London, 06 February, 2012: Barclays Capital will launch the IFSL Barclays Radar fund¹ (the Radar fund), a UK-domiciled version of its Research Analysis Driven Absolute Return Fund (offshore Radar fund), as part of its commitment to offer UK retail investors wider access to a strategy which has delivered positive net returns each year since launch in February 2009 in an Irish-domiciled UCITS format.

Available for investment in March, the  Radar fund, a UK Open Ended Investment Company (OEIC) with daily liquidity, will implement the same global macro investment strategy as the offshore Radar fund, which has delivered a net return of 37.05% with volatility of 11.14% since its launch in February 2009.²

The Radar fund aims to provide positive absolute returns over rolling 12-month periods. It is managed by the Barclays Capital Fund Solutions (BCFS) discretionary portfolio management team, who draw together published ideas from Barclays Capital Research to create their tactical asset allocation strategy. Asset allocations are determined through macroeconomic and market analysis from a diversified pool of global assets and implemented with robust risk management.

The Radar fund is designed to be responsive to changing market conditions through a two-stage portfolio construction and management process led by BCFS Senior Portfolio Manager Jason Smith and Head of Portfolio Management Ian Mizrahi. During stage one portfolio managers generate investment ideas, incorporating the latest published financial and economic views from the Barclays Capital Research teams.  During stage two, the investment team selects the highest conviction ideas and crafts a single portfolio reflecting what they believe are the best investment opportunities.

The Radar fund can invest in a broad spectrum of asset classes including global equities, bonds, commodities and currencies, with risk monitoring and control being embedded throughout the investment process. Once launched, the Radar fund will be available through major UK fund platforms.

Jason Smith, Senior Portfolio Manager, Barclays Capital Fund Solutions says: “With the offshore Radar fund having delivered its objective year-on-year, we have seen growing demand among UK investors for a UK-domiciled version,” he said. “By launching the Radar fund as a UK-domiciled OEIC, we are making the strategy available to a wider range of investors.”

Nathan Bance, Director in UK Investor Solutions at Barclays Capital, says: “The offshore Radar fund has built a strong track record amid some of the most challenging market conditions in recent years. This is testament to both the strength of the investment ideas produced by Barclays Capital Research and the expertise of the BCFS investment team behind the fund.”

¹ IFSL is the Authorised Corporate Director of the OEIC Fund

² Source: Barclays Capital performance of RADAR 17/02/2009 to 31/12/2011 net of fees. Past performance is no indication of future performance.

Ashcourt Rowan plc (AIM: ARP), the UK wealth management group, has announced that Ranil Perera will be stepping down from the board of directors of the Company effective 1 April 2012.  This coincides with the end of the company’s financial year and marks the second anniversary of his joining the Board.

This announcement comes on the back of a number of senior management changes at the Company following the appointment of Jonathan Polin as Group CEO in August 2011. These include the appointments of Alfio Tagliabue as Group CFO, Richard Sinclair MBE as Chief Operating Officer and Jim Roberts as Non-Executive Director.

Mr Perera commented:

“I am pleased to have been able to serve Ashcourt Rowan as a member of the Board during a period of considerable change. I believe it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the current financial year as the company settles into its new arrangements.  I wish the company every success in the future.”

Kenneth West, Chairman, commented:

“Ranil has been a highly valued member of the Board for a period of two years during which time the Company has seen much change. His wise counsel and support in the fields of compliance and risk management have been most helpful during this time and we all wish him every success in the future.”

- New investment offers potential return of 46.50%
- Capital only becomes at risk if the FTSE 100 is below 60% of starting level at maturity
- Preceding product recently matured with 38% return after four years
- Investment backed by Barclays Bank

London, 26 January 2012: Barclays Capital has today announced the launch of a new five-year investment offering a potential return of 46.50%, which can be accrued without requiring underlying equity growth.

Launching on 26 January 2012, the FTSE 100-linked Synthetic Zero will lock in a 9.30% return for every year the Index trades at or above 60% of its starting level, with the sum of returns paid at maturity.

Investors’ capital will be returned in full providing the Index at maturity has not fallen below 60% of its starting level. If this occurs, capital will decline one for one in line with the Index.

The launch follows the recent maturity of a previous version of the product, which delivered its maximum return of 38% plus capital after four years (equating to a gross redemption yield of 8.39%). Over the same period, the FTSE Total Return Index rose 11.76% while the FTSE Price Return Index lost 4%.

Commenting on the launch, Lisa Chaudhuri, UK Investor Solutions at Barclays Capital, said: “The mood among wealth managers remains generally cautious and many are adopting defensive positioning to help protect to a degree against market falls. This particular investment profile may also be attractive for managers who hold zero dividend preference shares as either a complement or replacement to part of their portfolio.”

Amber Financial Investments (Amber), the new corporate wrap business from the Paradigm Group, launches today.

The new FSA-authorised venture will form part of Paradigm Group’s existing stable of companies, which currently includes Paradigm Partners, Paradigm Pensions and Paradigm Mortgages.

Powered by SEI, the leading global provider of investment processing, fund processing, and investment management outsourcing solutions, the Amber platform is being launched with the aim of becoming the premier corporate wrap for financial advisers operating in the employee benefits space.

In addition to a suite of on- and offline tools and consultancy services, the platform will offer advisers and their clients access to a comprehensive range of more than 1,300 funds at launch. At the heart of the proposition will be a Group Personal Pension (GPP) which will be available alongside a Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP), and Individual Savings Account (ISA) and a General Investment Account (GIA).

Key to the Amber’s appeal among advisers will be its ability to plug into JargonFreeBenefits, the online pension compliance and flex-benefits proposition launched by Steve Bee last year. JargonFreeBenefits, which announced In2Matrix as its 100th licensee firm last week, has been developed to improve the UK workplace pension market by giving SMEs cost effective access to the kind of systems and benefits historically only available to the very largest organisations.

Commenting, Paradigm founder, Paul Hogarth said:

“I believe the Amber proposition we are launching today has real potential to become a dominant force in the UK corporate platform space. With a GPP at the very heart of the offering from day one, Amber is already in the fortunate position of being one of only a handful of true corporate wraps on the market.  By working closely with the adviser community we now aim to build on this, creating a market leading proposition uniquely aligned to meet the needs of the modern adviser and their clients.

“By ensuring the proposition also plugs into the JargonFreeBenefits middleware we are also looking to provide advisers with a unique opportunity to significantly enhance their corporate proposition in a market which is set to grow exponentially over the coming years.”

For further information please visit:

www.amberfinancial.eu

JargonFreeBenefits, the online pension compliance and flex-benefits system developed by Steve Bee, has announced In2Matrix as its 100^th licensee firm.

Headquartered in London, In2Matrix is a fully independent, consulting firm specialising in employee benefits with offices in Moscow, Netherlands, Delhi, Kiev, Almaty and Paphos. The business specialises in providing a full range of solutions to clients for their employee benefit needs; from SMEs to larger organisations with several thousand staff.

As a licensee firm, In2Matrix will pay a standard monthly fee that will allow it to market and install the JargonFreeBenefits middleware system. The system, which has been developed by Bee as part of the Paradigm Pensions business he set up in 2010, has been designed to change the UK workplace pension market by giving employers and employees at SMEs access to the sort of systems and benefits historically reserved for the very largest organisations.

Commenting, Neil Fallon, director of employee benefits, In2Matrix, said: “What Steve has created with JargonFreeBenefits is unlike anything the employee benefits market has seen before. By combining pension compliance with a flex-benefits package, and pricing it all to appeal to the SME market Steve has designed and developed something truly unique in this space and having seen it in action the decision to become a licensee firm was an easy one to make.”

Commenting Steve Bee said: “The interest we have had in JargonFreeBenefits since going live has been phenomenal and to be able to announce a business of In2Matrix’s standing as our 100^th licensee firm is extremely gratifying. While in reality 100 is just a number like any other, for the team behind JargonFreeBenefits it is a significant milestone that recognises the effort they have put in to making our vision a reality. It also marks the start of another phase in JFB’s development that I am confident will see us dominate this space.”

Katy Moore gives an insight into a week at MRM, giving all the gossip from her working week while highlighting what news has interested MRM over the past seven days

January is now in full swing and the festive period is all but a distant memory. At least we can take comfort in the fact that the weather has been unseasonably warm and almost pleasant.

On to the news, and the Leveson inquiry is back in full swing following the Christmas break. However, it appears the mood of Twitter spectators is starting to shift with accusations that the inquiry is not treating all defendants fairly. Roy Greenslade expressed the situation well in his column earlier this week.

2012 is not even two weeks old yet and already we have our first banking scandal of the year. I’m talking, of course, about Philipp Hildebrand who resigned as head of the Swiss Central Bank following controversial currency trades made by his wife, allegedly without his knowledge. Will this be the last scandal we see from the industry this year? Time will tell…

A lot is happening this year in the Financial Services industry, what with the RDR deadline fast approaching, and the introduction of auto enrolment for workplace pensions in October. Indeed, pensions are a very hot topic with the threat of new public sector strikes just round the corner and the news that final salary schemes deficits have hit record levels. And just this week our client Friends Life put out a report that showed a rise in a new generation of ‘Wearies’ (that’s Working, Entrepreneurial, Active Retirees) that will work into their 70s and beyond – something that the media was very interested in, needless to say.

We also had some big news at Ashcourt Rowan this week as they announced the appointment of industry stalwart Jim Roberts as non-executive director.

At MRM HQ we have had a wonderful start to the year with three MRM-ers receiving promotions for their exceptional work. Chris Duncan is now a Director of the business and Charlotte Banks and Katy Allison have been promoted to Senior Account Manager and Account Manager respectively. Congratulations to everyone!

Katy Moore gives an insight into a week at MRM, giving all the gossip from her working week while highlighting what news has interested MRM over the past seven days

This will be my last blog of the year and I will try to keep it short and sweet. There is really only one thing worth saying: in the words of Slade, ‘It’s Chriiiiiiiistmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssss!’ I hope you’re all as excited as I am! It’s such a happy time of year where we get to spend quality time with our loved ones. And if you need reminding how magical it can be, check out these lovely family Christmas photos from around the world. I’m usually very against saying ‘LOL’ but it might be needed on this occasion…

Onto less scary topics, and as we approach the end of the year, there tends to be more ‘Top 10 xxxx of the year’ lists. My favourite one this week was the top 10 UK Youtube videos of 2011. I was slightly disappointed that Fenton didn’t get a nod, but the winner was another very worthy canine. And while we’re on the subject of viral videos, my colleague Dan wrote this about that very phenomenon.

Earlier this week we had our Christmas dinner at the Guinea Grill in Mayfair. The venue was gorgeous and the food was sublime – I can highly recommend the rib eye steak. Yum! And my fellow MRM-ers really got into the festive spirit, none more so than Andy who was in no way forced to wear his hat.

And so that’s it for another year. MRM Towers will be open between Christmas and New Year so please feel free to contact us. In the meantime, we would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. And to really make our sentiments clear, here are some MRM-ers wishing you season’s greetings in their own special way.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Katy Moore gives an insight into a week at MRM, giving all the gossip from her working week while highlighting what news has interested MRM over the past seven days

Christmas is literally around the corner now – just one week to go! This is when we all fall head first into panic buying mode and brave the heaving shops in the teaming rain after a busy day at work. It’s such a magical time!

You may remember last week I posted links to some of the very best photos of the year, but this week I have something even better. The top pictures of 2011…in Lego! It doesn’t get much better than this, although I am sad Fenton isn’t there. Fenton, in case you have forgotten, was the star of a youtube video that went viral – a phenomenon that my colleague Dan Sherville will be looking at in greater detail next week. Watch this space…

At MRM Towers we’re having a great week. Monday saw us host a breakfast briefing looking at how financial services companies can improve their media and digital communications, which was extremely informative. And speaking of media communications, Pension Guru Steve Bee launched his radio station – J&rgonfree Radio – this week. The first podcast is an interview with Dr Ros Altmann and is not to be missed. Rounding off the week, Ashcourt Rowan’s Stephen Walker held an Alternatives and Investment Strategy on Thursday, which was a great success and much appreciated by all who attended. Next week promises to be even more excited as we have our Christmas party. Hooray!  This year we will be descending on the Guinea Grill. I got a sneaky peek at the menu yesterday and am hugely excited!

So that’s it for another week. If this is your last day in the office, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and we’ll see you in the new year. If you are at work until the bitter end, hang in there – just one more week to go!

Katy Moore gives an insight into a week at MRM, giving all the gossip from her working week while highlighting what news has interested MRM over the past seven days

My my, the time is flying. We now have a little over two weeks until Christmas and I don’t know about you, but I am hugely unprepared!

As well as the mad rush to get everything bought, wrapped and sent before the big day, I also think this is the time of year when we should relax and reflect on the year that has been. If you need some reminding of what has gone on over the past 12 months, check out the top most powerful images of 2011. And if you need further reminding of the year’s events, fill your boots with this lot – the top 10 of everything. Literally everything! From news stories to viral videos to amusing protest signs – it’s all here.

It has been a pretty busy week for us at MRM Towers. Tuesday saw us host another one of our dinners at the Guinea Grill in Mayfair for clients as well as closest ‘friends and family’. Speeches by Nucleus’ David Ferguson and Ashcourt Rowan’s Jonathan Polin ensured the discussion was extremely lively and enjoyed by all.

And speaking of events, we have another one on Monday in the form of a breakfast briefing where we will be discussing how financial services companies can improve their media and digital communications. It promises to be a very interesting and informative affair, with speeches from the BBC’s Julian Bishop, the Daily Mail’s Luke Salkeld and our very own Michael Taggart.

While we are feeling decidedly Christmassy in London (and secretly hoping for snow!) our thoughts are with our friends north of the border who are currently being battered by horrendous winds. Affectionately termed, ahem, ‘Hurricane Bawbag’ (we had to get our Scottish MRM-ers to explain that one to us – not pleasant!) it is currently wreaking havoc and people are being urged to stay at home. Hang in there guys!

Katy Moore gives an insight into a week at MRM, giving all the gossip from her working week while highlighting what news has interested MRM over the past seven days

Hello everyone and welcome to December. The is the brilliant time of year when the long cold evenings are made so much better by mince pies, mulled wine and advent calendars. And speaking of advent calendars, make sure you check out this little beauty from Nucleus. It was thoroughly entertaining last year and I’m sure this year’s will not disappoint.

On to other news, and one of the biggest stories of the week continues to be the Leveson Inquiry. The testimony of some of the witnesses has been fascinating and somewhat eye-opening. In case you haven’t been following it, all the witness statements are available online and well worth a read.

Two other pretty major events happened this week. First, the Chancellor gave his Autumn statement which pretty much told us we are in a worse state than previously thought. Cheery stuff! And then Wednesday saw two million public sector workers on strike. The protest practically passed the front door of MRM Towers but we were more disturbed by all the helicopters – they’re pretty loud when right overhead!

Some sad news this week as today is our last day with the lovely Biba Thacker in the office. She was interning with us for a few weeks to get an insight into PR before starting her career as an architect after six years of study. Despite only helping us out for three weeks, she has made a big impression and will be missed. In happier news, everyone at MRM would like to wish Rebecca from Nucleus a huge congratulations as she is tying the knot today. Hope you have an amazing day, Becs!

So that’s it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I will be ice skating in Somerset House tomorrow – feel free to come along and point and laugh!