Popular News
-
Exclusive - SIPP and SSAS Survey reveals confidence
The latest issue of Financial Planning Today magazine, our exclusive sister publication for Financial Planners, Paraplanners, Wealth Managers and IFAs, has been published and is ready to view.
-
AMPS hears from HMRC at spring conference
The SIPP and SSAS trade body Association of Member-Directed Pension Schemes (AMPS) said it has made progress with liaison with regulators and demonstrated that by having representatives from HMRC at its annual spring conference.
-
Hundreds face huge tax bill after cashing in pension
Almost 300 people fully encashed a pension of more than £250,000 after tax-free cash between October 2023 and March 2024, paying a minimum £98,700 each in tax in the process, according to new analysis of FCA figures by Standard Life.
-
Crisis-hit CII and PFS hold joint board meeting
The boards of the 120,000 member Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and its subsidiary the Personal Finance Society (PFS) have held a joint meeting this week following the latest in a wave of resignations to hit the PFS.
-
AJ Bell platform customers rise to nearly 600,000
Platform and SIPP provider AJ Bell increased its platform customer numbers by 9% to 593,000 over the past six months, the business reported today in interim results.
Latest Blog
-
James Jones-Tinsley: Aiming for an advice-guidance sweetspot
As Nikhil Rathi is reappointed as CEO of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for another five years, the FCA has set out its strategic direction for 2025/26, with important implications for financial advisers.
-
Lisa Webster: Divorce impact on lump sums raises question
The lifetime allowance may have been consigned to the annals of history but the various forms of protection are still relevant in the new world, especially when it comes to the amount of pension commencement lump sum (PCLS) that can be taken.
-
Martin Tilley: How education can tackle pension scams
The dark reality of pension scams is that we don’t really know how common they are. Fraud is a crime which tends to have low reporting events and with pension scams, it’s no different. The emotional toll can be as large as the financial, with some people being too embarrassed to report that they have been the victim of a scam.
-
Lisa Webster: Maximising protected tax-free cash
While 2024 ended with a lot of doom and gloom in the pension world following the big announcement on inheritance tax (IHT), there was some good news that may have slipped under the radar of some advisers.
-
Lisa Webster: Overcomplicated rules are a threat
It may be more than a year since the Lifetime Allowance was formally abolished but issues are still emerging from the mess made by rushed legislation.
Private equity firm EQT Fund Management has made a second approach towards an acquisition deal with Australian fintech Iress.
Nearly one in three retirees are retiring in debt in 2021 according to new research.
Almost half (46%) of over 55s have no idea how much money they need in order to retire comfortably, according to new research.
UK dividends jumped 51.2% to £25.7bn in the second quarter, beating expectations, according to a new report.
Investment platform AJ Bell has reported a 15% rise in advised customers year on year, and 4% over the third quarter, in its latest trading update.
Total platform customers grew 32% year on year, and 6% in the quarter, as direct to consumer customers rose 42% (8% in the quarter). The platform now has 353,299 customers, of which just over a third (122,757) are advised.
Total platform net inflows increased by 40% over the prior year to £2.1bn, with just over half (£1.1.bn) being advised (a 57% growth year on year in advised net inflows).
Platform assets under administration closed the quarter at £63.1bn, a 32% rise year on year and a 9% rise in the quarter.
Assets under management at the platforms investment management business, AJ Bell Investments, increased 186% year on year and 43% over the quarter to £2bn. Total net inflows in the quarter were £524 million, including a one-off inflow of £253m.
Andy Bell, CEO at AJ Bell, said: “In the advised market, third quarter platform inflows were up 57% compared to the prior year. The introduction of simplified pension options is proving particularly popular with advisers as it provides them with different price points and flexible investment options to cater for a diverse range of client needs.
“We also continue to see strong demand for our in-house investment solutions. There is growing awareness amongst financial advisers of the value and performance that our managed portfolio service is delivering to their clients and our multi-asset funds continue to prove popular with advisers and retail customers alike.
“As we head into the final quarter of our financial year, we remain focused on providing an excellent service to our customers and continuing to support our people as we navigate the current wave of the pandemic. Looking further ahead, the structural growth drivers for our sector remain strong and we are well placed to deliver further growth across our platform.”
A third (31%) of UK homeowners over 40 who are not yet retired plan to work beyond their State Pension age, according to a new report.