the lang cat

Income functionality is becoming indispensable post-pension freedom

Industry divided on the the regulator's push for innovation

Review is 'too high level'

Platform due diligence is lacking

Due diligence on CIPs 'virtually impossible'

Platforms' financial strength may be winning headline space, but not all advisers will rank provider profits in the same way. Here, the lang cat's Terry Huddart offers ten areas of business performance advisers might wish to look at as part of their platform...

Price and proposition pressures weigh on platforms, but do retirement reforms offer hope?

An award for the direct platform offering the most transparent and plain-English charges, terms and conditions has no recipient for the second year running.

Average investors have seen their platform costs tumble by almost a fifth in the last five years, according to research by the lang cat, but advisers are not favouring the cheaper options.

Legal & General's decision to invite offers for Cofunds just two years after it bought the platform is fraught with a number of potential pitfalls, according to industry commentators.