investment

Home improvements should be targeted at areas where the value added to the property is greater than the cost of the project, with loft conversions working out at better value than loft insulation, claims research by Halifax.

SANDIE CROMBIE, the chief executive of Standard Life, gave a warning last night that "a float can be pulled the night before", as the FTSE 100 plunged 139 points, reports The Times .

AN INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL advice helpline dealing with two million low earners every year could be set up at a cost of £25m-£35m, according to research published today in The Financial Times .

The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) wants the government to press ahead with a new low cost insolvency solution, following research which shows many people are facing a lifetime of debt.

The FTSE 100 has bounced back from a slow start this morning to end the day with gains of 146 points or 2.64% to 5,678.7, with mining and energy stocks leading the rally as copper prices rose and oil traded at over $70 a barrel.

Over £11m was placed into cash Child Trust Funds (CTFs) in April according to the latest statistics from the Building Societies Association (BSA).

The concept of ‘direct offer' business may have to undergo reform in the UK as proposals inside the MiFID directive suggest product purchases can only be considered ‘execution-only' if the client approaches the firm ‘on their own initiative'.

Axa has revamped its estate planning bond trusts, and is to offer two versions of the trust instead of one, following the Budget changes to the Inheritance Tax (IHT) treatment of trusts.

The FTSE 100 has started to recover slightly from its steep drop this morning thanks to Corus, although it is still down 75.2 points to 5,836.9, as miners continue to top the list of fallers.

Standard Life has decided to keep its discounted gift plan (DGP) trust under suspension following changes to the Inheritance Tax (IHT) treatment of trusts in the Budget.