Standard Life

Former Equitable Life chief executive Roy Ranson has defended the insurer's policy of not holding reserves in its with-profits life insurance fund to cushion it against financial shocks, says the Daily Telegraph .

Mark Connolly is to become executive director distribution and client services at Standard Life Investments after previously holding responsibility for institutional business in Europe and the Middle East at Deutsche Asset Management.

Provider Standard Life has changed its mind and is likely to take an ownership stake in the IFA distribution channel in the lead-up to demutualization, reports The Scotsman.

NORWICH UNION is the latest company to "ditch" the pensions sector for more profitable business, reports this morning's Scotsman, after yesterday calling for large-scale deregulation of the pensions market.

Yesterday's AGM of Standard Life was hailed by chairman Brian Stewart as a victory after the company's resolutions were all voted through by the membership, and candidates proposed by the board all elected or re-elected as directors.

THE ELECTION of the new board at Standard Life features in a couple of this morning's papers.

An independent financial adviser has claimed the fall of national savings ratio in the UK can principally be attributed to the dramatic fall in numbers of pensions and savings policy salesforce.

Standard Life has published statistics behind its critical illness and life assurance claims experiences which reveal non-disclosed alcohol abuse problems could make life insurance policies invalid.

Rebel member of Standard Life David Stonebanks will ask eligible voting members attending the annual general meeting in Edinburgh today to back the proposed candidates for the board of directors rather than elect himself.

THE COST OF LIVING and need to save more feature in two of this morning's papers.