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02 December 2008
Market turmoil sees 50 pc growth in traded life policies, says report
Investment in traded life policies by retail and institutional investors has risen by more than 50 per cent over the last year as a result of recent market turmoil, according to a report from the Bristol Business School. The Market for Traded Life Policies report notes that the combined assets of the five largest funds distributed in the UK grew from £271.7m on November 1 2007 to £416.7m in 12 months. It estimates that retail investment into these funds rose from £67.9m to £104.1m or 53 per cent.
Bristol Business School

28 November 2008
Equitable gives up on plan to sell £7bn with-profits fund
Equitable Life has been forced to shelve the sale of its £7bn with-profits fund, blaming turmoil in financial markets for its inability to secure a deal. The stricken mutual insurer received a number of proposals from bidders and had narrowed the field to three but decided none was better for policyholders than allowing the fund to run off. Equitable had been working on the deal since late 2007 and had hoped to reach an agreement before the end of the year. Equitable has officially put the sale on "hold" and will still listen to offers if markets improve but it now expects to proceed with winding down the fund.

27 November 2008
Actuaries in probe over Equitable Life
Government actuaries are to be investigated by their disciplinary body in relation to the near collapse of Equitable Life eight years ago. The investigation has been launched in the wake of the damning report by Ann Abraham, the parliamentary ombudsman, which found the government's regulators and actuary department guilty of maladministration over Equitable.

27 November 2008
Barclays reveals lack of life insurance
A significant number of Britons are without life insurance, it has been reported. In research carried out by Barclays Financial Planning, it was revealed that some 45 per cent of those between the ages of 35 and 54 do not have this form of insurance, with such a proportion rising to 52 per cent for people of all ages.
Barclays Financial Planning

27 November 2008
Nearly half of Britons go without protection insurance
Barclays has been researching the UK protection insurance market and has concluded that nearly one-half of British adults have no policies in place to cover events such as illness and redundancy. According to the survey 47% of UK adults have no protection insurance, while 52% are without life insurance. Seventy-five per cent of those questioned said they had no critical illness cover and 78% no income protection cover.
Barclays Financial Planning

27 November 2008
Nearly half of Britons have no life insurance
Nearly half of all Britons have no life insurance and critical illness cover, a new study by Barclays has found. In spite of soaring unemployment and mounting debts in the country, the survey revealed that people are failing to purchase policies that would guarantee them and their families protection. It also discovered life insurance and income protection policies have been relegated to the bottom of priority list as people struggle to control their expenses.
Barclays Financial Planning

26 November 2008
Equitable Life advisers under investigation
An investigation has been launched into the way government actuaries advised regulators of life insurer Equitable Life. The Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board's (AADB) investigation will examine the advice given to Equity regulators by the Government Actuary's Department (GAD) between December 1990 and April 2001.

26 November 2008
Standard Life to sell LV= protection plans
LV= has announced that it has teamed up with Standard Life in order to offer a wider range of customers its award-winning protection plans. According to LV=, Standard Life's marketing and sales team will now offer Liverpool Victoria branded products - including the income protection plan which has won awards from independent analysts - to their customers.
Standard Life ; Liverpool Victoria (LV=)

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