Tag Archives: Investment Association

Is fund management over-rated?

We’ve got used to thinking of fund managers as the kings of the lot. They are at the top of food chain in terms of pay and the respect offered them by the rest of the financial community. So the … Continue reading

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Who owns “value for money”?

  News from the stalwart Bob Ward that the FCA has dropped the term “value for money” came as a bombshell to participants in yesterday’s Pension Play Pen lunch. Since it’s about the only term left in the financial services … Continue reading

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The Loch Ness Monster is back (in fact it never went away!)

  If you didn’t hear last night’s Radio 4 documentary “the Transparency Detectives”, you can listen to it here. It’s a great piece of work and no praise is to high for Lesley Curwen and her team who tackle the subject … Continue reading

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“The belly of the beast” – Con Keating and the Investment Association

Con Keating is not everybody’s cup of tea, but he’s mine – especially when he’s after  transparency. This shows him with a timely warning to those who think leaving transparency in the hands of the Investment Association is a good … Continue reading

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Britain leading the way (at last)

The balance of regulatory geo-politics has changed (did I really write that!) I guess most baby boomers like me grew up thinking that (at least in matters financial), Britain could look to America for progressive policy and practice. This is no … Continue reading

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A make or break week for UK investors

Are fund managers the new bankers? If you’ve read the excellent  (draft) FCA Asset Management Market Study, you’d be forgiven to think they were – (and that investment consultants were their knowing flunkies). The question now is how far the FCA … Continue reading

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Ignore “bad “; let’s big-up good asset management!

The asset management industry will get nowhere trying to defend bad practices. It should be celebrating its success stories. We have good active managers in this country and we have good passive managers, protecting bad practice among bad asset managers … Continue reading

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Lies, damned lies and trade body PR – Robin Powell

Robin Powell is a thoroughly decent man with an interest in financial probity who happens to write very well, he’s picked up on a couple of blogs which have been on here and I’m happy to return the favour. Robin … Continue reading

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The charges of the light brigade

    The publication by the Investment Association of a report that puts hidden costs in funds on a par with the Loch Ness Monster has been met with elation by fund managers and derision by their customers. Robin’s right; I remember … Continue reading

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Searching for the Loch Ness Monster

  The Investment Association has concluded that hidden charges within funds are like the Loch Ness Monster, much talked about but never seen. Presumably those of us consumers seeking to find the financial Nessie are like the cranks who sit upon … Continue reading

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