HBOS

HBOS has announced a drive on further costcutting which is expected to make annual costsavings of £300m by the end of 2009, reports the Scotsman .

The FTSE 100 index has ended the day practically unchanged, as only a slight loss of 0.2 points to 5,877 was headed by Partygaming.

Debt Free Direct has highlighted the problems facing thousands of people laden with bills after it forecast a surge in profit growth for this year, says the Guardian .

STANDARD LIFE yesterday confirmed it has started to see a number of its with-profits policyholders cash in their plans after receiving windfalls from the group's flotation, reports The Scotsman .

WEALTH MANAGEMENT FIRM, St James's Place has beaten City forecasts with a 52% increase in first-half operating profits, reports The Daily Telegraph .

HEDGE FUNDS ARE creating a "major risk" to global financial stability, although there may be little that can be done to tackle the problem, the European Central Bank suggested yesterday.

Average income from private pensions has tripled compared to the growth in state pensions since 1979, claims a pensions report from Clerical Medical.

Origo has announced that it has won support from HBOS for its mortgage electronic-standards initiative.

REGULATORS FAILED to prevent fraudsters "systematically plundering" £3m from a company pension, according to an inquiry by Sir Gerald Hosker QC published yesterday, reports the Daily Telegraph .

The Mortgage Business has announced the appointment of a new director of mortgage operations.