Chartered Financial Planner Fairstone has acquired Devon IFA firm Sabre Financial, adding £200m in Funds Under Management to the group.

Financial Planning firm Furnley House, the financial services arm of Superbia Group, has acquired Nottingham-based adviser firm CDG Financial Services Ltd.

The Treasury Committee, the influential House of Commons group of MPs, has backed the appointment of new FCA chair Ashely Alder who will take over at the FCA from February.

The Bank of England today increased its base rate by 50 basis points from 3% to 3.5% in a move widely expected by experts.

The Association of Member-Directed Pension Schemes (AMPS), the industry body for SIPP and SSAS providers, has selected Andrew Phipps, senior propositions manager at Embark Group, as its new chairman.

Today’s Scottish Budget saw middle and higher earners hit with an additional tax bill from next year.

Unbiased, the adviser directory, is to launch additional products and services and to look at international expansion after receiving £5m in new investment from YFM Equity Partners (YFM).

Wealth manager and Financial Planner WH Ireland made a pre-tax loss of £380,000 over the past half year as revenue slumped due to market turmoil.

The Financial Ombudsman Service plans to freeze its fees for 2023/24 at this year’s level due to the economic pressures facing firms.

There is no getting away from the fact that 2023 will be a very busy year for Financial Planners and that, despite the grim economic backdrop, there are some positive signs.