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Thoresen Review logo

Otto Thoresen has been appointed by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to carry out a review examining the feasibility of delivering a national approach to generic financial advice. The aim is to ensure that there is greater access to high quality affordable financial advice for those most vulnerable to the consequences of poor financial decision-making.

The Interim Report (published 22 October 2007)

The interim report outlines the evidence, research and analysis that the Thoresen Review has undertaken to date. It sets out current thinking and direction, providing an overview for the work that the Review plans to undertake before making final recommendations early in 2008.

We have also produced a consumer-friendly leaflet of the Interim Report and a copy can be found below.

The following annexes provide supporting evidence for the work of the Interim Report. Double click on the link to open a PDF version of the document:

The documents on this page are available in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). If you do not have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer you can download the software free of charge from the Adobe website. For alternative ways to read PDF documents and further information on website accessibility visit the HM Treasury accessibility page.

The Interim Report is available on request in different formats (Braille, audio etc) and in other languages (Welsh etc). Contact the Thoresen Review team for more information.

Consumer pilots

Consumer pilots will test out elements of a system of generic financial advice and help inform the Review's evidence base. They will be running between 17 September to 17 December and more information can be found at:

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Call for Evidence (published 13 March 2007)

In order to ensure the feasibility study's analysis is based on the strongest possible evidence base, we have launched a Call for Evidence. Please download the PDF documents that set out the issues on which we are seeking views.

Speeches and other material

Financial capability: The Government's long-term approach

This document announced the Review and provides a useful background to why the Review has been created (published 15 January 2007)

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Otto Thoresen: biography

Otto Thoresen has been Chief Executive of AEGON UK since April 2005. A graduate of Aberdeen University, his career began at Scottish Equitable in 1978 and from 1988 to Abbey Life, Royal Insurance and Royal Life International. He returned to Scottish Equitable, which had by then been acquired by AEGON in August 1994, becoming Finance Director of AEGON UK in 2000. As Chief Executive of the UK business, Thoresen has been an advocate of measures such as financial education and generic advice to help people take responsibility for their finances. He a member of the Financial Services Advisory Board, which oversees the implementation of Scotland's Financial Services Strategy. He is a member of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) Board and chairs its Audit Committee.

Terms of Reference for Review

To determine a range of models for achieving greater access to generic financial advice on a national scale, taking account of future developments in financial services markets and, in particular, personal accounts. To include recommendations on:

  • the most effective way of serving different groups of consumers, ensuring effective
  • targeting of those most vulnerable to the consequences of poor financial decision-making, including a telephone-based point of contact and the potential for additional face-to-face services;
  • protocols for advice, acceptable to industry, the regulator and the third sector;
  • accreditation, quality control and the boundary with regulated advice;
  • branding, marketing and supporting demand through the development of an appropriate advertising campaign;
  • overall costs and assessing long-term benefits;
  • options for funding that reflect the benefits to all stakeholders of increasing financial capability over the long term; and
  • institutional arrangements and governance.

Review team

The members of the Review Team are:

Ted Hart
Gill Taylor
Warren Davis
Mike Pink
Jay Amarasena
Jacqui Clachan
Karen Martin

The contact details of the review team are:

Thoresen Review of Generic Financial Advice
Savings and Investment team (SAVI)
HM Treasury,
1 Horse Guards Road,
London,
SW1A 2HQ

Tel: 020 7270 4343
Fax: 020 7270 4694
e-mail: thoresenreview@hm-treasury.gov.uk

Independent Reviews index
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