Opinion

Confusion surrounding the difference between long-term income protection (sometimes referred to as permanent health insurance) and short-term income protection has plagued the market for years. Now with new products pushing the boundaries of one camp...

So, the FSA have now announced that the menu document will disappear from the end of the year. I don't know if I should laugh with relief or cry about what will follow.

‘If it ain't broke, don't fix it' - this well known saying sums up all there is to say about the direction of the latest paper aimed at making the open market option work better.

I used to think the phrase "too many cooks" only applied if one of them was Jamie Oliver. While looking at one website the other day however, it struck me that the same is true of the number of packagers some lenders deal with.

Given all the discussion around whether a SIPP is a real SIPP or not according to the investment selection and the now impending changes to the investment freedom of protected rights pensions, is it not time to abandon the ‘asset class'?

In usual ‘dance of the seven veils' style, the Government is slowly teasing us with glimpses of what the personal accounts scheme will look like.

First-time buyers are now facing very real difficulties in getting a foot on the property ladder.

One of the topical issues at the moment is Fidelity's Special Situation Fund, reported to be over £3bn in size, as the fund management moves from Anthony Bolton to Sanjeev Shah.

I spent an enjoyable hour yesterday afternoon blitzing through a few piles of paperwork. This has become an annual ritual for me in the week before I leave to go on holiday. It is amazing how satisfying it is to decimate stacks of brochures, letters and...

Apologies to all you intermediaries out there but on this occasion my blog is more aimed at insurers - but do let me know if you agree with me. Feedback is always appreciated.