Regulation

The National Audit Office (NAO) has called on the financial regulators to show they are providing value for money after finding they do not have processes in place to judge the best use of their cash.

SIPP complaints to the Financial Ombudsman recently faced a sharp increase. Why did this happen? Fiona Murphy reports.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has accepted it needs to invest in better communication with small firms, following recommendations by its board in January.

Financial services industry players have voiced their frustrations about the regulator's lack of clarity in the direct to consumer (D2C) and simplified advice space, saying it is hampering innovation and preventing them from bridging the advice gap.

REGULATION

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is still concerned about transparency in the advice space, especially in relation to charging and independence, chief executive Martin Wheatley has said.

LISTENING?

The Bank of England has maintained interest rates at 0.5% and the size of the asset purchase programme at £375bn.

UNREGULATED

Personal Touch Financial Services has said it plans to subsidise member firms' regulatory fees for 2014.