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City of London Financial Planning firm and wealth manager Helm Godfrey has been acquired by private equity-backed wealth manager Hurst Point Group for an undisclosed sum.

Financial Planner Life Partners, an adviser training initiative, has partnered with training and support company NextGen Planners to launch The Financial Planner Life Academy which is offering training for a pay-as-you-go  £19.99 a month subscription.

Nucleus Financial Platforms chief commercial officer Alex Kovach will step down at the end of the year and be replaced by the group’s chief financial officer Mike Regan, subject to regulatory approval.

Fast-growing Financial Planner and wealth manager Kingswood Group has ruled out a sale of the business after a strategic review.

Fast-growing wealth manager and Financial Planner Perspective has has made two new acquisitions, adding £220m in AUM and boosting its total number of adviser firm takeovers so far this year to 17, with seven more to come in the next few months.

After a review launched earlier this year the DWP has concluded that The Pensions Regulator is “broadly well-run and well-regarded” but has set out a series of recommendations to improve the regulator.

The CII and PFS have announced the winners of their inaugural Apprenticeship Awards, celebrating the achievements of exceptional apprentices from across the UK in seven different categories.

Swansea financial adviser Simon Hughes has been banned by the FCA and made to pay £158,600 redress for “negligent” pension advice which has led to £8m compensation being paid to his BSPS-member clients.

The CISI’s flagship annual two-day Financial Planning conference gets under way today with hundreds attending the sold-out event, writes Emily Berry.