Your profession

Former head of Aegon distribution Patrick Gale has joined research firm Defaqto as executive chairman, after announcing his departure last week.

David Palmer has joined Ashcourt Rowan as a business director within the wealth manager's asset management arm.

The Chartered Institute of Insurance (CII) has launched a Certificate in Securities Advice and Dealing for advisers wanting to specialise in the area.

FIVE THINGS

City sackings and suspensions have hit a five-year high of 1,373 affected workers, according to figures obtained from the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

Lloyds Banking Group has fired a 'rogue trader' after it uncovered a scheme designed to inflate the executive's bonus.

Adrian Coles, the director-general of the Building Societies Association, is to step down from his role later this year.

Just 2% of advisers in the Tenet network have gone restricted, after the firm encouraged members to remain independent.

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has ruled that an IFA should repay an investor £150,000, the amount he recommended he invest in a troubled unregulated collective investment scheme (UCIS).

Abraham Okusanya, principal at paraplanning firm FinalytiQ, argues that direct to consumer launches are not just boring but commercially unviable. Here's why...