Standard Life has reported a strong year for its investment arm with AUM up by 26%.

Strong platform sales helped boost Skandia UK's pre-tax profits for 2010 by 56% to £140m compared to £90m in 2009.

Aegon UK CEO Otto Thoresen has been appointed as director general of the ABI and will take up his new role on April 4.

Lloyds Banking Group is back in the black for the first time since it was bailed out by the government, boosted by a record results in asset management arm SWIP.

Fidelity has plans to cap its newly launched UK Opportunities fund at around £250m to enable manager Alex Wright to continue to manage the portfolio effectively.

The Chancellor has defended the Bank of England over rising inflation and denied the government is making its job more difficult.

Texan billionaire Allen Stanford has filed a countersuit against US prosecutors, accusing them of depriving him of his constitutional rights.

A senior JPMorgan Chase risk officer was warned Bernard Madoff was suspected of running a Ponzi scheme nearly 18 months before the broker was charged with a $19.6bn fraud, according to a newly unsealed court filing.

Commodities enthusiasts are investing five years too late, although gold may still be worth buying, according to Fidelity's Anthony Bolton.

The top rate of VAT has risen from 17.5% to 20% as the government looks to boost tax revenues to cut the UK's debt levels.