Portafina under fire for unregulated investment advice

Advised on unregulated investments

Hannah Godfrey
clock • 2 min read

Portafina has come under fire from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for giving advice to invest in unregulated schemes, including a Harlequin property.

In 2011, ‘Mr H', as referred to by the ombudsman, attended a financial seminar because he was concerned his occupational pension was frozen and losing value. At the seminar, he spoke to someone whom he thought worked for Portafina, though he later learned they worked for an unregulated company. He was then referred to Portafina. At the time, Mr H was 49 and earned an annual salary of £28,000. He was paying off a small mortgage, and had no previous investment experience. He had two pensions - an occupational pension and a personal pension - with a combined value of £110,000. He had no ...

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 Regulation

Agile IT needed as rapid regulation change becomes the norm

Agile IT needed as rapid regulation change becomes the norm

'Gone are the lengthy consultation and rule-setting cycles that often took several years'

Paul Muir
clock 15 April 2024 • 6 min read
Leveling up the playing field when it comes to picking skilled persons

Leveling up the playing field when it comes to picking skilled persons

Given the prerequisite for accuracy, a rigorous selection process is essential

Richard Farr
clock 15 April 2024 • 4 min read
A practical way forward: Utilising hybrid to close the advice gap

A practical way forward: Utilising hybrid to close the advice gap

Will the FCA's advice/guidance review increase access to advice?

Chet Velani
clock 02 April 2024 • 6 min read