Investing

Consumers could get help finding a reliable independent financial adviser (IFA) if a new ratings website takes off.

Firms which offer investments such as personal pensions and Isas face tougher rules to ensure they give people a more realistic prediction of potential returns.

Santander has been fined £1.5 million by the City regulator for failing to clearly tell customers how safe their investments were.

Banks are to be required to "ring-fence" their retail operations from risk-taking arms and to hold increased levels of capital to protect the UK from a repeat of the crash of 2008, Chancellor George Osborne announced today.

Many high street banks and building societies are offering poor advice and recommending inappropriate investments, an undercover investigation from lobby group Which? concludes today.

The Government is putting the wheels in motion to develop simpler financial products.