Prosperity Independent Financial Advisers and Stockbrokers has joined forces with investment specialist Brooks Macdonald Asset Management to give clients targeted access to their funds.

The planned cap on pension charges for auto-enrolment schemes, due to come in this April, has been shelved for at least 12 months, according to the FT.

The defined contribution (DC) pensions market will rocket to six times its 2012 value of £276bn assets under management (AUM) by 2030, according to the Pensions Institute (PI).

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Advisers and pension scheme members have been warned not to "overreact" to the pension lifetime allowance cut, which is due to fall from £1.5m to £1.25m on 6 April.

Equity release specialist Stonehaven has been bought out by annuity provider MGM Advantage.

Pensions minister Steve Webb has continued his attack on the annuity market, saying the products are not good value and vowing to "shake up the market".

IFA consolidator Bellpenny has bought two more businesses with combined funds under management of £187m.

Pensioners should be able to switch their annuity contract in a similar way to switching mortgages, Steve Webb has said.

House prices across the country rose by 8.4% in 2013 as the wider economy picked up, analysis from Nationwide has found.