bonds

Financial advisers are expecting more clients to surrender their Standard Life with-profits policies as its latest bonus rate announcement reveals the fund returned just 2.2% in the last six months.

Scottish Widows has added online processing to it's extranet to allow advisers to submit applications and get illustrations for its flexible options bond.

Credit analysts are warning corporate and government bonds markets are seeing as much volatility as the equities market, and spreads are fluctuating to levels seen prior to the Asian and Russian crises.

A survey of the UK annuity market published by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has highlighted potential risks for the insurance industry in dealing with longevity risk and long-term debt shortages.

CAMPAIGNERS WILL gear up for a battle for government compensation for 85,000 people who lost pension benefits when their occupational schemes were wound up, reports The Financial Times .

At least seven out of ten consumers may not know the difference between bonds and equities even when they have made investments, suggests research.

An increase in the level of government inflation-linked bonds may not be enough to satisfy demand by pension funds, claims Watson Wyatt.

Fears of a possible end to the current strong growth in equity returns are being driven by "false signals" as a continued bullish nature towards global market should be expected in 2006, suggest Standard Life Investments strategists.

The FTSE 100 Index has risen 19.7 points, or 0.4%, to 5642.5 so far this morning led by commodities companies BP, BHP Billiton and Anglo American as oil trades near $60 a barrel and gold prices increase.

With-profits funds have suffered extremely bad press since the stockmarket fell in March 2001 and consumers woke up to the fact the all-important ‘bonuses' they thought were guaranteed were actually just "on loan" while the good times rolled.