Call for criminal checks on advisers

The long-term care specialist intemediary has spoken out after Philip Smith, 48, of Bowdon, Cheshire, a former financial adviser - although he was not authorised by the Financial Services Authority to work as a financial adviser - was sentenced to nine years in prison earlier this week for stealing £2.3m from at least 50 clients to fund an addiction to gambling. Smith had previously been found guilty of 49 counts of theft, five of money laundering, two of false accounting and three forgeries. Symponia says such actions have now made criminal checks a necessity for financial advisers, par...