adviser firms

There is one way to avoid struggling with the future - avoiding it. Matt Smith clarifies the options for those looking for business exit plans

Applewood Wealth Management has acquired Shrewsbury-based IFA Simply Ethical for an undisclosed sum.

Moneygate - recently linked to Alpha to Omega (A2O) - has unveiled a three-year expansion plan after securing a capital injection from MGT Capital Investments UK.

IFAs face a "race against time" to get in shape for the RDR, with some exhibiting glaring gaps in their knowledge of new qualification requirements, recent research suggests.

Adviser Alliance founder Alan Lakey says the £70m additional levy imposed on intermediaries for the failures of Keydata and two stockbrokers "goes against the spirit of the law" - but is confident the FSCS will re-think its decision.

Advisers must shift their focus to life planning in the face of the challenging economic conditions, says the chief executive of Bluefin Advisory Services.

Independent advisers are being blamed for the failings of fund managers and have become scapegoats for the industry's problems, Applewood Wealth Management's Karl Hartey says.

Towergate Financial has appointed Steve Petrie as a director working in its private client business.

Buckles, Wales' largest IFA, has purchased Wigan-based Mortgages Pensions & Investments, as its expansion strategy built on acquiring the businesses of retiring IFAs gathers momentum.

ETF trading activity has significantly increased among advisers using the A J Bell Sippcentre platform.