Scottish Widows has been accused of giving negligent advice that has resulted in total losses of around £300m for 100 pension schemes. A dossier of evidence has been sent to the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for them to review by an organisation called the Actuarial Review Company (Arc). (more…)

A Treasury Select Committee report, not surprisingly, has laid a large portion of the blame with the directors of the troubled bank, concluding ‘The directors of Northern Rock were the principal authors of the difficulties the company has faced since August 2007′ adding that the strategy followed was ‘high risk’ and ‘reckless.’

Its approach of funding mortgages using short and medium term finance from the wholesale markets was unsustainable, particularly so once the credit crunch took hold.

However, other parties are not without blame. Whilst the Treasury has done little wrong and the Bank of England was thought to lack pragmatism, it is the Financial Services Authority (FSA) that has come in for the greatest criticism.

Of the FSA, the report said it had ’systematically failed in its duty as a regulator’ adding it had ‘failed to tackle the fundamental weakness in its funding model and did nothing to prevent the problems that came to the fore.’

The report has recommended that the Bank of England take the lead role in a new unit that will monitor financial stability and have the powers to intervene in failing banks. It is also recommended that it oversees the sale of Northern Rock.