News and Knowledge

7 ways you could accidentally invalidate your life insurance

Life insurance is there to financially support your family and loved ones when you die. By paying a premium while you are alive, it can help with expenses such as funeral and burial costs, inheritance and replacement income for dependents when you are no longer here.   But life insurance is a contract, and if…

St James’s Place Wealth Management: Am I eligible for compensation?

The financial advice firm St James’s Place is being criticised for what many describe as high and unreasonable fees.   What is St James’s Place Wealth Management? St James’s Place (SJP) is a wealth management company which is there to help you manage your finances in the best way possible. This could be providing guidance on where…

FSCS to step in and fund costs for exit strategy for Hartley Pension SIPP customers

The FSCS explained in a new update this week, that it will compensate customers by funding the costs of the Joint Administrators’ exit strategy for Hartley SIPP customers.   This is a 180° turn on their previous stance, as they have previously said that they would not pay the charges. This comes after Hartley Pensions…

List of FSCS Most Recent Failed Firms and how to make a claim

If you have lost out on money due to a financial firm failing, you may be entitled to make a claim against them.   By submitting a claim to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), they may be able to compensate you for your financial loss. However, there are eligibility rules in place to make…

FCA set to complete a review of car finance market

The Financial Ombudsman have issued decisions against Black Horse and Barclays Partner Finance about discretionary car finance commission which may have affected millions of customers   On January 11th 2024 the financial services regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), announced it would be completing a review of the car finance market. This comes after the…

8 complaints against Options UK Personal Pensions Ltd upheld in just 1 week

In the space of 1 week, the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) upheld 8 complaints against Options UK Personal Pensions Limited.   The complaints It seems that many of the complains result back to the same reason. Customers of Options UK have complained that Options shouldn’t have accepted their applications to transfer there benefit pension into…

FSCS Outlook November 2023

The FSCS have published their latest edition of Outlook and provides a final update for the 2023-2024 levy as well as a first look at the 2024-2025 forecast.   Final Update on 2023 – 2024 Levy The FSCS has confirmed that the total levy remains unchanged and as forecast which was set earlier this year…

Have you been Mis-Sold a Pension?

Have you been mis-sold a Pension?   Pension firms and advisors have a duty to act in their clients best interests and are required to assess their clients suitability when providing advice to transfer their existing pension to another pension, as well as explain the benefits and the risks involved with the pension transfer.  …

Types of Pension

What is a pension?   A pension is a regular payment made during a person’s retirement from an investment fund to which that person or their employer has contributed during their working life.     What types of pensions are there?   A pension is a regular payment made during a person’s retirement from an…

Pension scams. How to stay safe?

Pension scams. How to stay safe?   According to Action Fraud, more than £30 millions were lost between 2017 and 2020 in pension scams. Pension pots are one of the most valuable assets as this guarantees some income in retirement. Understandably, many people try to search for deals to make the most of their pension…