CONSUMERS HAVE THEIR SAY ABOUT PLATFORMS
Weighing in at 91 pages and backed by a study of more than 3,000 platform users, the consumer research element of the FCA’s Investment Platforms Market Study (IPMS[1]) is a heavyweight. And while it doesn’t land many blows or produce anything particularly revelatory, NMG’s research provides a substantial body of qualitative and quantitative evidence around […]
HULK SMASH SECONDARY ANNUITIES!
Perhaps I was having a grumpy day (a blip in my otherwise sunny persona) when I wrote/ranted about the truly horrible prospect of a secondary annuity market. Or perhaps it was just a natural reaction to that horrible prospect. In any case, a few aspersions were cast in my direction suggesting I was trying out […]
HULK SMASH SECONDARY ANNUITIES!
Perhaps I was having a grumpy day (a blip in my otherwise sunny persona) when I wrote/ranted about the truly horrible prospect of a secondary annuity market. Or perhaps it was just a natural reaction to that horrible prospect. In any case, a few aspersions were cast in my direction suggesting I was trying out […]
REMIND ME WHY WE’RE DOING THIS AGAIN?
There’s a theme running through the FCA’s Consultation Paper 16/12: Secondary Annuity Market proposed rules and guidance. If you’ve braved all 112 pages (or any of them really) you might have spotted it. Here are some clues! Paragraph 1.7, We believe that there is a significant risk of poor outcomes for consumers in the secondary […]
Miss Woodhouse demands (more accessible and useful disclosure documents)
In Jane Austen’s Emma, during the rather bad-tempered picnic to Box Hill, mischief-making Frank Churchill addresses the assembled party. He asserts that Miss Emma Woodhouse wishes to be entertained and so demands from each of them ‘one thing very clever! or two things moderately clever; or three things very dull indeed.’ Mr Frank Churchill’s highly […]
Miss Woodhouse demands (more accessible and useful disclosure documents)
In Jane Austen’s Emma, during the rather bad-tempered picnic to Box Hill, mischief-making Frank Churchill addresses the assembled party. He asserts that Miss Emma Woodhouse wishes to be entertained and so demands from each of them ‘one thing very clever! or two things moderately clever; or three things very dull indeed.’ Mr Frank Churchill’s highly […]
An open letter to Hargreaves Lansdown
Dear HL Unlike many others in my sector, I’m a big fan of yours. I’m such a big fan that I’m a client – there, I’ve said it. And yes, I hold L&G and HSBC passive funds in my portfolio (such as it is). I’m not daft enough to think that I’m getting something for […]
It’s D2C nite tonite!
Well, it’s been a busy few days in platformland. First of all there was a very interesting debate between Hugo Thorman of Ascentric/IFDL and David Ferguson of Nucleus on the importance or otherwise of owning your own technology. I was going to write a bit on that but ended up getting huffy about Active Member […]
It’s D2C nite tonite!
Well, it’s been a busy few days in platformland. First of all there was a very interesting debate between Hugo Thorman of Ascentric/IFDL and David Ferguson of Nucleus on the importance or otherwise of owning your own technology. I was going to write a bit on that but ended up getting huffy about Active Member […]
Apples and oranges
Last week I wrote nice things about Fidelity and their transparent disclosure of fund manager rebates. This week I find myself back wrestling opacity again, and it reminds me how difficult it is to perform meaningful comparisons between old and new world. To many people outside the platformerati (you’re welcome) with highly-evolved scepticism, platforms are […]
