Platforms

Jon Taylor, head of the former Co-op life insurance business, is to replace Hugo Thorman as managing director of platform Ascentric.

Platform Parmenion has reported a surge in profits of more than 100% in the last year, after its assets under management rose above £1bn.

Fidelity Worldwide Investment has launched an at-retirement service ahead of the deadline for implementing the new flexibilities for defined contribution (DC) members next April.

Aviva's platform has said it is on course to achieve profitability in 2016 and its target of £6bn in AUM by the end of the year, after assets doubled in the last 12 months.

Zurich has overhauled its platform fee structure and announced a cut in its initial investment charge for all clients.

Zurich is not interested in participating in a platform price "race to the bottom", its head of retail platform strategy has said.

Former Morningstar OBSR researcher Chetan Modi has joined Allfunds Bank as a senior fund analyst as part of the group's push to increase its UK-based fund research team.

AXA Wealth's Corporate Investment Services business is increasing the investment universe for employee benefits consultants by adding exchange traded funds (ETFs) to its bespoke Investment Only offering.

Adrian Lowcock has left Hargreaves Lansdown after just 18 months at the D2C platform giant.

Wealth manager Charles Stanley has reported a 33% drop in profit before tax following a year of "significant" cost which has seen it spend millions on acquisitions.