Tony Cohen was recently invited to a panel discussion set up by Financial Adviser magazine to discuss the recent trial of Towry versus Raymond James.  You can download the article here

Arranging apprenticeships in IFA firms will need the correct approach and to be monitored properly, the director of West Sussex- based Nsure Group has said.

Tony Cohen said firms should put candidates through a rigorous interview process just as with recruiting full-time staff. And firms should beware of "cowboy" apprenticeship providers, he added.

Tony Cohen recently wrote an article for the Financial Times Adviser newspaper, You can read that article in full here.

One thing we know 2012 will bring is a further squeeze on disposable incomes.

So what can you do to maintain your disposable income? There are two broad options, increase your income and/or decrease your non-discretionary expenditure.

Very few individuals would get by on £443 each month so why do a third of the adult population not save anything at all for retirement and what can be done to encourage more to save?

How about a plan that would immediately increase the value of any contributions by a minimum of 25%, grow virtually tax free and allow you to invest in almost anything from Bonds to shares and commercial property. What if this plan was protected from creditors if you went bankrupt and could pass to your children free of taxes if you died before taking any benefits from it? Surely such a plan would have everyone queuing up to buy it and our impending retirement crisis would be solved? You may be surprised to hear that such a plan exists - it is the much criticised personal pension.