Tim Searle, founder and chief executive of the Dubai-headquartered international advisory company Globaleye, considers the impact Britains retail distribution review is beginning to have, and will have, on the regulation of financial advisers in other jurisdictions going forward
M&G is to undertake a major rebranding of its multi-asset range, realigning it for RDR and launching its new Episode Defensive Fund.
Research has revealed that UK-based advisers are becoming increasingly concerned about the complexity of products being designed by providers to entice clients to use their services.
As Singapore IFAs face the prospect of the regulator raising the bar on the level of qualifications they hold, a survey from Defaqto reveals that just under half of UK advisers, 47%, are aiming to go even higher than the minimum new RDR threshold required by the Financial Services Authority.
The Retail Distribution Review aims to help consumers, but may lead to a shortfall in the number of financial advisers. Phil Oxenham, marketing manager at Skandia International, discusses recent developments and considers the Review in detail.
Helen Burggraf explores how the financial crisis has encouraged regulators around the world to re-examine consumer protection and how advisers are increasingly feeling the pressure.
Prudential International is to close its Flexible Protection Bond and Flexible Life Plan protection products to new business from 14 Sept, in the wake of a review of its entire product range, International Adviser has learned.
More than two-thirds of advisers do not expect to offer a self-directed service to clients after the Retail Distribution Review takes effect at the start of 2013, according to a poll of 614 financial intermediaries by one of the largest UK investment platforms.
A huge disparity in the expectations of IFAs and their firms in the post-RDR world has been revealed by a study of the industry by CWC Research.
Advisers looking to outsource their investment decision making to a multi-manager fund in the lead up to Retail Distribution Review implementation should choose carefully, as very few of these funds have managed to perform consistently since 2008, according to independent research company Defaqto.
Investec Asset Management is to launch two multi-asset managed solutions funds as part of a realignment of its product range ahead of the Retail Distribution Review.
With the implementation of the Retail Distribution Review set to take place at the start of next year, two-fifths of platform users in the UK are outsourcing some or all of their investment process, according to a survey of 345 people by independent research company Defaqto.
