Royal London

In this week's Retirement Planner news round-up we highlight five key stories you might have missed over the past seven days.

Royal London new life and pensions business was up 18% to £989m in the first quarter of the year, with group pensions benefitting significantly from auto-enrolment.

The promise of guidance at retirement "does not go far enough" and a new form of retirement-focused advice must be created by the regulator, according to Royal London.

Royal London is embarking on its first television advertising campaign in over a decade in order push it's direct to consumer (D2C) offering to the public.

Royal London Group chief executive Phil Loney has called on the industry and regulator to come up with a "new form of advice" to service those at point of retirement and meet the challenge set by the Chancellor.

Royal London's operating profits for 2013 were up to £346m, with new business accounting for £70m of the gains.

Royal London has appointed a new head of intermediary business and chief financial officer in a management reshuffle.

Royal London Asset Management (RLAM) has reported a record year for external new business in 2013, with gross inflows up almost 70%, a highlight in a strong set of results for its life company parent.

The Royal London group has entered in to an agreement with funds advised by independent private equity firm Vitruvian Partners to support a management-led buyout of Royal London's offshore arm 360° and its subsidiaries for an undisclosed sum.

Royal London's Ascentric wrap platform has achieved a third quarter of record net new business, with £1.25bn of new assets for the year to date.