IFA

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.

Age Partnership, a retirement services adviser, has raised concern for equity release customers over the marketing of Property Protection Trusts.

An online tool to promote local whole of market advice for annuity purchase has been launched by an IFA.

Today the Association of Professional Financial Advisers (APFA) released its research, spanning five years, into the shape of the adviser marketplace. Here IFAonline breaks down its findings into the key numbers.

The number of advising staff working in financial advice firms fell 9% last year, according to figures put together for the Association of Professional Financial Advisers (APFA).

Yorkshire and Clydesdale have confirmed that they will be joining a host of other high street banks to exit the advice market.

Positive Solutions has reported profits before tax of £2.3m for last year, wiping out a £0.4m loss in 2011, as it strives to offer a "John Lewis level" of customer service to its advisers.

JOBS