Ambulance Chasers?

It seems that some of the companies that handle endowment complaints, have incurred the ire of the life assurance companies.

Norwich Union is reportedly asking for endowment complaint handlers to be regulated by the FSA, to protect consumers.

It seems that some complaints firms target people living on estates built in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This was the time when many endowment policies were sold.

Norwich Union believes that these companies should operate under the same rules, and regulations, as the life assurance companies; thus levelling the playing field.

One particular reason that the life assurance companies are irked by complaint handlers, is the fact that nearly one fifth of the complaints that they (the life assurance companies) have to deal with emanate from professional complaint handlers.

The cost to the consumer of using these firms can be 25%, or more, of any compensation won. The cost of using the Financial Ombudsman is zero.

Too Lazy To Claim

It seems that, according to Mori, millions of people that may have been mis-sold an endowment mortgage have not lodged a claim for compensation; and have no intention of doing so.

When it comes to matters of finance, it seems that the British people are "asleep at the wheel".

Wake Up!!

Digging for Dirt

I have finally drafted a letter, to my endowment policy company, which outlines my queries in respect of commission payments that may have been deducted from my two endowment policies.

I will post their response, as and when I receive one.

Here is an extract:

"..Dear Sir/Madam,

Endowment Policies (numbers **** and ****)

I have a number of queries concerning my two endowment policies (numbers **** and ***), which you manage on my behalf.

Please can you answer the following queries in respect of the above policies:

1. Please can you advise me as to how much commission has been paid to any third party, or connected party, at the time the policies were taken out?

2. Please can you advise me of the names of the companies to which commission payments have been made, in respect of these policies?

3. Please can you advise me if commission payments have been made, at dates other than at the commencement of the policies?

4. If so please can you quantify the amounts, the frequency and the organisations to which these additional commission payments have been/are being made?

5. Please can you advise me if the commission payments referred to in questions 1- 4 above were deducted directly from my policy payments, or have been charged indirectly?

6. If commission payments are still being made on my policies, please can you advise me as to why?

7. Do I have the right to stop these ongoing commission payments?

8. If I have the right to stop these ongoing commission payments, please can you explain as to why you have not drawn this to my attention before?

9. Please can you provide me with an estimate as to negative impact, on the final expected maturity value of my policies, which these payments have had?

Please feel free to contact me if you need clarification of the above.

Thank you in advance for your prompt co-operation.


Yours faithfully..."

Renewal Commissions

I received an interesting email from the Consumers' Association, in respect of my earlier post on "Secret Commission Payments".

It seems that these payments, also called renewal commissions, are quite common. The Consumers' Association believe that they should be stopped.

Indeed the Treasury Select Committee are also of the same mind.

Their cross examination of some of the representatives of the endowment industry, in January 2004, makes amusing reading; as they make the endowment people squirm, as they try to justify these payments.

You can read the minutes here.

The New FSA Regime

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) now regulates the mortgage market.

The theory being that the scandals of the past, ie the endowment mis-selling scandal, will be avoided in the future.

However, regulation comes at a price; especially when the FSA is involved.

It is reported that there have been quite a few teething troubles with the new regime.

It seems that many mortgage brokers have not received their firm's mortgage authorisation number, which is provided by the FSA.

Some lenders have experienced problems with their IT systems, and consequently have not produced documents on line.

Others have refused to provide certain documents, as they believe that this will breach the Data Protection Act.

It is estimated that the cost of the new regime, £100 per application, will be placed fairly and squarely on the shoulders of the consumer.

That's you and me folks!

The Devious Tricks of Life Assurance Companies and Banks

It seems that the life assurance companies and banks that sold us our useless and underperforming endowment policies, are doing their very best to avoid paying compensation.

That is at least the view of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

It seems that our "professional friends" in the life assurance companies and banks are ignoring guidelines, set down 3 years ago, as to how to handle endowment complaints.

The FOS will receive 70000 complaints this year, relating to endowment policies; in 2003 the FOS received 50000, and in 2002 they received 15000.

Needless to say, as I warned on this site over a year ago, the sheer volume of the complaints means that the FOS is having trouble processing them.

Delays of over a year are now standard, and indeed the FOS is having to "farm out" the processing to third parties.

One of the little "tricks" employed by the banks and life assurance companies, according to the FOS, is to make the complainant wait for 8 weeks before responding.

Apparently, the "professionals" believe that if they ignore the problem it will simply go away, like a bad dream.

My message to the banks and life assurance companies is simple:

-The problem won't go away

-The problem will get worse

-People are becoming angry

-Grow up, stop avoiding the issue and address the problem.

Secret Commission Payments II

In view of the issues raised in the article "Secret Commission Payments", posted on the 19th of October, I have decided to write to my endowment company; asking them for details of all commission payments made on my two endowment policies.

I will update this site, with their response.

Judgement Day

A survey, recently undertaken by Abbey, has revealed the true extent of the mortgage crisis that will engulf the UK.

It seems that over 1 million homeowners with interest only mortgages, many of whom who have endowment polices, have not put together any plan for paying off their mortgages.

The housing market, and consequently the economy, will take a hard knock if these issues are not addressed.

From Bad to Worse

"The insurance industry needs to take a long, hard look at itself ... there is simply no responsible argument for a system that rigs bids, stifles competition and cheats customers."

Not my words, but those of Eliot Spitzer, New York's attorney general; talking about the probity of the United States insurance industry.

He has launched a law suit, which will have ramifications for our own well loved insurance industry. He accuses the US insurance industry of corruption, and anti competitive practices.

The FSA is monitoring Spitzer's progress.

The crux of Spitzer's case rests on contingent commissions, that is commissions paid on top of normal commissions for selling insurance policies. The UK insurance industry is fretting, because it knows that there are contingent commissions paid in the UK as well.

It is a pity that the FSA needs to wait for the US to take the lead, in exposing corruption and dishonesty.

The fallout from this lawsuit adds to the worries surrounding the insurance industry; which were heightened this week, by the announcement from the Prudential that they needed £1BN to shore up their finances.

Standard Life Celebrates in Style

Standard Life celebrated breaking their £10BN target for mortgage sales, by giving their staff 1000 bottles of champagne (total costs £15K).

You will recall that Standard Life recently reneged on it promise to underwrite its endowment policies; it is expected that over 500K of its customers face endowment misery, as their policies fail to meet their targets.

I doubt that they will be cracking open bottles of champagne.

Nice bit of PR guys!