APFA hits back at 'unhelpful' Bank of England adviser criticism

Hannant requests a meeting with the Bank of England economist

Nicola Brittain
clock • 1 min read

Criticisms of advisers made by the chief economist of the Bank of England have been countered as "unhelpful" by head of the Association of Professional Financial Advisers (APFA) Chris Hannant who has asked for a "prompt clarification" of the comments.

Bank economist Andy Haldane, who was speaking at the New City Agenda annual dinner, said that, like himself, advisers had "no clue" when it came to making sense of pensions and that the opinion had been formed during countless conversations with experts and financial advisers. In an open letter to Haldane, Hannant (pictured) concedes that the economist's point had probably been made to allude to the increasing complexity of financial products but that making this point by implying that regulated financial advisers do not understand pensions was "unhelpful". He said: "Becoming a financ...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Pensions

Pensions minister Torsten Bell: 'Together, we are going to finish the job'

Pensions minister Torsten Bell: 'Together, we are going to finish the job'

Bell was reappointed to the pensions minister role in the government reshuffle

Holly Roach
clock 27 July 2026 • 1 min read
Pension adequacy – are we focusing on the wrong measure of success?

Pension adequacy – are we focusing on the wrong measure of success?

'The current system can unintentionally create a false sense of reassurance'

Caitlin Southall
clock 24 July 2026 • 4 min read
Financial Vulnerability Taskforce calls on advisers to rethink retirement planning

Financial Vulnerability Taskforce calls on advisers to rethink retirement planning

Publishes guide suggesting to ‘move beyond a pensions-only approach’

Sophia Panayi
clock 22 July 2026 • 2 min read