Investors cannot be counted on to make rational choices so regulators need to "step into their footprints" and limit or ban the sale of potentially harmful products, the head of the UK's new consumer protection watchdog said.

Invesco Perpetual is launching a Global Financial Capital fund, managed by co-heads of fixed income Paul Causer and Paul Read alongside CIO Nick Mustoe, to tap into long term structural reform of the financials sector.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's has downgraded the EU bailout fund to AA+ from AAA.

The British economy just managed to achieve growth in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR).

Prime minister David Cameron has promised shareholders a binding vote on executive pay to try curbing excessive salaries.

Royal Bank of Scotland(RBS) nearly collapsed in 2008 because of poor management, inadequate regulation and a flawed supervisory system, a Financial Services Authority report published today has said.

Prime minister David Cameron has caused the EU to fracture after refusing to sign up to a new treaty over concerns about financial services regulation.

Chancellor George Osborne has announced the 2012 Budget will be held on Wednesday 21 March.

Leading fund managers, including L&G and Jupiter, have stepped up their attack against huge pay rises at the UK's biggest banks.

Lloyds Banking Group has offered to exchange £4.9bn of its outstanding bonds in order to raise new capital.