Abbey

STANDARD LIFE'S plans to demutualise and float on the stock market have been cast into doubt as it is reported by the Scotsman a majority of the insurer's own policyholders oppose the move.

ADAIR TURNER yesterday told the Commons work and pensions select committee independent financial advisers are trying to avoid selling private pensions to those on low incomes as they fear they will be accused of mis-selling in 10 years' time, continues...

ABBEY has lost a share of the mortgage market in the last three months as its takeover by Spanish Banco Santander is thought to have affected its performance, says this morning's Daily Telegraph .

James Hay, the SIPPs, SSASs and FURBs provider within the Abbey group, is re-launching a low-cost SIPP offer to tap into what it sees as growing market demand.

Changes in the occupational pensions regulation may appear to be good news for IFAs, however, Abbey warns of hidden dangers leading to a ‘poisoned chalice'.

Pantomime by Abbey could have been the title of yesterday's shareholders meeting in London to rubber-stamp the deal with Banco Santander, but which gave smaller shareholders a chance to vent their anger.

IT LOOKS LIKE we're going to get running commentary on the L&G versus FSA £1.1m endowment tribunal over the next six weeks, as the Daily Telegraph this morning reports "deficient" systems for processing endowment mortgages have been blamed by the FSA...

TWO directors of David M Aaron - the independent financial adviser firm which was banned for issuing misleading literature on high-income "precipice" bonds - are now promoting venture capital trusts (VCTs), according to this morning's Times .

Norwich Union yesterday stopped imposing exit penalties on with-profits pension holders who delay their retirement dates and Friends Provident is considering whether to follow suit, says the Daily Telegraph .

THE PENSIONS CRISIS has failed to dent people's desire to take early retirement, as a study the number of men drawing their pensions at or before 60 has dropped, says the Guardian .