News

Britons display "worryingly" low levels of optimism towards preparing for retirement and possess a gloomier outlook than their counterparts across the Atlantic, a study suggests.

If you missed out on yesterday's Spotlight on Long Term Care roundtable you can access it now on IFAonline.

Auditors are too trusting of managers' explanations of financial reporting when looking into company accounts, the Audit Inspection Committee (AIU) says.

Death claims should be paid quicker and the protection industry needs to support its existing customers better, says Munich Re.

BlackRock has reported $12.9bn in net inflows in its iShares business at the end of the second quarter, despite the firm recording a total loss of $213.3bn in assets under management (AUM) in this period.

Northern Rock mortgage borrowers on the toxic loan side of the bank will be slammed with early redemption charges if they attempt to remortgage before their deal ends.

Yorkshire and Clydesdale Banks have admitted undercharging 18,000 customers on variable rate mortgages after a software error meant monthly payments were miscalculated.

Aviva says it is "not ashamed" of its multi-distribution approach but insists IFAs remain its "lifeblood" and claims direct sales will never account for more than 10% of business written.

IFAs are increasingly using ETFs to gain exposure to a wide range of asset classes, including fixed income and commodities, as investors become more aware of the benefits ETFs offer.

Investec's Alastair Mundy has sold out of Lloyds in his £1.57bn Cautious Managed and £344m UK Special Situations funds on fears the group runs the risk of becoming a ‘zombie bank'.