More than one in six finance chiefs at British companies believe the UK economy will remain steady over the coming year, according to a survey by the recruitment firm Robert Half.

A new breed of platform players, catering to the restricted advice, stock-broking and corporate wrap sectors, is poised to shake up the sector, according to MD of the Platforum consultancy, Holly Mackay.

Advisers must consider the likelihood and impact of platform providers' exit strategies on their clients when carrying out due diligence, warns Skandia.

Chancellor George Osborne has announced the 2011 Budget will be held on 23 March.

The FTSE hit a seven-month high in early trading today following the Federal Reserve's decision to pump $600bn into the US economy

Scottish investors save more than the average UK investor according to recent findings which turn the tables on traditional regional savings patterns.

Skandia UK has posted a near 140% surge in sales during the first nine months of the year as RDR drives demand for its SIS platform.

House prices in the UK rose by 1.8% in October compared with the previous month - but this followed a big drop a month earlier, the Halifax said.

MASECO Private Wealth (MASECO) has chosen platform intelligence provider Voyant UK to deliver financial planning strategies to its international clients.

Towry says its decision to offload smaller investors will be replicated by a swathe of other firms as the RDR forces a reassessment of client banks.