People’s Pension has launched its first national television advertising campaign, starring comedian Joe Wilkinson as its “Fairy Godmother”.

The campaign introduces the workplace pension provider’s new “Famously Fair” brand proposition, using an “unfairground” setting to highlight its message that pensions should work fairly for all savers. People’s Pension serves more than seven million savers, while its parent, People’s Partnership, reinvests surplus profits for members, including through its savings reward. People’s Pension chief commercial officer, David Meliveo, said: “Pensions don’t always feel like they are for everyone. We think that’s wrong, and we wanted to bring that unfairness to life through our first national TV campaign.” The campaign will run across television, video-on-demand, YouTube, radio, social media and out-of-home advertising, and is expected to reach around 31 million working adults in October.

AJ Bell Investcentre has launched a new offshore bond in partnership with Standard Life, expanding the tax and estate planning options available to advisers and clients.

The Standard Life International Bond will be available through an AJ Bell Investcentre General Investment Account and is intended to provide greater flexibility over tax planning and investment management. The launch comes ahead of planned changes to bring unused pension funds into inheritance tax from April 2027, with AJ Bell noting growing adviser demand for alternative tax wrappers. Its research with Ad Lucem found almost nine in 10 advisers believe wrapper decisions have become more complex over the past three years. AJ Bell advised managing director, Mark Rendle, said: “Advisers and clients face a growing challenge to protect and pass on wealth efficiently in the current tax environment, and it is up to providers to ensure that the correct tools and support are available.” Standard Life head of strategic partnerships, Lesley Whyte, added that estate planning was becoming increasingly important as advisers prepared for the upcoming inheritance tax changes.

Isio Wealth has grown its assets under management (AUM) to more than £5bn after agreeing to manage a unitised fund range worth approximately £850m.

The addition will complement Isio’s existing model portfolio service capabilities and broaden the range of investment solutions available to advisers and clients. The move follows Isio’s recent acquisition of fintech and AI-driven investment management business, Collidr, as the firm continues to expand its adviser proposition. Isio head of wealth, Andy Tunningley, said the addition was “another positive step” in growing its investment offering, reflecting rising demand for flexible, outsourced investment solutions. “Our focus remains on delivering high-quality, institutional-grade investment solutions that combine strong governance, scalability and value for clients,” he added.

P1 Investment Management has partnered with PIMCO to launch a retirement-focused managed portfolio service for UK financial advisers.

The partnership will provide advisers with access to PIMCO’s UK Retirement Income Model Portfolios, combining P1’s discretionary management with PIMCO’s fixed income and retirement income expertise. The portfolios are designed around retirement-specific risks, including income sustainability, inflation and sequencing risk, rather than focusing primarily on volatility and equity exposure. The portfolios will be available from 1 October through third-party platforms and the P1 Platform, with an annual management charge of 0.15 per cent. P1 Investment Management chief investment officer, Will Dickson, said: “These portfolios represent an evolution in the approach to retirement income." PIMCO head of global wealth management – UK, Simon Hillenbrand, said the partnership would bring a decade of PIMCO’s retirement income expertise in the US market to UK advisers.

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