Platforms

Standard Life has signed a five-year platform distribution deal with Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

There is no longer any "good reason" why clients should pay above 40 basis points (bps) for access to a platform, an analysis of the market has concluded.

Providers will scramble to buy distribution ahead of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) and will buy up IFA businesses "left, right and centre", delegates at this year's Institute of Financial Planning (IFP) conference heard today.

The winners of the Aberdeen UK Platform Awards 2012 were announced at a glittering awards ceremony in London last night.

Platforms could see a sharp rise in operating costs if multiple share classes exist for pre- and post- the cash rebate ban, according to the Tax Incentivised Savings Association (TISA).

Fidelity FundsNetwork will roll out its Retail Distribution Review (RDR) ready adviser fees service on 8 October, facilitating ongoing, initial and specified fees.

Cofunds' ‘explicit pricing model' has gone live today, with 1,700 clean share classes from 85 fund groups.

Old Mutual Wealth - which includes the soon to be rebranded Skandia businesses - is planning to take stakes in adviser firms which become restricted as part of a major change in its business plan post-RDR.

Skandia Investment Solutions, one of the UK's largest platforms, made a loss of £11m in 2011 as the cost of preparing for RDR impacted the business.

Head of FundsNework David White is to leave Fidelity after ten years with the company.