Papers

STANDARD LIFE IS bracing itself for a second round of takeover approaches after it emerged that Resolution - one of the companies already knocked back by the Edinburgh assurer - is considering a return to the table with a fresh offer, reports The Scotsman...

STANDARD LIFE ON Tuesday put a £5.5bn price on its head and revealed that it had already rebuffed a number of approaches, including one from Resolution Life, the specialist investor in life assurance funds which manages closed books of with-profits business,...

STANDARD LIFE MEMBERS are to be offered the opportunity to buy cheaper shares as part of the insurance giant's planned flotation, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

SOME LIFE ASSURANCE policies written in trust could still be hit by a new tax charge despite government assurances to the contrary, life assurers have warned, reports The Financial Times .

A LONG-AWAITED report into the dominance of the Big Four accounting firms was welcomed by auditors yesterday after it declined to make any policy recommendations, reports The Times .

REWRITING WILLS TO comply with changes to trust legislation announced in the Budget will cost families around £250m, according to the latest figures, reports The Daily Telegraph .

COMPANIES WILL TODAY receive a new ratings score that will determine how much they must pay towards the Government's £575m pension fund safety net, reports The Times .

US PRIVATE EQUITY firm Hellman & Friedman has moved into pole position to acquire fund manager Gartmore after it emerged asset management company, Schroders has dropped out of the race, reports The Daily Telegraph .

THIS MORNING'S papers seem to be dominated by the effects of the new pensions regime which comes into force today.

GORDON BROWN moved last night to end the bitter high-level government row over pension reform by announcing that he accepted the principles of the Turner commission proposals, reports The Guardian .