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Gordon Brown's efforts to right the listing UK economy have been dealt a blow by business leaders issuing a stinging rebuke of his leadership and economists predicting a "sea change" that would see economic growth nearly halve this year, The Independent...

DEMAND for equity release has remained buoyant, despite challenging economic conditions, with more than £290m released from homes in Q1.

Royal Bank of Scotland, Britain's second biggest bank, is considering launching a multi billion-pound cash call on its shareholders to shore up its balance sheet, in a move that may prompt similar action by its rivals, The Guardian reports.

BRIGHT Grey has marked its fifth anniversary by publishing its first set of claims statistics for life and critical illness.

Another week, another casualty from the credit crisis: Charterhouse Communications, a long-term rival to Incisive Media, which owns COVER, went into administration, a development blamed on the tightening housing market.

Prudential plc's first-quarter 2008 sales figures, released today, show demand for offshore products has risen in spite of the failure to gain a tax concession for offshore bonds in light of the new capital gains tax regime.

Bank Sarasin has announced a joint venture with a Spanish firm to expand its wealth management capabilities in the Iberian peninsula.

SKANDIA has created a new business consultancy aimed at helping financial advisers who are looking to move their business model away from stand alone product sales towards holistic financial planning.

The Treasury is set to give the go-ahead for a Government-backed plan to help mortgage companies start lending again in the wake of the credit crunch, The Telegraph reports.

Almost 600,000 people will be unable to refinance their debts this year after finding their usual lines of credit cut off, forcing them to go bust or sign expensive "bankruptcy-lite" agreements, The Times reports.