Pension transfers continue to dominate the headlines as the wheels of regulation and politics continue to turn slowly.
Informed Choice managing director Martin Bamford has made a call for culture change among advisers. He wants to avoid debacles such as those involving transfers from the British Steel Pension Scheme involving poor advice and esoteric investments.
Discretionary fund managers have been branded closet trackers by Blue Wealth Capital following research.
The tax bill for the James Hay biofuel scheme could reach £20m.
Altus Consulting suggests that banks will use the Payments Services Directive 2 to re-enter the market for pensions advice.
FTAdviser outlines what advisers need to know about the implications of the Carillion collapse for defined benefit schemes.
There are suggestions that solicitors are not applying the stamp duty cut with home buyers having to insist on it. It’s a very poor effort, if this widespread.
The FCA is to probe private pensions outside the workplace – on charges, choices and competition – the latter word that is obsessing the FCA at the moment. It has released a discussion document. There may be pockets of bad practice but Is this really the priority?
Citywire examines Neil Woodford’s woes and considers whether it is typical of the equity income sector.
The website also considers the implications of Brexit for asset managers – a mixed picture with some jobs moving inevitably.
Corporate Adviser reports that the Treasury is silent on the issue of whether the pensions of previously state employees who were then transferred to privatised firms which then ended up within Carillion will be honoured. Electricity workers are a test case.
In Portfolio Adviser, I ask whether the adviser register due to be scrapped or at least allowed to wither on the vine, may be reprieved as a result of the issues affecting the British Steel Pension Scheme. The Work and Pensions select committee have been asking questions about its future and where consumers can check the status of their adviser.
Public affairs and regulatory experts say the political pressure may be significant.
