Christchurch

Mortgage Link has appointed a new chief executive, Rod Templeton, who will take up the role in early February.

According to indexes produced by Russell Investment Group, small cap stocks surged in 2003, leading a rebounding US equity market and outperforming their large cap counterparts by more than 17 percentage points.

Standard and Poors has again painted a gloomy picture of the life insurance industry in New Zealand saying that the outlook continues to be negative "reflecting a small and languishing industry that exhibits low growth."

More legal action on market timing practices, Police get new adviser for super scheme.

Melville Jessup Weaver reviews the Periodic Review Group's report on superannuation, focussing on the issues primarily from the perspective of sponsors and trustees of employment based superannuation schemes.

Investors in collatoralised debt obligation (CDO) backed investments learnt how quickly a credit rating for their security can be downgraded just before Christmas.

Moody's Investors Service says the prospects for Australia's life insurance market are challenging, while long-term growth potential is apparent in the superannuation market.

The Periodic Review Group tells advisers that they should have a self-regulation plan finalised by the end of next year.

Promoting workplace superannuation is currently the focus of the government, and it is being pushed by the Periodic review Group, however one large firm is opposing these initiatives.

Often at this time of the year bank advisers get a brick bat from the Banking Ombudsman – but not this year.