Hargreaves Lansdown

ETFs turn 25 years old

Platform inflows reached record highs in the fourth quarter of 2014 as upcoming pension freedoms and demand for income boosted inflows, according to Fundscape.

Wealth managers are urging fund providers to open preferentially-priced share classes to their businesses, as opposed to just the largest, typically platform-based distributors.

Hargreaves Lansdown has unveiled a low-cost drawdown plan, charging no set-up or income withdrawal fees, ahead of the 6 April pensions reforms.

Hargreaves Lansdown is planning a push into the asset management arena which could see it hire external fund teams and market its services to advisory businesses in future.

After several years of strong growth, Hargreaves Lansdown has reported a drop in pre-tax profits for the last six months of 2014 as the impact of clean pricing offset a further rise in assets.

Assets in Hargreaves Lansdown's multi-manager range have moved closer to the £5bn mark after the company raised £162m for its HL Multi-Manager UK Growth fund, which launched on 23 January.

Hargreaves Lansdown employee Rayhan Qadar has been sacked after posting a message on social network Twitter which suggested he had been involved in a hit and run incident.

Aviva has written to advisers outlining its views on the challenges facing Mark Barnett, following a review of how he runs funds previously managed by Neil Woodford.

Hargreaves Lansdown chief financial officer Tracey Taylor has stepped down from her role and will leave the business next year.