Press Releases

“OPEC’s first production cut in eight years, talk of non-OPEC members also applying some output discipline and a second consecutive drop in US weekly oil inventories are taking oil above $50 a barrel,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

We are delighted by the Government’s recent decision to protect savers by banning pensions cold-calling as part of a wider crackdown on retirement scams.

Andy Bell and AJ Bell's experts comment on the Autumn Statement.

With one week to go until Chancellor Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement, AJ Bell’s experts consider the major announcements savers and investors should look out for next Wednesday:

The Government’s public sector annual pensions costs could rocket by hundreds of millions of pounds if it switches to the Office for National Statistics’ preferred inflation measure, AJ Bell analysis shows.

Trading activity is three times higher than normal at investment platform AJ Bell Youinvest this morning as retail investors react to the shock victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election.

Stockmarkets have traditionally reacted badly when a Republican replaces a Democrat as president with an average fall in the Dow Jones of 8.8% in the first year of office (see table 1 below). However, Donald Trump is not likely to be a traditional president and there could be a number of UK based firms and funds that stand to benefit over the longer term in the infrastructure, defence and pharmaceuticals sectors.

The FBI’s decision not to investigate Hillary Clinton is reviving claims from Donald Trump that the election is fixed and raises the prospect of him contesting the result, something he hinted at in the TV debates. If the US election does go to the courts, dollars, real ‘stuff’ and bonds may be worthy bolt-holes for investors based on past experience.

AJ Bell has partnered with youth charity Snow-Camp to host the ‘AJ Bell Alpine Challenge’ – a unique two-day charity snowsports event taking place between 19 and 22 January 2017 in Morzine, France. Novia Financial has already taken up the challenge in this endurance ski contest.

The Government and the regulator should use rules introduced in the mortgage market as the blueprint for banning pensions cold-calling, AJ Bell says.

The outcome of the US presidential election next week is likely to have an impact on stock markets both in the UK and the US. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, takes a look at the potential impact on stocks both sides of the pond.

The new Chancellor has already shown he is not afraid to unwind pension policy decisions made by his predecessor when he unceremoniously dumped the proposed secondary annuity market. AJ Bell’s senior analyst Tom Selby looks at three further policy decisions the Chancellor may be considering to signal a new era of Government thinking on retirement savings.

The Government should establish a new independent Pensions Tax Commission and give a 10 year ‘no-change’ guarantee as part of a long-term drive to simplify and stabilise the UK savings system, AJ Bell says.

The vast majority of financial advisers back the introduction of a risk-based Financial Services Compensation Scheme levy, a new survey from platform provider AJ Bell reveals.

The Government risks causing a significant spike in pension fraud cases if it proceeds with reforms to allow savers to trade-in existing annuity policies without introducing extra protections, AJ Bell warns.

New analysis by AJ Bell compares the outcome of investing £100,000 via a pension and buy-to-let property over a 20 year period.

A fourth straight drop in US oil inventories and the announcement that OPEC’s Algerian summit could lead to production cuts are both boosting oil prices this morning, to the benefit of not just drillers and equipment suppliers but potentially the whole FTSE 100.

The weakness of the pound following the Brexit vote has resulted in earnings forecasts, dividend forecasts and dividend cover forecasts for the FTSE 100 all increasing over the last three months. Trading platform AJ Bell has analysed the consensus forecasts for all 100 members of the benchmark and aggregated them to provide a forward looking picture for the headline index.

In the newly formed role Hughes will join the team responsible for running AJ Bell’s recently launched managed portfolio service for financial advisers.

AJ Bell Youinvest has become the first UK investment platform to enable portfolio valuations and market quotes to be delivered via Amazon Echo, the voice activated speaker launched in the UK today.

Investment platform AJ Bell today launches a new Managed Portfolio Service (MPS) with an annual management charge of 0.25% + VAT.

Leading investment platform provider AJ Bell has announced the date and initial speakers for its Investival 2016 event.

The Government should seriously consider boosting the flexibility of the state pension by allowing early access in certain circumstances, AJ Bell says.

The George Osborne fuelled pension revolution could quickly run out of gas under the new Conservative party leadership. Brexit negotiations will be all encompassing and the Government may need to raise funds to shore up the faltering UK economy.

New analysis* from investment platform AJ Bell shows that 54 FTSE 100 companies who have funding deficits on their staff pension schemes paid out a total of £48 billion in dividends a year for the past two years. This is almost equal to the total deficit of their pension schemes which is £52 billion.

Most independent economic analysis suggests that leaving the EU will be detrimental to the UK economy. Whilst this is not certain, a Brexit would definitely be a leap into the unknown and that ambiguity would likely result in short term economic instability.

A number of factors have combined to drag the oil price back to around the $50-a-barrel mark - investment cuts by oil companies, falling drilling activity, a long-awaited decline in US oil inventories, production disruption in Canada, Venezuela, Nigeria, Libya and Iraq, all coupled with relatively steady demand.

AJ Bell Youinvest has become the first DIY investment platform in the world to complete a live share trade using Facebook Messenger, purchasing £500 worth of Facebook shares on 25 May 2016.
In April 2016, Facebook launched its Messenger Platform which enables firms to build automated customer services functions using ‘Chat bots’, computer programs that mimic conversation with people using artificial intelligence

AJ Bell Dividend Dashboard – 23 March 2016

Despite the Chancellor’s climb down on a radical overhaul of pension tax relief, there is still a danger that he moves to curtail the annual or lifetime allowances for pensions in the Budget next week.

The consultation into pensions tax relief has cost the Treasury £1.5 billion in the form of additional pension tax relief, according to leading SIPP provider AJ Bell. Pension savers have poured billions of pounds into pensions in fear of pension tax relief being curtailed or abolished in the forthcoming budget.

AJ Bell has seen a significant shift in the use of pension death benefits following the pensions freedoms.

In just 36 trading days this year, the FTSE 100 has risen or fallen by more than 1% from open to close on 24 occasions, the most in any year going back to at least 1995 – and that is before any further uncertainty created by the run up to the EU referendum on 23 June.

LIFT-Financial, one of the leading firms of chartered financial planners in the UK, has selected AJ Bell as its primary platform provider.

AJ Bell has launched a new suite of cash management tools for financial advisers on its Investcentre platform. The launch is the latest in a series of enhancements to the platform over the past 12 months.

As ISA season enters full swing, Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, takes a look at market conditions and five funds investors could consider for the current market environment:

Global stock and commodity markets have had a torrid start to the year. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, takes a look at five indicators that can help investors cut through the day-to-day noise and work out whether stocks have further to fall or whether this is a chance to buy.

Platforms - Andy Bell, chief executive of AJ Bell:

“The big theme we are likely to see play out during 2016 in relation to platforms is profitability or, in many cases, lack of profitability.

The amount that can be contributed to a pension each year by people with no relevant earnings, currently £3,600, should be aligned with the Junior ISA allowance to encourage greater savings, particularly for children. This is one of a number of measures that investment platform AJ Bell would like to see announced by George Osborne in the Autumn statement.

50% of advisers are finding it difficult to advise clients on the new pension freedoms if they have less than £50,000 in their pension pot, according to new research conducted by investment platform AJ Bell. Almost 1 in 5 advisers find it difficult to advise clients on pension freedoms if they have less than £100,000 and for some advisers (5%) that figure rises to £150,000.

Barack Obama has just entered the final year of his presidential term and history shows the final year of a Presidency generates the weakest returns on average for the US equity market.

The distinction between financial advice and other information or guidance services has become blurred and this has two dangerous consequences.

AJ Bell today launches an online guided investment service which is one of the lowest cost in the market. There is no additional charge for the new service - investors just pay the normal AJ Bell Youinvest platform and underlying tracker fund charges. This means investors can hold a balanced ISA portfolio of £15,240 for an ongoing annual cost of just £33.15 (0.22%)*, a price that will be difficult to beat anywhere in the market.

In its response to the Treasury consultation on pension transfers and early exit charges, AJ Bell has called for all early encashment penalties that block access to the new pension freedoms to be scrapped.

The majority (59%) of financial advisers do not think the pension tax relief system needs to change, according to a new survey conducted by AJ Bell. Only a third of the 170 advisers questioned support the move to a flat rate incentive and there is almost no support for ISA style pensions.

The vast majority (82%) of financial advisers think the pension lifetime allowance (LTA) should be scrapped according to new research conducted by AJ Bell.

The headline simplicity of a single flat-rate incentive to save via pensions is attractive.

AJ Bell has seen a surge in the number of death benefit nominations updated and reviewed since the beginning of the new tax year.

Investment platform provider AJ Bell has announced that Gary Neville will be the ‘after party’ guest speaker at its Investival 2015 investment conference on 19 November 2015.

AJ Bell today announces the appointment of Charlie Musson as Head of PR, who will join the business on 1 September.

The latest Government review of pensions is the logical next step in the freedoms revolution but it might have been better for everyone, consumers and financial services firms alike, had the Treasury’s fourteen questions been asked before the rules went live and the changes not rushed through, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

The US Federal Reserve tends to flag any definitive shifts in interest rates at the meeting before it acts, so this week’s policy meeting at the central bank (28-29 July) could have huge implications for investors’ portfolios, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

As part of a series of enhancements to its online trading services, AJ Bell Youinvest’s app is now available on the Apple Watch, so customers can easily build and manage their portfolios across multiple platforms.

A huge slump from China’s leading stock market indices since mid-June could have serious implications for the Chinese economy and commodity prices, which in turn mean UK-based investors must remain on their guard.

Markets may be worrying about China and Greece but they should keep a close eye on the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (known as the SOX) which has a good correlation with leading global equity benchmarks and is sliding fast, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

Shares in Barclays are bouncing following the announcement of chief executive officer’s Anthony Jenkins departure but their long-term performance will depend on what plans the new boss has for its investment banking operation, according to investment platform provider AJ Bell.

Today’s announcement by Chancellor of the Exchequer that he wants to take further measures to promote increased levels of savings is welcome but Mr Osborne needs to proceed with caution, argues investment platform provider AJ Bell.

AIM represents just 1.7% of the UK’s total stock market capitalisation but the average daily traded volume on London’s junior platform has risen more than twenty-fold from £2 million to £42 million since its inception in 1995.

AJ Bell, the provider of online investment platforms and stockbroker services, is pleased to announce a £21 million investment from funds managed by Woodford Investment Management (together the “Woodford funds”).

Markets are now looking ahead to Friday's non-farm payroll figures from the USA but the backward-looking nature of jobs figures may mean they are looking in the wrong place for a steer on how well the American economy is doing, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

As markets approach the second anniversary of Japan's launch of a huge Quantitative Easing (QE) scheme the Nikkei 225 index is trading above 19,000 for the first time in 15 years but the underlying economy still remains subdued, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

The pension freedoms available from 6 April give a far wider choice of options to savers but with great power comes great responsibility and we should all take pains to ensure we get the very best from our investments, reminds investment platform provider AJ Bell.

The key issue behind any pension savings pot is to make sure it lasts longer than you do and it is therefore important to think carefully about planning any withdrawals under the new pension freedoms, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

The new pension freedoms due in April will offer plenty of choice to savers, who could take a lead from American ideas on how to plan for their retirement in the most effective manner, says investment platform AJ Bell.

A customer survey carried out by AJ Bell reveals 97% of respondents are aware of the imminent pension freedoms, 91% know Pension Wise is there to help them and just 6% plan to withdraw all of their SIPP on one lump sum.

Savers who make a contribution to their money purchase pension from 6 April 2015 and who were in flexible drawdown before that date must meet the tax authorities' reporting requirements or face a fine of £300 or more, reminds investment platform provider AJ Bell.

Savers will be able to enjoy more flexibility than ever when the new pension freedoms come into force, but everyone must remember that date is not a deadline, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

While some may welcome Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's decision to permit them to sell their annuities, investment platform provider AJ Bell believes there is likely to be more downside risk than upside gain on offer to the majority of savers.

The UK stock market warmly welcomed Wednesday's Budget and investors do seem to have a party preference, even if company valuations are ultimately driven by profits and cashflow rather than politics, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne did his best to curry favour with voters today with a number of welcome tax breaks but the 59-minute speech was not all good news for savers, according to investment platform provider AJ Bell.

The financial year comes to an end on 5 April but there is still time for diligent savers to use some officially approved allowances as they try to get the most from their investment portfolios.

The Government's proposed pension rules and tax changes should give far more freedom to savers but with great power comes great responsibility and we should all take pains to ensure we get the very best from our investments.

Recent draft Government legislation extends the proposed pension death tax changes to annuities and while the additional flexibility is welcome, savers must still consider all of their options before they decide what to do.

April's new rules on pensions will place some restrictions on how much money savers can put into their pot each year but there are some wrinkles in the regulations which offer the chance to plan for the future in a tax-efficient way, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

After enjoying a good gallop to a four-year high during the Year of the Horse, investors in Chinese stocks or funds must be wary of following the herd too blindly as they enter the Year of the Sheep, says investment platform AJ Bell.

Even if a pension holder keeps their paperwork up to date, they must be very careful when it comes to how their savings are handled after their death, as the new pension freedoms mean the money could end up in the hands of someone entirely unexpected.

Japan and Western Europe may be the best performing stock markets in local currency terms since the US Federal Reserve shifted its monetary policy last October, but currency movements mean returns in dollars and sterling look very different, notes investment platform provider AJ Bell.

New rules due in April will bring radical changes to how pensions can be distributed upon death and savers must prepare carefully to ensure their money is passed on to whom they wish and in the most tax-efficient way possible, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

New rules due in April will bring radical changes to how pensions can be distributed upon death and savers need to plan for all eventualities to ensure their money is handed on in the most tax-efficient way possible, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

Government proposals for a 'second line of defence' for savers seem sensible given the breadth of the changes coming under the new pension freedom and death tax rules, although consumers and regulators alike need to be aware of the practical challenges involved, according to investment platform provider AJ Bell.

The Government's new pension freedom and tax rules come into force in just over two months' time and two simple checklists can help savers decide what to do, according to investment platform provider AJ Bell.

Oil price weakness, bond market gains and chaos in the currency markets are grabbing the headlines but the share prices of UK-listed companies are also becoming more unpredictable and investors may have to face more volatility in the year ahead, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

Oil price weakness, bond market gains and chaos in the currency markets are grabbing the headlines but the share prices of UK-listed companies are also becoming more unpredictable and investors may have to face more volatility in the year ahead, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

As the Swiss National Bank gives up trying to hold down the value of the franc, the European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve are set to release their latest policy announcements and investors should keep their eye on both the US dollar and the gold price, according to investment platform provider AJ Bell

The scramble to buy National Savings & Investments' so-called pensioner bonds highlights the ongoing importance of a dependable income to investors, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

Morrison will become the third FTSE 100 firm to change its chief executive in 2015 when Dalton Philips steps down in March and the arrival of a new leader can help to boost a company's share price, according to research from investment platform provider AJ Bell.

Like many in the pension world I tuned in to Channel 4 on Monday night to watch the latest TV programme to focus on pensions, Dispatches – “How to blow your pension".

While some may welcome Pensions Minister Steve Webb's plan to allow them to sell their annuities, investment platform provider AJ Bell believes there is likely to be more downside risk than upside gain on offer to the majority of savers.

While some may welcome Pensions Minister Steve Webb's plan to allow them to sell their annuities, investment platform provider AJ Bell believes there is likely to be more downside risk than upside gain on offer to the majority of savers.

After another year of failing to regain its 1999 all-time high of 6,930 the FTSE 100 needs oil, mining and financial stocks to shine if it to reach or surpass its prior peak in 2015, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

The 1980s pop group Half Man Half Biscuit once sang all they wanted for Christmas was a Dukla Prague away kit but rather than football fashion it is financial peace of mind for savers that matters, according to investment platform provider AJ Bell.

The dollar, dividends and debt are the three themes that look set to dominate the global financial markets in 2015, according to investment platform provider AJ Bell.

All of the big five quoted banks may have passed the Bank of England's stringent stress tests but the narrow margin of safety at Lloyds and the Royal Bank of Scotland could limit their scope to start making dividend payments to shareholders, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

The conviction of three men for a £23 million fraud is a warning to pension savers to think once, think twice and then think again when offered a chance to buy into a get-rich-quick scheme, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

The UK stock market may have been largely unmoved by the Chancellor's well-trailered Autumn Statement but holders of Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) will be pleased to see that assets can be kept in the wrapper and passed on to their spouses on their death.

A survey of 300 financial advisers reveals a real concern that the new pensions regime might not survive a change of Government in May 2015, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

A survey of 300 independent financial advisers reveals they think their clients will not be able to enjoy their new-found pension freedoms for long if May's General Election leads to a change of Government, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.

Tackling the financial markets in search of better returns offered by cash in the bank can seem daunting but the good news is that there are tools available which can greatly help nervous newcomers, says investment platform provider AJ Bell.