Bristol-based investment provider and adviser Hargreaves Lansdown has urged investors to be wary of over-relying on fund sector classifications as the Investment Association launches a new sector called Volatility Managed.

Financial adviser group Openwork says it has exceeded 2,000 advisers in its core network for the first time in five years and boosted its total group adviser numbers to a record 3,200.

Prestwood, best known as provider of Financial Planning cashflow modelling software Truth, is to encourage planners to consider ‘gamification’ techniques to improve their businesses and help develop exit strategies.

The Treasury says that a swathe of new tax measures due to kick in from the start of the new tax year on Thursday 6 April will provide a Spring ‘pay bump’ for millions of taxpayers.

The Personal Finance Society has called for a joint solution to the flaws in the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and the professional indemnity insurance (PII) market as part of its submission to an FCA consultation.

The number of UK active equity funds failing to beat their benchmarks has increased fourfold over the past year, according to a new report from data provider S&P.

Data and research provider Morningstar has announced the funds and fund groups who have triumphed in its Morningstar UK Fund Awards 2017.

Fund manager Liontrust has completed its acquisition of Alliance Trust Investments and renamed ATI’s 11 funds under its own brand as it expands its sustainable funds offering.

Synaptic Software has launched its faster life assurance quotation and transaction service called Cover Me Now. The service went live on Friday 31 March with the aim of helping advisers speed up protection quotes.

The FCA has abandoned plans to force advisers to tape all client phone calls.