Wealth manager and Financial Planner Liberate Wealth has acquired £275m AUM Somerset-based Financial Planner Stafford House Investments for an undisclosed amount.

Financial advice firms Holborn Assets Ltd (FRN 648817) and BSPS-linked Inspirational Financial Management Ltd (FRN223511) are both under investigation by the FSCS after going into administration in recent weeks.

The Financial Ombudsman Service is considering charging Claims Management Companies fees of up to £650 per case to help cut down on the tide of speculative claims that can clog up the service.

Acquisitive South Coast-based wealth manager and financial adviser Skerritts has acquired £230m AUM Financial Planning firm Chadwick McLean, which is based in Chester.

Expanding Chartered Financial Planner HFMC Wealth has bought London-based Harford Financial Ltd in its fourth deal of 2023.

The FCA says some progress has been made in encouraging providers to increase savings rates but too many accounts - especially closed accounts - let savers down by paying derisory rates.

Auo-enrolment pension provider Nest has joined the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the major trade body for the insurance and long-term savings sector.

Nearly a third (32%) of over-55s have deferred their retirement plans since the Coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020.

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the government-backed body which compensates clients of failed regulated firms, has confirmed that it declared six financial services in default over the past two months.

The Financial Ombudsman Service expects British Steel Pension Scheme cases to fall in the coming year amid an expected plateauing in investment and pensions complaints.