Standard Life

Standard Life has launched a search to track down 200,000 people entitled to a slice of £184m in unclaimed shares and cash from its demutualisation.

Standard Life has reaffirmed its commitment to the much-maligned investment bond, by doubling the trail commission available on the product.

Trustees have less than a month to change the beneficiaries of flexible trusts bought before March 2006 or face new IHT implications which kick-in on 6 October.

Standard Life has extended the range of less volatile forms of investment available through its individual, group and Wrap SIPPs in response to adviser feedback.

Standard Life's retail and group SIPP customers will now be able to access its mutual fund supermarket, FundZone.

Smoothing has helped cushion Standard Life's with-profits policies against falling markets, the group says today in its mid-year review of bonus rates.

Standard Life has teamed with Lloyd's broker NCG Professional Risks to offer its wrap advisers preferential terms for professional indemnity (PI) insurance.

BlackRock's UK Absolute Alpha fund has been added to Standard Life's insured product range and its life counterpart to FundsNetwork's investment bond fund range.

Standard Life recorded a 5% jump in UK life and pensions new business in the first half of the year, with strong IFA take-up and sales on its wrap platform a highlight for the Edinburgh-based insurer.

Standard Life has launched a retirement planning tool for advisers to model client retirement scenarios.