A settlement opportunity for employers who have used Employee Benefit Trusts (EBT) to avoid tax will close in March 2015, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed. Read more ...

The National Association of Pension Funds has welcomed news from the Pensions Regulator that 4m people are now in auto-enrolled pensions - an increase of over 1m in the past year.

Legal & General has resigned from the Association of British Insurers and confirmed that it will cease to be a member at the end of 2014.

Standard Life is concerned about new rules which it says may damage the use of trusts by families as a tax planning tool. Read more ...

Wealth manager and Financial Planning firm Saunderson House has taken corporate membership of the everywomanNetwork, a global membership organisation that promotes the advancement of women in business. Read more ...

The Financial Conduct Authority has reported that some promotions for financial products are falling short of its rules. It says firms need to do more to ensure that advertisements do not mislead consumers.

Andy Bell, chief executive of investment platform provider AJ Bell, has written to the Financial Secretary for the Treasury David Gauke urging the Government to scrap capped drawdown following the introduction of the new pension flexibilities in April 2015. Read more ...

Royal Bank of Scotland is considering a sale of Coutts International, the overseas arm of the private bank and wealth manager, in a deal that could net £600m.

Only one in three people expect to stop working completely when they retire and phased retirement will become the new norm, according to a consumer study for Aegon which also shows that few people have a formal financial plan for retirement. Read more ...

Mattioli Woods' subsidiary City Pensions has acquired the pension admin business of UK Wealth Management, part of Ashcourt Rowan, for up to £355,000.