Simple products should need no advice - HMT

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HM Treasury (HMT) is suggesting simplified financial products should be defined as sellable without advice.

Speaking at reinsurer Gen Re's "Simple" seminar today, Maggie Craig, managing director of life and savings at the Association of British Insurers (ABI) gave a progress overview of HMT's simple products consultation, which began in July 2010. She said: "HMT suggest a simple product would be as straight forward as possible, would aid the understanding of features and comparison and ought to be possible to be bought without regulated advice." She added: "This will excite debate. There is a question mark over does it mean "must" be purchased without regulated advice - as in execution only...

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