Opinion

I don't think I'll ever get over the sight of Richard Walsh, head of health and protection at the Association of British Insurers, dressed up as Sid Vicious and singing ‘My Way'.

How long ago was it that the insurance salesman was epitomised by the sight of the trusty rate book? I have no idea because technology has been with us in financial services for many a decade.

To read the trade press over the last few weeks, it would be surprising if one did not come to the conclusion that the inheritance tax planning market is now back into full swing.

Plans to challenge the hegemony of established stock exchanges and their pricing levels may leave the more expensive providers of discretionary broking and advisory services exposed.

Criticisms of the retail financial distribution model by the Financial Services Authority and the Financial Ombudsman Service, particularly over the use of commissions, have provoked a flurry of angry responses from IFAs.

Mortgages rarely make it onto the front pages of national newspapers except when the rate of borrowing goes up. However, a recent revelation by one lender was so startling that it made it as the lead item not only in the newspapers but on TV news programmes...

Tomorrow we should see the next phase of the government's plans to reform financial services in the interests of consumers, when the Queen delivers her annual Opening of State Parliament speech.

A day hardly goes by just now without one of the major supermarkets being in media, whether it be for another massive profit announcement (damn them), savings to be made on nappies (important in our house!) or the launch of another financial services...

By now most people are aware of the Law Commission's consultation on the subject of non-disclosure. If you're not aware of this you can download the consultation paper from their website.

A good ten years ago I mentioned in a speech that we were professionals. I was rudely interrupted at that point by an observer who said that by definition we couldn't be professionals as we weren't in a profession.