Standard Life : Our Company 19 October, 2016 Standard Life delivers latest platform enhancements Read more

Standard Life today announces its latest series of platform enhancements which are designed to support the increasing number of clients making the most of their pension freedoms.

Key changes for advisers are:

• Adviser Charging can now be taken for new and existing Bonds from within the International Portfolio Bond product. This makes Standard Life unique in facilitating flexibility of income in retirement consistently across all tax wrappers on the platform
• Tailored Drawdown, the only way to genuinely maximise tax efficient withdrawals in pensions, is now a fully online quote and apply journey
• Recording of Nominations online has been extended to offer complete flexibility and control by integrating into the online Review process
• Lifetime Allowance percentage tool has been introduced for on-going management of drawdown, reflecting the growing number of clients likely to need to manage their allowance position
• A new Portfolio Performance Report has been created, offering a snapshot of the current portfolio and giving greater choice to advisers on the different reports available for clients.

Alastair Black, Head of Financial Planning Propositions, Standard Life said:

'The enhancements we are making are a direct result of adviser feedback and will support efficiencies and de-risking for adviser businesses. We are seeing the focus shift more and more towards retirement planning, hence this has been the focal point of our activity.'

David Tiller, Standard Life's Head of Adviser and Wealth Manager Propositions, said: With pension freedoms, retirement has become even more complex. An efficient process needs a lot of moving parts working well together. We have the end to end process, now we are working at making it even better, to make the adviser's job that bit more straightforward.'

Ends

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For further information, contact:
Patricia Corrigan
Direct: 0131 245 5916
Mobile: 0771 092 4558
Email: patricia_corrigan@standardlife.com

If you are an adviser there is more information available

Notes to Editors

About Standard Life
• Since launching in 2006, Standard Life Wrap has helped advisers transform their service to clients and adapt to the changing regulatory landscape. Standard Life Wrap has been adopted by over 1,490 financial advice and wealth management firms and serves over 230,000 customers.
• Total Standard Life Wrap platform assets under administration are £28.0bn and, in 2016, the platform achieved net inflows of £2.1bn.
• For the third year in a row, Standard Life Wrap was voted 'Best Platform Provider (AUM over £12.5bn in 2014 and 2015, and AUM over £15bn in 2016)' by the adviser community at the prestigious Schroders Platform Awards 2016.
• Standard Life is an investment company with over 190 years' experience of helping people invest and manage their money.
• Standard Life employs around 6,500 people internationally - through businesses in the UK, Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
• Around 4.5 million customers and clients across 46 countries trust Standard Life with their financial future and Standard Life is responsible for the administration of £328 billion of their assets. Standard Life also supports over 25 million customers through Indian and Chinese associate and joint venture businesses.
• Standard Life Investments actively manages £269 billion worldwide, offering global asset management expertise with strong investment capabilities and performance.
• Standard Life plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange with around 1.2 million individual shareholders and is one of the top 500 companies worldwide, by revenue, as listed in the 2015 Fortune Global 500.
• Wherever Standard Life operates in the world, it is motivated by a sense of responsibility. That is what has helped it be a sustainable business over the long term. Standard Life is proud to be listed as a leader for corporate sustainability in its industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI World and DJSI Europe).
• You can follow Standard Life on www.twitter.com/StandardLifeplc
All figures in notes to editors are at 30 June 2016 unless stated otherwise