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Presents the results of an empirical investigation into whether the attribution by members of the public of an unfavourable reputational trait (e.g. dishonesty) to a company covaries with other traits ascribed to the same enterprise. Additionally it examines whether people aggregate successive pieces of unfavourable information received about a business to form a continuously worsening impression of it; or whether they mentally average bad news, so that successive adverse items can actually improve the overall impression – provided the later messages are not as damaging as the earlier ones. The study is based on the UK pensions mis‐selling scandal, which generated severe, long‐term media criticism of the large UK insurance companies. Hence it analyses a unique reputational management situation in that the firms involved are subject to continuous and intense scrutiny, protracted and hostile media coverage, periodic public censure by regulatory authorities, and interference in day‐to‐day management by government agencies. The proposition that pensions are an “avoidance product” is also explored.

The Plaintiff, J. Rothschild Assurance plc, is a life assurance company. This case arose out of the review of pensions mis‐selling and the Plaintiff sought to be indemnified by its professional indemnity insurers for the losses it had or may yet incur as a result of having to compensate investors pursuant to the review of pensions mis‐selling. The first Defendant, Mr Collyear, is a representative Lloyd's Underwriter, as are some of the other Defendants (the remainder of the Defendants being insurance companies). All the Defendants had subscribed to three ‘claims made’ indemnity insurance policies which together extended cover of some £20m, covering the period 1st February, 1993 until 31st January, 1994 and were identical in all terms material to this action. Because the Plaintiff was seeking indemnity in respect of so many different individual cases of compensation Mr Justice Clarke had, at an earlier hearing on 10th February, 1998, ordered a maximum of ten sample claims to be tried and all other proceedings stayed. It subsequently transpired that both parties agreed that neither were in a position to have a full trial of the facts of these cases but they nonetheless proceeded to a hearing of these sample claims which were used here in this case as a vehicle to isolate, argue and resolve certain basic themes and issues which were common to the claims in the stayed proceedings.

This paper is based on a talk given by Philip Ryley and John Virgo to the Association of Pension Lawyers at their annual conference in Bournemouth in November 1998. In it the authors provide an outline of some of the key legal issues that have arisen out of the pensions mis‐selling litigation.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the marketing of ethical and socially responsible investment (ESRI) funds to retail investors and to analysis the plausibility of the claims made in regard to their performance, achievements and prospects.

The paper presents an analysis of the claims and marketing strategy adopted in the ESRI industry's Action Guide for Financial Advisors document, produced for their National Ethical Investing Week, 2010.

The analysis indicates that the ESRI fund industry's Action Guide uses a number of unethical marketing techniques to induce retail investors into investing in ESRI funds and that many of the claims made on behalf of ESRI investing are implausible. Given the past history of mis‐selling in the investment fund sector, these findings ought to be of some concern to regulators and retail investors.

This is the first article that has linked the promotion and marketing of ESRI funds to possible mis‐selling practices.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate those factors which are responsible for the sales misconduct in Retail banking services across the world and try to find out the determinants which majorly affect the Indian Retail banking industry. The authors also try to find out whether the sales approach leads to malpractices in sales and how does it affect the different categories of the customers.

Primary data have been collected from the bank account holders having account in various private and public sector banks operating in India.

The authors have come out with finding that sales misconduct is majorly affected by misrepresentation of facts, complexity of products, lack of disclosure norms and more. They also found that push sales approach is adopted by banks, particularly by private banks to majorly tap the class customers to sell the financial products without their requirement and achieve the revenue targets.

Banking regulators can keep a close supervision on sales mal practices in banking sector and implement stringent norms to reduce these kinds of practices.

Very few studies have been conducted on the basis of the class of the customer, and how sales approach leads the malpractices in sales and how it affects the class of the customers.

The biggest challenge in the Indian life insurance industry is mis-selling and unfair business practices. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of relational selling behaviour on investor decision making in life insurance market in India. This study also aims to elucidate the mediating role of trust in predicting the purchase of life insurance policies by investors.

A cross-sectional survey was carried out to collect quantitative data using a validated structured questionnaire. A total of 813 policyholders of life insurance companies operating in Karnataka, South India, were chosen. The data were analysed using the partial least square method of structural equation modeling.

The process of investors’ life insurance buying decision is directly influenced by interaction intensity, co-operative intentions of agents, sharing of overt and covert policy information, and indirectly through the partial mediation of trust. Also, trust fully mediates the effect of agent disclosure and personal rapport on decision making by investors. The importance‒performance map analysis highlights the pivotal role of overt policy information in investors’ decision making.

The financial mis-selling in India can be curtailed significantly if the insurance companies insist on responsible and relational selling by their sales agents. The companies would also strategically gain by investing in trust-building programs that enhance quality interactions and honest disclosure of overt and covert policy information, unpretentious intention to co-operate in the policy selection, and emphasize emotional connection and personal rapport with customers. These genuine actions and behavioural manifestations would certainly facilitate appropriate decision making by the investors.

There is a paucity of research in India which explicates the role of relational selling behaviour in insurers’ decision making. As such, this article expands the scope of relational marketing research in insurance by assessing the relational determinants of investor decisions as well as the role of trust as the mediator in influencing insurance decision making.

In June 1994, and despite serions misgivings front the finance industry and investors alike, the Personal Investment Authority (PIA) was ‘recognised’ as the new retail self‐regulatory organisation (SRO)for the investment business industry in the UK. This paper traces the background to this event and the development of the PIA from inauguration to recognition. It also examines the concerns expressed by its critics and the findings of the all‐party Treasury and Civil Service Committee, which produced an interim report on the subject. It concludes by considering some alternative reform proposals and asking what the future holds for the PIA.

The paper examines how product innovation in the UK banking industry has been affected and is likely to be affected by changes in regulation and in government policy. It considers the issues faced by banks in pursuing a market‐oriented approach in this environment.

The rapidly changing regulatory environment in the UK is described and analysed, primarily in the context of the market for mortgage products and medium‐ to long‐term savings products. The paper describes the main events of the last 20 years and analyse their immediate impacts. The paper examines the most recent changes, identify the direction of policy change and consider the implications.

Empirical evidence suggests that the development of mortgage and pensions products has been closely linked to changes in regulation and government policy. This has resulted in an adverse impact on the brand values and reputations of banks. An analysis of the most recent events identifies two different regulatory approaches which banks now have to manage.

A review of the literature shows that very little detailed research has been carried out into the impact of regulation and government policy on banks and financial services companies.

With this lack of systematic research and analysis, and in the absence of a theoretical framework, it is difficult for banks, regulators and government to make informed decisions.

The paper highlights and analyses an increasingly important issue which has not been addressed in any detail in the literature. The paper puts forward an agenda of research questions and propositions for further research.

This paper discusses two aspects of compliance management in pension transfers. The first addresses the claims that may be brought before a court by investors to whom personal pension schemes were mis‐sold. The second looks at the Securities and Investments Board (SIB) guidelines on the procedures to be followed by the personal pension providers in determining the extent, if any, to which compensation to individuals will be required.