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AJ Bell Investments adds senior portfolio manager. Helping oversee more than £11bn in assets 12 August 2026 AJ Bell Investments has hired Michael Sawh as a senior portfolio manager. He joins the firm having held investment management and research roles across single and multi-asset investment at Swiss Re, GAM, bfinance and SCM Private. Sawh reports to head of investment solutions, James Flintoft, and will support the management of AJ Bell's model portfolio service (MPS) and multi-asset funds. The team oversees more than £11bn in assets under management for advised and direct customers. The appointment follows news the firm is reducing charges for its core MPS range from 0.15% to 0.12% from 1 October 2026. Sawh said: "I'm delighted to be joining AJ Bell's high calibre investment team. I look forward to contributing to the exceptional growth of the business and delivery of excellent investment outcomes." Flintoft added: "Michael adds yet more experience to the team at a time when its award-winning AJ Bell funds and MPS are increasingly sought out by investors. "His extensive investment management experience will support continued growth in the business and it's a pleasure for us to have him on board." MORE ARTICLES ON

The Morning Briefing: Why TPR's consolidation drive mustn't squeeze out smaller schemes. Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Monday 10 August 2026. To get this in your inbox every morning click here. Caitlin Southall: Why TPR's consolidation drive mustn't squeeze out smaller schemes I've now been in pensions for nearly 15 years. For that entire period, one of the dominant and persistent unanswered questions has been "How do we get people saving more into their pensions?" writes Caitlin Southall in her latest column. Auto-enrolment has been an excellent step to finding part of the answer here, encouraging a further 11 million people to save via PAYE. AJ Bell promotes Charlene Young to head of technical AJ Bell has appointed Charlene Young as its new head of technical, stepping into a newly created role to lead the platform's technical output across pensions, investments, tax, financial planning, and adviser practice. In her new capacity, Young will focus on ensuring complex regulatory, legislative, and tax framework updates are interpreted consistently and communicated clearly to both advisers and retail clients. She will also continue to work alongside AJ Bell's PR and policy teams to deliver commentary and analysis for press and broadcast media. Retirement Evolution Series: Aligning investments, tax, and behaviour into one strategy Retirement risks do not exist in isolation; market volatility, legislative changes, and behavioural blockers compound one another over a 30-year retirement, with longevity acting as the ultimate wildcard multiplier. In this final episode of the series, Kimberley Dondo talks to Andy Fear from M&G to discuss the dangerous cost of adviser inaction and out-of-date planning assumptions. Quote Of The Day By the end of your working life you should have accumulated a substantial pension pot and that is exactly when returns make the most difference. -Adrian Murphy, CEO of Murphy Wealth Stat Attack Retail fund inflows surged to their highest single-month level in nearly five years in June, as investor confidence picked up to wrap up a strong first half of 2026, according to new data from the Investment Association: was poured into funds by retail investors in June, marking the highest monthly net inflow since August 2021. in total net retail inflows was recorded across the first half of 2026. flowed into fixed income strategies in June alone as cautious investors sought lower-risk yields. was withdrawn from equity funds over the same period, though outflows eased compared to May. Digitalisation partner Dericon has restructured its senior leadership team, appointing Frank Herrmann as managing director and Laura Boeck as chief operating officer. The internal promotions follow the departure of former managing directors Andreas Krause and Timon Virgens. Herrmann, previously head of private banking, brings over two decades of DACH financial services experience to the role. Boeck will combine her new COO responsibilities with her existing position as Chief of Staff at parent firm FE fundinfo. The duo will focus on driving expansion across Germany, accelerating the development of the firm's WMS platform and rolling out the VV-Marktplatz initiative. Data provider Raw Knowledge has secured a contract with Tutman Fund Solutions Limited (TFSL) to supply Excess Reportable Income (ERI) data across its £11bn fund range. The agreement gives the Thesis Group-backed platform total ERI coverage across its 150 funds. The move follows research showing that while 93% of platforms offer offshore funds, only 55% provide adequate data to help clients report ERI liabilities, leaving investors at risk of HMRC penalties reaching 200%. Preya Patel, managing director at Raw Knowledge, said the deal will give TFSL confidence in its reporting as offshore exposure grows through vehicles like model portfolio services. From Elsewhere UK announces nearly £130m funding for zero-emission vehicle technology (Reuters) China unleashes $28trn capital markets to challenge US in AI (Bloomberg) Poland now sixth-largest EU economy, ahead of Switzerland and Belgium (Euronews) Did You See? I remember the first time I stepped into an office on a work experience placement. Across the room was a glass-fronted boardroom, with a group of men - and it was all men - talking in hushed tones, Tom Browne writes in his latest Weekend Essay. The door was closed, but they looked very clever and important. "These people," I thought, "know what is going on. They have ascended the mountain and reached the summit of knowledge." It was only when I found myself sitting in boardrooms years later that I realised they had not reached the summit at all. In some cases, they did not know what they were talking about. What they had learned was how to project confidence.

New partnership announcement: AJ Bell. Firenze signs partnership with award-winning investment platform, AJ Bell Investcentre, adding Lombard lending as a solution for advisers to provide their clients. Advisers using the AJ Bell Investcentre platform can now offer high-net-worth clients fast, flexible, tech-enabled portfolio lending without disrupting investment strategies or triggering capital gains tax. These clients can borrow against the value of their General Investment Account (GIA) or offshore bond, subject to meeting current conditions. This can be achieved without selling assets, disrupting their investment strategy, or triggering capital gains tax. Lombard lending can also service as in intelligent cash flow solution, providing access to capital without sacrificing market exposure. This removes the need to transfer assets to a private bank, and enables clients to continue benefitting from investment returns while their facility is in place. Increasing access to Lombard lending through investment platforms. With the addition of AJ Bell to its growing list of partners, Firenze Group now work with firms representing a combined AUM of £200bn. As one of the UK's largest investment platforms, AJ Bell's decision to allow access to Lombard lending signals how it is extending beyond the realm of private banking and into the mainstream. Previously, barriers to entry - primarily the requirement to hold assets with a private bank - prevented the majority of UK investors from capitalising on the opportunities Lombard lending presents. By allowing clients to secure a facility against their portfolio, advisers can now offer a flexible, tax-efficient route to liquidity. This includes funding a property purchase, supporting the next generation with tuition fees or a deposit, or adding sophistication to a longer-term tax or intergenerational wealth plan. How borrowing against investments works. Advisers using AJ Bell Investcentre can refer eligible clients directly to Firenze Group, to establish a Lombard facility. Key terms include: * Minimum portfolio values of £150,000 (GIA) and £500,000 (offshore bond), subject to its underwriting. * Loans from £65,000, up to 50% of portfolio value. * Facilities set up and live within 48 hours of approval for individual and joint borrowers. * Open-ended loan period with maximum flexibility on repayment. * Interest charged only on drawn balances - variable rates from Bank of England base rate plus 1.95% to 3.25%. * Simple fee structure: a one-off arrangement fee and an annual facility fee, both scaled by facility size. If you have a client who could benefit from access to a Lombard facility or if you just want to find out more, speak to its team here.