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Latest figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) show that more than 230,000 people have taken up the new pension freedoms in the first year since they came into force. HMRC data shows that in the twelve months following the launch of the pension freedoms on April 6, 2015, when people aged 55 and o

Edinburgh-based Lloyds Banking Group has today reported a fall in profits for the first quarter of this year. The group, which owns Bank of Scotland, said the first three months of 2016 had seen "robust" performance, despite underlying profits for the January to March period down 6 per cent to £2.0

US spirits and wine giant, the Brown-Forman Corporation is to buy a Scottish whisky distillery firm in a £285m deal. The purchase of the whisky distiller BenRiach Distillery Company includes brand trademarks, three malt distilleries, a bottling plant and the company's Edinburgh HQ.

Scottish law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn has acted alongside Allen & Overy on the £6.1 billion securitisation of residential UK mortgages by US investment firm, Cerberus Capital Management ─ the largest residential mortgage-backed securitisation (RMBS) since the financial crisis hit in 2007.

A solicitor has pleaded guilty to stealing more than £21,000 from his law firm as a result of “financial difficulties”.

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which pays out for claims against banks, building societies, credit unions and insurance, investment and home finance firms, has announced its funding for the new financial year. The financial services industry funds the compensation through a levy to FSCS

The financial crisis triggered the two largest annual falls in real government receipts since at least 1956, according to think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which said it expects that by the end of the decade tax receipts as a share of national income will return to their pre-recession lev

Aberdeen Asset Management has launched the Aberdeen German Urbanisation Property Fund having secured €150 million of commitments from pension funds, insurance and other institutional clients. Aberdeen said the venture differs from similar funds by investing in both residential projects and mixed u

Last year saw the lowest number of personal insolvencies recorded in Scotland for fourteen years, the Accountant in Bankruptcy has revealed. The AiB’s latest figures show there were 8,413 personal insolvencies recorded in Scotland during the last financial year.

Lesley Sawers Lesley Sawers, a former chief executive of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, has been appointed as Scotland commissioner for Britain’s leading equality and human rights body.

Catherine Burnet Global accountancy giant KPMG has named Catherine Burnet as the new head of its business in Scotland.

Still 73 per cent state-owned, bailed-out lender, the Royal Bank of Scotland, together with three of the UK’s biggest banks, are facing £19.5bn in fines, compensation and legal expenses over the next 18 months, according to Standard & Poor’s. The latest hit would take the total paid out by

Scottish Friendly has more than doubled funds under management to hit more than £2.6bn. Latest figures released by the Glasgow-based firm show that funds rose from £1.1 billion in 2014 to more than £2.6bn in 2015, a rise of 147 per cent, on the back of the acquisition of Marine & General Mutu

Michael Thomson and Shona GeeCHAP Group has strengthened its senior team with the appointment of a new finance director and land manager.The Westhill-based group operates divisions in the construction, commercial property, house building, civil engineering and quarrying sectors. It reported turnove

Still 73 per cent state-owned, bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is bracing itself for a fresh legal assault from small business owners after a group of its former customers were given the green light to launch a class action against the lender. The group, known as RGL Management, says the Edi