RDR

Lighthouse Advisory Services will increase the number of advisers working in its affinity division by approximately 100 over the next year, from 220 currently, according to joint CEO Malcolm Streatfield.

Fidelity FundsNetwork has become the first of the fund supermarkets to confirm it will offer investment trusts ahead of RDR.

Advice firms should not become fixated on remaining independent, network and support service provider Sesame Bankhall has said.

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Novia has added Arjent's multi-asset portfolios to the wrap in an expansion of its discretionary manager offering.

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has confirmed the presence of trainees within an advice firm will not prevent it from holding itself out as independent.

HONESTY

The number of financial advisory businesses intending to trade on a purely independent basis in 2013 is falling, according to a poll comparing sentiment now with a year ago.

Sanlam Private Wealth is on the verge of acquiring three IFA businesses as its growth strategy of purchasing the client books of retiring advisers gathers pace.

The immediate impact of the RDR is on IFAs - however, the ripple effects will be felt strongly throughout the financial advice and retail investment sector. As advisers are completing higher qualifications, many players are devising and testing new business...