“Zombie life insurer Phoenix to buy Standard Life Aberdeen insurance arm in £3.2bn deal”

Feb 27, 2018 | Life Insurance

Tags: Aberdeen Asset Management, Banks and Finance, Lloyds Banking Group, Standard Life
An independent (financial adviser’s) view

There’s not much to choose between many of the biggest life and pensions companies. Most have some decent funds and have to compete on charges and product features. So service and relationships are often the deciding factor, and Standard Life’s admin and people have always been great.

But the corporate gods in their ivory towers move in mysterious ways and have decided to flog the lot to the ’zombie life insurer’, affectionately known in our office for their usual ‘target turnaround time’ as ’15 Working Days Phoenix’. Note their CEO’s comment when asked about job cuts was that ‘it’s far too early to talk about anything to do with human beings’. Warms the cockles, doesn’t it?

If you’re a client and have a Standard Life policy, don’t panic; we’ll be in touch in due course…

Read more here

“Reeves backs down on plans to cut ISA limit”

“Reeves backs down on plans to cut ISA limit”

May 21, 2025 |

So it looks as though Cash ISAs are safe for the moment (FTM – is that a thing?) Rachel has apparently ‘bowed to pressure’ from the banks and building societies and decided not to reduce the allowance to £4,000 for cash and to keep the £20,000 parity with Stocks and Shares ISAs. Bowed also to common sense, I’d say.

“Two thirds of adults are worried about care costs in later life”

“Two thirds of adults are worried about care costs in later life”

May 20, 2025 |

A dichotomy/dilemma here. Two thirds of adults are probably right to be worried about the cost of care, which is huge and getting more so. Many of those currently worrying will have had first-hand experience with their own parents, which will have focused their minds on their own possible future.

“Why most won’t need to worry about IHT on pensions”

“Why most won’t need to worry about IHT on pensions”

May 15, 2025 |

Many a government has made the point that only a minority will be affected by this or that tax change or tinker. It is, however, both perception and aspiration which are important, and they are what makes IHT the ‘most hated’ of all taxes – along with all the others, of course.

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