investment

Close Investments, the property, tax and investments specialist, is set to launch its rebrand in the next couple of months, including a new colour scheme and new website.

Clerical Medical says it has identified and corrected "discrepancies" in some of its unit-linked funds, brought about because of data input errors.

The social networking phenomenon fuelling the rapid growth of websites such as YouTube and MySpace could be about to threaten the dominance of the big banks, says the Guardian .

National Savings & Investments has increased the rates it pays out, in line with the 0.25% increase announced recently by the Bank of England.

Trustees and actuaries of pension schemes which have an investment strategy which is "too safe" could be open to claims of negligence.

With latest research suggesting advisers intend to pile into the UK Reits market when it opens in January, it is perhaps time to pause for reflection.

Figures published by Reita suggest advisers are expressing increasing interest in the vehicles ahead of the opening of the UK Reits market in January.

Ed Balls, economic secretary to the Treasury, actually talked some sense for once at the PIMA conference the other week.

Stocks in the UK gained this morning after analysts recommended investors buy Vodafone, sending the FTSE 100 index up 30.1 points to 6,216.70.

Philip Marsden, director of Vantis Corporate Finance, the business and tax advisory group, says despite record amounts being invested through private equity deals it remains the case it is tricky to strike deals with IFA businesses.