Pensions

Around 30% of Scots say annuities feel “too difficult to understand”, according to a survey by Legal & General (L&G). The insurer polled 2,000 UK adults aged 50 and over and used the findings to launch “Annuity Myth Busters”, a guide to common misconceptions about whe

Wirecard whistleblower Pav Gill has launched a new agentic governance platform bringing governance, risk and compliance (GRC) into one system to end reliance on a "patchwork of disconnected point solutions". Confide will give professionals a shared environment in which to set the standard for how GR

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been blasted over his “fantasy” claim that scrapping the state pension triple lock will bankroll his government’s plans for social care. Mr Burnham confirmed that from April 2030 the triple lock will no longer exist and that he will “adjust&rdq

FirstGroup has announced the completion of its £90m group section pension liabilities buy-in.  The Aberdeen-headquartered company said around £22m of its group section escrow had been utilised to complete the transaction. The group said that £17.5m had been returned to the gro

The Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) has warned that millions of self-employed people are being left without a route into pensions. A new paper by the SPP, titled The Missing Millions: Rethinking Pension Policy for the Self-Employed, calls for a fundamental rethink of how the UK helps people w

City bosses have called on ministers to simplify Britain's "byzantine" tax system, as it raised concerns over a potential tax grab on financial services. Fear is growing within the private sector that Chancellor John Healey is planning to use his inaugural Budget next month to launch another raid.

First Minister John Swinney will deliver the keynote address at the largest-ever Scottish Financial Services Awards next month, as leaders from across Scotland’s financial and professional services industry gather for the event. The Scottish Financial Services Awards, sponsored by EY, will tak

Scotland's financial services sector has hit a "tipping point" on tax divergence, according to Sandy Begbie, chief executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise stating hybrid working has removed the practical need for new recruits to live in Scotland at all. "We believe we've now got to a point at a t

Bespoke pension firm Yorsipp has appointed Mark Randell as strategic partnerships and distribution director to its business development team. The specialist self-invested personal pension (SIPP) self-administered pension scheme (SSAS) provider comes as it aims to expand its presence across the UK. H

Chancellor John Healey has claimed growth is at the "heart of fiscal challenges" facing the UK, as he refused to rule out tax rises ahead of his maiden Budget next month. The Chancellor ignored questions about whether households and businesses were set to face another set of tax rises in October, fo

Standard Life expects £800 million in ‘net synergies’ from its £2 billion acquisition of Aegon UK which will be complete by the end of the year. This is likely to be achieved by savings and adding value and noted it was poised for a “step-change” in strengthening

Interest rates will need to rise quickly to head off the threat of inflation, according to the Bank of England’s chief economist. Huw Pill told an audience in Edinburgh that there were “dangers” in waiting for firmer evidence of the impact of conflict in the Middle East, reports ou

Standard Life has appointed Emma Furlonger as managing director of its workplace and retail intermediary businesses. She led the businesses on an interim basis since April 2026, after Gail Izat was made chief operating officer for its pensions and savings business. Ms Furlonger has around 30 years&r

Sandy Begbie has a message for anyone convinced artificial intelligence is about to wipe out entry-level jobs in Scottish financial services: it isn't happening, not yet, and not the way the debate suggests. "No one is saying to us that there's any major job losses," the Scottish Financial Enterpris

M&G has swung to a £165m loss for the six months of the year, driven by a £325m write-down, due to the Labour government's introduction of a cap on existing ground rent. The insurer and asset manager still managed to beat market expectations. Adjusted operating profit, which excludes