The government has proposed a new redress scheme for buyers of new homes including the creation of a New Homes Ombudsman. The government says the proposals are designed to give new home buyers somewhere to turn for help when things…read more
Government turns down new PII rules for IFAs following steel pension scandal. Published November 2019
The government has turned down a request from a Labour MP to change the professional indemnity insurance (PII) rules for Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs). It says the current model is “working well” for most firms. Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberavon,…read more
Pension scheme trustees hit with maximum fines for governance failings. Published October 2019
Pension scheme trustees have been fined by The Pension Regulator (TPR) for failing to provide chair of trustees’ statements for defined contribution pension schemes. Pitmans Trustees, a professional trustee firm, and James Hay, a self-invested personal pension (SIPP) provider, have…read more
Skipping the Queue, Without Skipping Work – a Guide to Virtual GPs
Virtual GPs represent one of the fastest growing areas of employee benefits. The technology allows staff to conveniently arrange time with a GP via their smartphone, doing away with the need for time off work to visit their local surgery….read more
Cybercrime targeting professionals soars says insurance giant. Published October 2019
Professional and financial services firms are the sectors hardest hit by cybercrime, according to a new report by insurance giant AIG, which also reported that the total cyber claims received by it nearly doubled in number between 2017 and 2018. …read more
Barrister fined and reprimanded for ‘appalling’ conduct. Published October 2019
A barrister who failed to compensate his clients until ‘the eleventh hour’ has been fined and reprimanded by the bar disciplinary tribunal. The barrister had delayed paying £350 compensation to one client until just two hours before a disciplinary hearing…read more
Eighty solicitors struck off as the cost of disciplinary cases soars. Published September 2019
Eighty solicitors were struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) in 2018, an increase of 38% over the prior year. At the same time the cost of disciplinary hearings increased – with prosecution costs awarded to the Solicitors Regulation…read more
