Friends Provident admitted it was left surprised by the extent of its almost 18% share price slide yesterday.

CPI inflation rose to 4.7pc in August, the highest level recorded since CPI records began in 1997, with the upturn attributed to higher energy and food prices, compared to a year ago.

Global insurance giant American International Group (AIG) efforts to raise new capital were put in jeopardy after a series of damaging credit downgrades as the drama on Wall Street intensified, The Telegraph reports.

Each month IFAonline is shining the spotlight on the biggest issues in the industry and today structured products are taking centre stage.

The FTSE100 plummeted beneath its 52-week low this morning following further significant losses for Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS).

Profiting from the shopping habits of the wealthy, the Julius Baer Luxury Brands fund has launched in the UK market.

Barclays has this morning confirmed it is in discussions with Lehman Brothers to buy certain assets from the bankrupt bank.

Baillie Gifford has expanded its fixed income capabilities, poaching bond experts from SWIP and Aegon.

With many portfolios suffering losses in 2008, it's natural for investors to look for new ways to generate returns.

On the face of it, £7bn of retail structured product sales in 2007 bodes well for the structured products industry. However, the facts behind the headlines are interesting: