News

Edinburgh fund manager Walter Scott & Partners has reported a 17% drop in turnover for the 2025 financial year, reflecting a 19% fall in assets under management from £72bn to £58bn. Chair Richard Watt noted that performance “was materially below benchmark levels” and said

Early-career accountants  and finance professionals believe they will depend on AI for future career success, according to a new survey. Findings from accountancy and book keeping platform Intuit QuickBooks, revealed that around 90% said they will be better equipped to use AI compared to future

HSBC is axing jobs at its UK wealth division following a push to reduce costs through the use of artificial intelligence. The lender is currently consulting to changes it wealth management operations as part of the shake-up, which would impact the hundreds of relationship managers and financial advi

Aegon Asset Management has appointed Iain McGowan as its new partnership director. In a new role for the business, McGowan will strengthen and grow relationships across some of Aegon AM’s key UK-based institutional partners. Based in Edinburgh, he will report into Aegon AM’s head of UK c

Aberdein Considine has promoted eleven colleagues Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Newcastle, with its lender, banking and private client teams among those strengthened. Alison Forbes, who has more than 18 years with the firm as lender services UK quality assurance manager has been made an associate director

Scottish Friendly has completed its acquisition of pension and annuity in-payment books of business from Fidelity International. The transaction which was first announced last year, follows receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. It brings an additional £2.3bn of assets under management

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has admitted it has to be "careful" over proposed changes to the listing rules following the recent campaigns by US activist investor Saba Capital Management. The regulator said it was looking into reforms to help manage conflicts of interest involving activist

The Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) chair, Ashley Alder, faced calls to resign at the regulator's first public annual meeting in Edinburgh, as whistleblowers and campaigners challenged its decision to let one of its own non-executive directors investigate how it dealt with Simon Andreisz before

The Financial Conduct Authority has launched a probe into the treatment of Epstein whistleblower Simon Andriesz after he took his own life. The British Banker highlighted alleged links between the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick. Transparency Task Force co

Wirecard whistleblower Pav Gill has launched a new agentic governance platform bringing governance, risk and compliance (GRC) into one system to end reliance on a "patchwork of disconnected point solutions". Confide will give professionals a shared environment in which to set the standard for how GR

By Corah Franco, private client partner, Thorntons Before the joy of watching children embark on their university journey, and the tears that often accompany the inevitable goodbye, some families may already be considering the next question: whether to invest in more permanent accommodation for thei

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has extended Making Tax Digital for Income Tax to landlords and sole traders earning more than £30,000 to kick off from April 6, 2027. The UK Government's tax agency urged landlords and sole traders to act now, explaining that customers who sign up early have more

Dains Group has appointed Gemma Edwards as its new chief operating officer. Edwards will be tasked with the development of the Dains Group’s operating model and operational performance, working with its service lines and central teams to create greater, consistency, connectivity and capacity a

Partners Group Private Equity shareholders have voted to wind down the trust and realise their shares. At a meeting in September, more than 74% of shareholders chose to wind down the trust instead of backing a motion for a dual share class structure.

Saba Capital has sold its entire 5% stake in Baillie Gifford UK Growth. The New York headquartered hedge fund disclosed its position last March but did not increase its position until its exit last Wednesday. UK Growth delivered a 26.5% share price total return from when Saba disclosed its stake las