FSA

Advisers who hold higher minimum qualifications will be more competent and less likely to make mistakes resulting in the recommendation of unsuitable products, the FSA says today.

The FSA says it could transfer responsibility for monitoring professional standards to individual firms - providing the industry can persuade the regulator of the merits of such hands-off regulation.

The FSA today unveiled plans to develop its capability to monitor individual advisers.

The FSA proposes a system of co-operation between the regulator and accredited bodies to ensure advisers are meeting its professionalism standards post-RDR.

The FSA has ruled out allowing provider factoring on group personal pensions (GPP) advice despite admitting concerns over up-front costs.

The RDR has created some serious issues for adviser firms looking to acquire a business and those looking to sell up for their retirement, says Almary Green's Carl Lamb.

The FSA today confirmed it is banning commission on sales in the Group Personal Pensions (GPP) market from 1 January 2013.

Europe must focus on growth as well as cutting spending to reduce national deficits, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says.

The FSA today confirms plans to make all mortgage advisers, including branch-based staff, and those who arrange non-advised sales personally accountable.

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has highlighted examples of bad protection advice from complaints referred to it during the recession.