A survey of almost 300 Harlequin investors suggests up to 95% were not made aware of the risks of investing in the troubled overseas property company by their agents or advisers.

Harlequin Property, the UK-based overseas property sales agent which is at the centre of a Serious Fraud Office investigation, is owed £86m by its overseas development arms and related businesses.

The Bank of England has revealed controversial plans to relax rules governing safety standards for lenders in a bid to provide a £70bn boost to the economy.

Britain's top bank regulator has called for 'ground rules' on lobbying to prevent it destabilising the financial system.

Chancellor George Osborne has said he will cap the country's welfare budget each year for the next four years from April 2015 - but the state pension will not be included.

A dramatic shift in the outlook for interest rates has been seen with money market indicators now pricing in a base rate rise in the UK to 0.75% in two years' time rather than three.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has pulled out of the retail structured product market due to high capital costs.

Investors should be cutting their exposure to Asia and emerging markets and looking more to the developed world, according to F&C co-head of multi-manager Gary Potter.

Harlequin Property, the troubled UK-based overseas property sales agent which is at the centre of a Serious Fraud Office investigation, is embroiled in 15 legal battles in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, IFAonline can reveal.

Network Intrinsic is set to buy national IFA firm Positive Solutions from parent company Aegon.