Platforms

Some asset managers and platforms are displaying 'common weaknesses' in their defences against money laundering, bribery and corruption, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said.

The Financial Conduct Authority's head of asset management has given his stamp of approval to the current round of negotiations between asset managers and platforms, saying it is a good sign for industry pricing.

UBS Exchange Traded Funds has listed 14 ETFs on five UK platforms in a move to make its products more accessible to IFAs and retail investors, following a recent fee cut.

AXA Wealth recorded a 45% rise in assets under management at its Elevate platform in the third quarter of the year, helping the group push its overall assets toward £25bn.

Skandia has abandoned plans to buy small stakes in IFA firms following conversations with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in which the regulator said it was "uncomfortable" with the idea.

Half of advisers have considering launching an execution-only proposition following the introduction of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), according to a recent poll, despite regulatory scrutiny of the market.

Customers of D2C platform Hargreaves Lansdown are likely to get lower prices if they transact business online.

Investment company purchases on platforms by advisers and wealth managers are up 53% in the first six months of 2013 against the same period last year, research by the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) shows.

STRUCTURED PRODUCTS

Fidelity FundsNetwork is to move to a clean-only model by the end of 2013 on all new business.