The Financial Services Authority (FSA) said it is likely to release further guidance on what is required to be independent post RDR after admitting some practitioners still have questions on the issue.

Pensions minister Steve Webb has highlighted the role of IFAs in making pensions reform a success, but said he anticipated it would be difficult communicating the changes to the public.

A significant proportion of advisers do not know if their business is ready to meet the FSA's new transparency requirements as set out in the retail distribution review (RDR), according to research.

Simplybiz has launched a business transition proposition for IFAs looking to retire or offload a segment of their client bank.

Simon Hudson, the former chief executive of Tenet Group, has made a swift return to the advisory arena with the acquisition of a Leeds-based firm, and is aiming to purchase up to five more businesses.

The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) is to introduce a Level 4 Certificate in Paraplanning, following in the footsteps of the Institute of Financial Planning (IFP), which launched a similar qualification last year.

AIFA chiefs have called for closer alignment between British and European regulation, and predicted further changes to the definition of independence.

Mark Hoban, the Treasury financial secretary, has defended the FSA's "pre-empted" response to a recommendation by the Treasury Select Committee (TSC) to delay the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) by one year, saying it does not mean the regulator considers...

Sesame Bankhall Group has promoted George Higginson from chief operating officer to chief executive officer, subject to approval by the Financial Services Authority.

Coutts, the private bank owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), is expected to be fined in the region of £6m by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) today for the mis-selling of bonds issued by failed US insurer AIG.