Prudential chief executive Tidjane Thiam is likely to receive his full bonus this year in a move which could prove controversial with shareholders still upset over the cost of his failed bid for AIA.

Global insurance company share prices tumbled last night as concerns mounted about the cost of rebuilding Japan following Friday's earthquake and the resulting tsunami.

Openwork shareholders, two thirds of whom are the network's financial advisers, have voted in favour of a major financial restructuring deal with Zurich which sees them pick up 30% preferential shares in the company.

Dr. Paul Fisher, executive director for markets at the Bank of England, has been appointed chairman of the ifs School of Finance.

Warren Buffett has emerged as one of the biggest investors to be affected by Japan's earthquake and tsunami, with estimated paper losses of $150m from his investments in reinsurers Swiss Re and Munich Re.

The wife of Standard Life's chief executive spent nearly £300,000 on a stake in the insurer, the day after the company announced it had a "good" 2010.

An alleged £1bn HBOS corporate fraud was known to former directors of the state-rescued bank, but they failed to act on the information, according to sources close to police investigators.

A natural disaster, national outrage and a slanging match in Parliament between the FSA and MPs. Seven days is a long time in finance.

Merchant House has taken on 120 ex-Clarkson Hill advisers and raised £345,000 in a share issue to help fund the growth of the business.

Spain's banks have been told to find an extra €17bn (£14.5bn) to shore up their finances and prevent a collapse in confidence, which has hit the share prices of Barclays and RBS as both have exposure to the Iberian institutions.