The FCA has announced a multi-firm review into bereavement, an announcement made at the Morningstar investment conference, last week.
Professional Adviser majored on the news.
FCA heads of department, consumer investments Sara Woodroffe and Kate Tuckley outlined the regulator's plans for the review, which is expected to launch a little later this year. Lots of focus on vulnerability apparently, but it would be good if it looked at the interaction of advisers with providers and even banks.
Interesting that Money Marketing Interactive had Professor Anand Menon examining the political solution in the United Kingdom.
Menon believes the UK is facing “massive problems” with the economy.
“This isn’t recent… our economic troubles don’t date from the war in Ukraine or Brexit, they date from the end of the financial crisis,” he said.
Looking at the factors behind “public dissatisfaction influencing the ballot box”, he stressed that there’s been very little in the way of growth with “virtually no increase in wages for the best part of 20 years”.
“People vote against politicians they don’t like rather than for the ones they believe in, so we’re in this weird situation where politics is about who’s least unpopular."
Tatton-backed consolidator Absolute Financial Group has seen four IFA firms based in the North-West join as it builds on recent acquisitions in the West, South and East of England reports FTAdviser.
Corporate Adviser reports the view of the Pensions Regulator that smaller schemes bring double costs for investors.
All feels part of the push to make schemes bigger though at least TPR does suggest there could be a dilemma here.
CA continues with the analysis showing that the average cost of membership in a small scheme (less than 20,000 members) was more than £40 a year, compared to less than £20 for very large schemes (more than 500,000 members).
TPE also pointed out that while members in smaller schemes are more likely to face higher costs, some cost increases may be justified if they unlock better value assets for members.
Debate and discuss.
