Winterthur

Winterthur has denied accusations of being inflammatory towards the Treasury over the issue of Alternatively Secured Pensions.

AXA has announced changes to its organisational structure within its life and general insurance companies which it says will give both businesses a sharper market focus and closer alignment to customer needs.

Figures from Winterthur Life UK for the first nine months of 2006 suggest the provider has made some strong gains according to its preferred method of counting its business.

Action to settle whether scheme pension payments are subject to inheritance tax could be included in the pre-Budget Report.

Winterthur Life is launching a training programme to support advisers studying for the investment management certificate.

Axa has announced it will keep the Winterthur brand in the individual personal pension and investment markets although it will combine group pensions into a new unit.

Paymaster, one of the hopefuls for administering personal accounts, says it favours the model put forward by Lord Turner because the overall potential return on investment will be around 9% higher than under the industry model.

New parents should consider asking for a different kind of baby gift, and start a pension for their child, says Virgin Money.

Local impacts of AXA's decision to buy Winterthur from Credit Suisse are yet to be publicly announced, according to a Winterthur Life UK spokesperson.

The introduction of a National Pension Savings Scheme (NPSS) "would be a disaster" unless public apathy towards saving is tackled ahead of concerns about the cost of the scheme, claims Winterthur Life.