RDR

The Financial Services Authority is set to provide final guidance on simplified advice this week.

Axa Wealth is launching a restricted advice offering for advisers looking to move away from independent status.

The vast majority of advisers intend to remain in the industry and offer independent advice after 2013, in a sign advisers have "accepted" RDR, research suggests.

The FSA is to look into charges levied by UK fund management groups after its head of investments policy queried why they had been rising in recent years.

A bill in Australia widely seen to mirror the UK's Retail Distribution Review has been passed by its parliament - albeit in a watered down form.

An "alarming" 80% of client assets are from the over-50s age group, according to research.

The FSA has confirmed consumers will be able to pay charges direct to an adviser or agree for the provider to pay them from the investment in the post-RDR adviser charging regime.

SAFETY NET

Insolvency practitioner Probitas has been instructed to begin winding up pension specialist Rockingham Independent.

MEMORY LANE