Insurance

Standard Life Wealth has appointed David Driver as managing director.

National wealth manager, Bellpenny, has acquired Monmouthshire Independent Financial Advisers (MIFA), a subsidiary of Monmouthshire Building Society.

Analysts at HSBC have suggested the popularity of balanced funds towards the end of 2012 was due to advisers attempting to maximise commission income before the implementation of new rules following the Retail Distribution Review (RDR).

Insurer Aviva has strengthened its balance sheet by selling its 34 million share stake in Dutch insurer Delta Lloyd via a private placing.

A Bath-based financial adviser is accused of murdering his 28-year-old girlfriend with an electrical cable.

Friends Life has confirmed 150 jobs are under threat of redundancy as part of an ongoing company restructure and cost-cutting plan.

Standard Life has confirmed it is to cut 139 jobs from across its business

Aviva has appointed Mark Wilson as its next chief executive.

Aviva's programme of job cuts, which will see 800 staff made redundant, is on track to save the insurer £250m by the end of the year, according to latest results.

HSBC is to convert its whole-of-market advisory proposition into a restricted advice model next year, Investment Week understands.