Standard Life snaps up Aegon UK for £2bn to create savings giant Investing Standard Life has snapped up the UK’s largest investment platform Aegon UK in a £2bn deal. The FTSE 100 giant – previously known as Phoenix Group – said the deal would create the UK’s top retirement savings and income business with near 16m customers and £480bn in assets under administration. Standard Life expects an annual [...]
US markets hold steady after Trump’s expletive weekend ultimatum Markets US markets held their nerve on Monday, as Wall Street traders returned to their desks for the first full session after President Donald Trump’s explosive, expletive-strewn demands for Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude oil held the $107-a-barrel mark. But the global benchmark eased overall, by $1.50 to $107.54. European stock exchanges [...]
The manosphere’s dangerous ‘get rick quick’ promise Opinion Online influencers like those highlighted in Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere documentary are framing trading as an easy route to financial success and masculine dominance. That’s not education, it’s manipulation, says Lewis Crompton The promise of quick wealth has always had a powerful pull. But today it is being repackaged and amplified through social media, [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown services resume after technical glitch March 21, 2026 The UK’s largest DIY investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown has confirmed clients can once more access their accounts after a technical problem on Friday brought operations to a standstill. The platform reported that it was “no longer seeing” the earlier technical issues in a statement on Friday evening, with customers once more able to make transactions. [...]
Ex Titan Wealth chief executive is back to tackle the market once more March 18, 2026 The former chief executive of Titan Wealth has launched a new wealth management business in a bid to modernise the traditional market. Derek Miles, who is also the former chief executive of Aspira, launched Nine Edge Wealth on Wednesday with co-founder Kyle Augustin, who was previously chief executive at Fintel IQ. Jo Blake, also formerly [...]
More Brits eye investing as low-cost platforms elbow into the market March 12, 2026 The UK DIY investment market swelled last year as the rise of low-cost platforms lured more investors into taking the plunge of managing their own assets. The do it yourself market has grown 19 per cent over the past twelve months, totalling £772bn assets under administration, as 18.4m Brits ploughed capital into the market, according [...]
Labour urged to give HENRYs a hand to boost investment March 4, 2026 The sheer tax cliff-edge facing workers earning £100,000 or more is harming the UK’s ambitions to foster greater retail investment, according to IG. New research from the online investment platform found that HENRYs, an acronym which stands for High Earner, Not Rich Yet, are unable to invest as much as they would like due to [...]
Quilter sees net inflows rise as more clients look to access financial advice March 4, 2026 Wealth management firm Quilter reported record net inflows and lifted its dividend, amid clients increasingly seeking financial advice. Assets under management and administration (AUMA) jumped 18 per cent to £141.2bn from £119.4bn the prior year. The hike was driven by an 83 per cent rise in net inflows to £8.7bn, coupled with a positive contribution [...]
St James’s Places shares jump as firm reports record funds under management February 25, 2026 St James’s Place saw funds under management reach record highs in its latest results, as more people choose to plough money into the UK’s leading wealth manager. Funds under management jumped 16 per cent to a record £220bn, up from £190.2bn the prior year, as the group attracted new clients and kept retention rates high. [...]
High net-worth confidence slashed by tax changes February 25, 2026 Wealthy Brits’ faith in the UK economy has eroded dramatically in the past six months, as a perfect storm of tax rises, sluggish growth and stubbornly high interest rates continues to eat away at sentiment among affluent households. According to a a regular study of wealthy UK residents, high-net-worth individuals’ overall confidence in the economy [...]