Papers

Banco Santander's (BS) bid for Abbey has received a decidedly lukewarm reception report most papers today after the two companies yesterday revealed details of the payment existing Abbey shareholders will receive.

Abbey's merger talks with Banco Santander of Spain tops the business pages today following meetings in London and Madrid yesterday and City expectations that details of a bid will be released later today.

Many of the newspapers have lead the business pages this morning with headlines such as "Tories plan to bogof" - a story IFAonline reported yesterday on plans for LiSA.

Resolution Life Group, the company used to buy the closed life insurance funds of Royal & Sun Alliance, has a shortlist of at least three providers with similar funds it intends to buy, according to documentation seen by The Daily Telegraph.

LENDING IS STILL booming across the UK despite house price rises slowing, according to the latest lender data published yesterday, threatening to step up the pace of interest rate rises.

Committing to a 25-year roadmap, the Confederation of British Industry is publishing a document adding its support for a higher state retirement age of 70, whilst also supporting a higher level of basic state pension.

Some 700 annuitants are suing Equitable Life for millions of pounds because they claim they were mis-sold annuity policies, the FT reports.

FINANCIAL ANALYSTS warn chancellor Gordon Brown's three-year spending plan is a "financial gamble", which could easily turn into a disaster should his forecasts not be met.

THE CONSERVATIVE Party will ABOLISH the Financial Services Authority in its current form if it wins the next general election, according to a report in this weekend's Sunday Telegraph.

MINISTERS stopped the Pensions Bill from continuing through the Lords last night after discovering a range of controversial clauses could forced relatives of company directors to "make good" black holes in company pension schemes with their own money,...