SIPP provider and wealth manager Mattioli Woods has acquired Leicester Financial Planning firm Pole Arnold Financial Management Limited in a deal worth up to £7m.

The number of people who want to retire early has more than doubled during the pandemic from 4% to 10% and more people have clearer retirement plans.

St James’s Place CEO Andrew Croft saw his earnings fall from £1.017m in 2019 to £692,788 in 2020 as the pandemic hit the company.

Platform and SIPP provider AJ Bell has added the Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE) to its online trading platform to expand the investment choices available for clients.

Assets under administration for Curtis Banks increased by 11% to £32.4bn in 2020 (2019: £29.1bn) including five months of contribution from the Dunstan Thomas acquisition and two months contribution from the acquisition of Talbot and Muir.

A Court of Appeal Judge has overturned a previous High Court ruling to side with claimant Russell Adams against Carey Pensions in the long-running ‘Adams’ case.