Papers

Wealth management group St James's Place saw pension sales almost double last year after new regulations governing retirement savings were introduced, says the Daily Telegraph .

Northern Rock is poised to leapfrog Abbey and Lloyds TSB to become Britain's third-biggest mortgage lender, according to the Times .

A handful of the UK's largest banks and lenders are set to be landed with multi-million pound fines from the Financial Services Authority over the next few weeks for mis-selling payment protection insurance, reports the Independent .

One of Britain's largest sellers of investment products is preparing to float on the stock market in a move which could net each of its two founders a £240m fortune, says the Sunday Times .

Average house prices throughout the UK have broken through the £100,000 barrier for the first time, with the biggest growth in Scotland and Wales, reports the Times .

A European directive could scupper City attempts to become the world's financial capital, says the Daily Telegraph .

Schroders will try to fight back into the institutional market this month with a fund which allows small pension schemes to replicate the investment strategies of giant final salary schemes, according to the Times .

Every adult is to be offered free basic advice about financial products in a nationwide scheme to be set up within five years, the government will promise today, says the Financial Times .

Norwich Union has warned there is a "high risk" 90% of its mortgage endowment policies will not pay off people's home loans, despite its main investment fund notching up a return of almost 12% before tax last year, says the Guardian .

PPM Capital, the private equity group behind the buyout of Chez Gérard and Caffè Uno, was close to clinching its own buyout yesterday from its long-time parent Prudential, according to the Times .