summer wine', the world's longest running sitcom, featuring the three principal characters of Compo (the poor one), Clegg (the irritating one), and Foggy (the...

FTSE chairman issues self cert warning.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath S&U director warns of more market difficulties EXCLUSIVE Anthony Coombs, the chairman of specialist lender S&U plc, has warned of further fallout from the mortgage market from those lenders offering self...

Stable offerings.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Geordie Clarke Capital protected funds Privalto UK, the structured fund arm of BNP Paribas, has made available its first range of capital protected funds. The Stabiliser and Stabiliser Plus funds are the first two products...

Bankrupt US bank offered 'aggressive' pricing.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Geordie Clarke Too early to say how it will affect structured product providers EXCLUSIVE At least one UK structured product provider has exposure to the bankrupted US investment bank Lehman Brothers. Meteor Asset...

End of an era for Bank's unit trust arm.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath Barclay's completes disposal of investment division EXCLUSIVE Barclay's has completed the transfer of the remaining retail investment customers from Barclay's Financial Services Limited to its umbrella brand,...

New fund tool online.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Gareth Shaw Investment trust performance data now available Money Management has added a brand new online data tool to its fund research portfolio at FTAdviser.com. Subscribers can now access, completely free of charge,...

Technology improvements lead to misselling claims.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Gareth Shaw Adviser feels misled by Norwich Union over endowment maturity value row EXCLUSIVE: A Wiltshire-based IFA has claimed that Norwich Union's change in projection calculations has led to an endowment misselling claim...

Disgruntled Pearl staff speak out.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Gareth Shaw Consolidator's downsizing fuels staff concerns EXCLUSIVE Staff made redundant from the Pearl Group last month have spoken out for the first time about unfair treatment at the hands of their former employer. ...

In the Balkans.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Geordie Clarke Property funds Albania's growing economy is behind the latest property fund from Stellar Asset Management. The Stellar Albanian Fund will be closed ended and run for a period of two and a half years;...

Nucleus drops stockbroker.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath Hitchens loses out to Brewin subsidiary EXCLUSIVE Nucleus Financial Services is switching its stock broking partner to enable it to develop real time equity trading services for users of its platform. The...

Double trouble.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Gareth Shaw Fund of funds Jupiter Asset Management has broken into new territory to introduce its first international fund of funds SICAV, with two funds now available. Priced in euros, the Jupiter Merlin Funds SICAV...

Platform mulls structured products.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Geordie Clarke Providers accuse fund supermarkets of being obstructive EXCLUSIVE Cofunds, the fund supermarket, is considering adding structured products to the platform. Daniella Johnston, marketing communications manager...

Top 15 stories online.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Gareth Shaw Most read Money Management content online The top 15 Money Management stories read online on FTAdviser.com for the month 14 August to 15 Sept were as follows: 1) AIG became first US lender to return to sub prime...

MENA business.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Gareth Shaw Emerging markets HSBC Global Asset Management is looking to capitalise on liberated financial markets by launching a Middle East and North Africa fund. The MENA fund will form part of HSBC's Global Investment...

Eastern promises.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Geordie Clarke Property funds Norwich Union is headed east with its new property fund. The Asia Pacific Property fund will invest directly in commercial properties in Asia and Australasia, initially focusing on the mature...

Awards finalists announced.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Gareth Shaw Financial Planner of the Year 2008 shortlist Money Management is delighted toannounce the list of finalists for the 2008 Financial Planner of the Year Awards, in alphabetical order. David Baker, Mazars...

Challenges of fund governance.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Dave Lowe As economic conditions remain challenging, providers are seeking the best value possible from internal funds and specialist external fund managers, says Dave Lowe, pensions management director of Zurich UK Life ...

What are we going to do now?
October 1, 2008... Byline: Peter Carter In the current economic climate, making the best use of accumulated pension funds when a client reaches retirement is vital. Peter Carter, head of product marketing at MetLife Europe, explains why decumulation is...

Thoroughly modern.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Julie Mulvanny Pension product design has come a long way since the opaque structures of yesterday, argues Julie Mulvanny, head of business development (individual pensions) at Prudential Pensions are leading the market in...

ETFs - A unique investment cocktail.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath Against the backdrop of the global economic chill, investors are increasingly looking further than conventional funds for enhanced returns, as Joe McGrath discovers Increasing interest in Exchange Traded Funds...

Double dipping.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Elliot Farley Funds of funds are growing in popularity but critics still complain about double charging and question performance. Elliot Farley, senior investment analyst at T Bailey, is keen to explode the myths of multi-managers...

Adviser closures illustrate adversity.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath Intermediaries brace themselves for further difficulties EXCLUSIVE Fallout from capital markets claimed another four mortgage intermediary businesses this month and the volume of business closures is continuing to...

Fund supermarket confirms partnership deal.
October 21, 2008... Byline: Joe McGrath Octopus secures mainstream distribution deal Fund supermarket Cofunds is to offer alternative investment funds from Octopus Investments on its platform. Intermediaries were given access to both the CF Octopus...