International Adviser Awards create buzz around Quilter’s, FPI’s and RL360’s facilitation of investment fraud and scams.
I am deeply flattered that International Adviser has invited me to enter for this year’s “Best Practice Adviser Awards”. The invitation was sitting – sparkling like a princess – in my inbox this morning. So, how could I refuse?
Pension Life is not, of course, an advisory firm. But I am sure International Adviser can think of a separate category for a firm which works towards bringing rogue “advisers” (in reality commission-hungry salesmen) and death bond providers to justice for the many scams they carry out and facilitate.
International Adviser’s awards are, apparently, “designed to recognise financial advisers within the industry that are beacons of excellence in promoting best practice”.
No doubt this also means acknowledging those which are beacons of fraud. Until the “chiringuitos” of the financial services world are shut down and jailed, best practice will always be held back.
Spain certainly leads the field internationally (which isn’t exactly difficult) when it comes to warning about the very types of scammers which have traditionally had terms of business with Quilter, FPI, RL360, SEB and Generali: the “death bond salesmen” who have destroyed millions of pounds’ worth of pensions and life savings.
International Adviser gives four reasons for entering the Best Practice Adviser Awards 2020 competition:
- Highlight the success of teams within your business
- Promote the key strengths that set your firm apart from the rest
- Gain recognition within your industry for excellence in best practice
- Use the winner’s logo
As International Adviser informs me that the total value of this “amazing” package is over £10k, I thought I would give it a go – what have I got to lose?! Here are my responses to the above four points:
- The teams within my business have got eight scammers in court on criminal charges of fraud and forgery. These scammers were illegally selling Quilter (OMI/Skandia) insurance bonds – as well as SEB and Generali. Plus we’ve got nearly thirty more lined up ready for the criminal and civil courts in multiple jurisdictions in Europe and the UK. All these scammers were putting cautious investors into high-risk, toxic investments offered by the insurance companies.
- Promoting strengths that set Pension Life apart from “the rest” is slightly tricky because the only other firm that I know of which does anything similar is Niall Coburn’s firm – Coburn Corporate Intelligence. As published by International Adviser on 2.6.2020, Coburn is using Daniel Spendlove of law firm Signature Litigation to sue Quilter (aka Skandia, OMI, TitsRUs) and FPI (now owned by RL360) for millions of pounds’ worth of investment losses caused to thousands of investors.
- Gaining recognition for excellence will, of course, be very welcome – especially when a bunch of chiringuitos and overpaid executives at the death offices are behind bars.
- I’m already experimenting with how my letterhead will look with the winner’s logo on it. I think the 30-second video will definitely feature Peter Kenny and David Kneesup in orange suits, and the daily bulletins will advertise the banning of commission-laden insurance bonds.
I assume my only competition will be the surfing, polo-playing Coburn who describes himself as “being committed to lending his critical thinking and expertise to complex regulatory, compliance and due diligence matters”.
Coburn advertises himself as being B.A. LL.B, LL.M, Dip. Bus. Admin. I assume part of the above means he can swim and drive a bus. No doubt Signature Litigation find those qualities helpful.
Even if I don’t win International Adviser’s prestigious award, I am hoping my entry will foster a warm and fuzzy friendship with International Adviser Editor Kirsten Hastings. Ideally, she and I can sit together at the trial of Quilter International/FPI/RL360. We can talk girlie stuff and I can teach her how to write shorthand during the boring bits.
Not entirely sure where the trial will be held, but it had better be a venue as big as Wembley Stadium to accommodate the inevitable large crowd which will want to attend. This will include thousands of victims of Quilter International, FPI International and RL360. Many of these victims have lost their life savings, so they will no doubt want to be present to see the likes of Peter Kenny, Steve Braudo, Paul Feeney, Steve Weston and David Kneesup brought to justice.
I predict that the death offices will try to hang the chiringuitos out to dry and blame the failed investments on their “inappropriate advice”. This is another reason why the courtroom will need to be big enough to accommodate a huge number of people: scammers from across the globe will need to be wheeled in to testify. The death offices will claim that all they did was make the bombs; it was the scammers who hurled them into the crowds of victims.
The court may want to ask the death offices why on earth they gave terms of business to so many unqualified, unlicensed spivs.
Any sober judge will struggle to understand why Quilter, FPI and RL360 accepted so many dealing instructions from barely literate con men (and women) – including a convicted murderer, several psychopaths, a long line of coke-snorting confidence tricksters/forgers, an alcoholic bar manager, several well-known serial scammers (including Stephen Ward) and a prostitute.
Even if Pension Life doesn’t win the coveted International Adviser award, I guess we’re likely to come second in our category. I wonder what the prize will be – lunch with Peter Kenny perhaps?
This blog makes no sense.
Point 2. of the second numbered list acknowledges CCI, described as “the only other firm that I know of which does anything similar”, is working toward the same goal – i.e. justice and retribution for victims, by taking on the powerful actors of a scam that took place at the beginning of the previous decade.
But then the two paragraphs following that numbered list is derogatory and displays childish animosity without explanation. The blog describes CCI as “competition”? How can a common fight for justice for victims of scams by two different entities be “competitive”? What are you competing to achieve? Surely the goal is the same? Or is it a question of “glory”, who gets there first being the goal? I don’t get it.
It’s a common goal and the only thing that matters is justice and retribution for victims. It’s not a competition.
I see no gain in petty “competition” and animosity. It’s not a “tug o’ war”. The victims are the common denominator and I imagine they don’t care how they get justice, so long as they get it. Whether it’s pension-life, CCI or both is irrelevant. I think the victims would rather see cooperation than some petty “competition” between two entities that are supposedly working toward the same goal. As a victim of a scam myself, I would have welcomed more than one helping hand to achieve restitution – the more the better, all pulling in the same direction to a common purpose.
As I said. This makes no sense and the people caught in the middle are the victims, facing financial ruin, stress and sleepless nights. They don’t want to see this – trust me.
There was no “competition” or – indeed – animosity. The competitive angle was about the International Adviser “rewarding global excellence” awards. An oxymoron if ever I saw one. I really hope that the Coburn/Signature litigation does succeed – and agree with you that the OMI/FPI/RL360 victims don’t care where they get “justice” from – as long as the damage done by the death offices is undone – somehow.
OK.
Well the blog did not explain that very well then imho, cos the “description” sure looked a tad unecessary.
Moreover, there was no: “I really hope that the Coburn/Signature litigation does succeed …” in the main text either ….
Whatever. It could have been explained so much better …. imho that is ….
I always value your criticism – will see if I can improve the blog, taking into account your feedback (which is most helpful). Sometimes, something which is (blooming) obvious to me is as clear as mud to someone else.
It is a shame that anyone can enter themselves into this so called award. It leaves it wide open to any rogue working in finance or finance related businesses entering. Looking at the entry form they ask for documents to be added? They could be made up? I hope that entrants are investigated properly prior to any awards being given out as it could be very misleading for people not in the know don’t you think?
Bernie, I completely agree.
I lost a six figure sum to a wicked scam, perpetrated by a Partner / Head of Office, no less, of a firm who somehow received an IA Best Practice Award for Excellence in Financial Planning.
When I made exhaustive attempts to escalate to the CEO (recognised by International Advisor as being one of the IA 100 Most Influential), let’s just say I didn’t get very far.
Same old story – No financial qualifications, no investment license, no bona fide regulation, a pack of lies, and some very dodgy paperwork.
It’s absolutely terrifying.
So Angie Brooks crusader of the scammed has entered herself into a competition which is supported /sponsored by Quilter International formerly known as Old Mutual International. As Angie is supposedly taking them to court, what on earth is she doing entering ridiculous competitions with which they are associated? Possibly because she doesn’t have a moral compass and it’s just another way to look as if she really cares and collect more fees?
Sandy – thanks for your comment. Are you Sandy the Fat Tart pictured with Jody the Thin Tart? Or a different Sandy? I didn’t enter the International Adviser/Quilter International competition – the post was “facetious” (look it up). And, if you’re genuinely interested, yes I am taking them to court.