Standard Life

STANDARD LIFE yesterday shrugged off a near 50% decline in sales of individual pensions in the first nine months of the year as it continued to push its higher-margin products - a key part of its plans to float on the stock market in 2006, according to...

JUDGES ARE considering unprecedented legal action against the government in a row over changes to their pension rights, reports The Times .

BCCI LIQUIDATORS' £850m lawsuit against the Bank of England dramatically collapsed yesterday at the High Court in London bringing a 12-year legal battle to an end, according to this morning's papers.

FEARS ARE growing thousands of older homeowners may be mis-sold equity release plans which allow cash to be released from their property, suggests the Times , as figures reveal the equity release market has topped £5bn.

Which? has criticised the abolition of RU64 as a "huge mistake" despite widespread industry support for the move.

MERRILL LYNCH, JPMorgan and Jupiter Asset Management have lost out in the battle to manage the £100m Deutsche Equity Income Trust (DEIT), reports The Times .

DAVID WILLETTS, shadow trade and industry secretary, last night called on the government to "socialise" part of the pensions burden for business or risk the prospect of zombie companies struggling to meet payments to former workers, says the Guardian....

Standard Life policyholders will receive letters from today confirming the life insurer plans to demutualise if members support the proposal in 2006.

Standard Life is calling for the life assurance industry to create a new more consistent approach to discounted gift plans in inheritance tax planning.

Self-regulation by providers of self invested personal pensions (Sipps) is the key to maintaining consumer confidence until formal safeguards are put in place, according to Standard Life.