IFA

Former England cricketer Paul Collingwood and his wife are suing a financial adviser whom they accuse of losing more than £300,000 of their savings through risky investments.

A group of Harlequin Property investors is seeking to agree a process with the company to facilitate the review of all investments through self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) or those which have utilised a re-mortgage.

JOBS

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has ruled in favour of five clients who invested almost £2.6m via their IFA 20Twenty Independent in a film scheme.

IFA TailorMade Independent (TMI), which advised on investments with troubled overseas property agent Harlequin Property, has launched an internal review of its processes following a visit by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

Robert Graves looks at the responsibilities advisers have when dealing with SIPP investments

Helen Morrissey looks at the results of our latest Inquiry and asks what challenges advisers face when giving estate planning advice

Advisers should consider selling their businesses within the next 18 months before prices offered by consolidators fall, according to a consultancy firm.

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has cut its interim levy for investment intermediaries for 2012/13 from £25m to £20m, and has said it will not rule out pre-funding as a means of raising cash for the scheme.

Advisory group LIFT-Financial is planning to expand through its self-employed adviser arm LIFT-Advice because the incoming capital adequacy requirements for this side of the business are less onerous.