Regulation

David Bellamy, the chief executive of St. James's Place (SJP), has said the business is "well positioned" to reap the benefits of the new trading environment introduced following the Retail Distribution Review (RDR).

Scottish Life's illustration rates have been "significantly better" than they were in January 2012, indicating "advisers are coping well" with the transition to the new regulatory regime, according to one director.

Barclays has confirmed that it is in the process of training its telephony staff to offer mortgage advice in order to phase out non-advised sales.

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has appointed two new non-executive directors to the board of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

The regulator's vastly improved thematic communication and knowledge sharing means advisers should view it as a valuable resource, according to RSM Tenon's head of wealth management John Porteous.

As Openwork gears up for its annual conference, Jaki Platt, partnership director at the firm, says that taking a few days away from the day-to-day running of your business to attend an event is time well spent.

CLOUDING OVER

Advisory businesses will see a marked reduction in the amount they contribute to the Money Advice Service (MAS) in 2013/14 if proposed changes to the way it is funded are approved.

Bankers' bonuses should be delayed for up to ten years to kill off a culture of short-termism at large institutions, a senior official has suggested.

A network allowing de-authorised advisers to continue to claim trail commission is to launch in March this year.