debt

A third wave of testing into the basic advice regime filter questions suggests previous weaknesses in the handling of pensions and consumer debt have now been sufficiently ironed out, says the FSA.

Increasing interest rates do not seem to have deterred people from borrowing more as new findings from the Bank of England suggest total debt in the UK almost hit the £1 trillion mark in May.

Graduates amass more debt than first anticipated, suggests a Norwich Union report, as an additional £1800 is needed just to get themselves through the office door.

Virtually all cases in the Sandler 'filtered' questions testing are now thought to be compliant under the FSA sales regime, according to providers involved in the testing of FSA research.

Most young people believe investments and pensions are not relevant to their own financial position, and are instead aimed at "older people" according to research conducted by the FSA.

LAUNCH OF the Pensions Protection Fund for members of failed occupational pension schemes is likely to cost British industry an extra £600 million a year, says the Times newspaper.

Contrary to jokes about women and spending, new research suggests men are more likely to need to rein in their debts.

SCOTTISH NATIONAL Party MP Alex Salmond told the House of Commons yesterday the Financial Services Authority's new solvency regime may act as a "poison pill" for mutually-owned assurers such as Standard Life, says the Scotsman .