Aegon’s UK profits rose to £71m for the first half of 2020, driven by higher fee income from a growth in platform assets and improved protection earnings.

The investment platform industry saw assets jump by 14% in the second quarter of 2020, recovering most of the ground lost in Q1, according to a new report.

Total customer numbers at AJ Bell increased 282,619 over the last 12 months and 8% in the quarter, with total net inflows for the quarter of £1.2bn.

The vast majority of retail investors stayed invested during the pandemic with just 2% pulling out, according to a survey by a retail investment platform.