Lighthouse Regulatory News (LGT)

17 Feb 2005 07:00

For Immediate Release17 February 2005 LIGHTHOUSEXPRESS Lighthouse Group plc, one of the UK's largest firm's of Independent FinancialAdvisers, announces the formal launch of its LighthouseXpress IT platform,together with new distribution agreements with Abbey, Friends Provident,Norwich Union, Skandia and Standard LifeLighthouseXpress will provide Lighthouse, BWA and Temple IFAs with a bespoke,sophisticated back-office solution, linked to the Lighthouse commission,compliance and marketing systems. LighthouseXpress will considerably reduce theamount of time spent by IFAs on day-to-day administrative matters and, as aresult, increase their profitability and efficiency.The new distribution agreements embody Lighthouse's approach to depolarisation.They provide a distribution e-commerce link to the selected providers, whilstalso allowing advisers access to the full, open market.Malcolm Streatfield, Chief Executive of Lighthouse, commented:"LighthouseXpress will provide our IFAs with significantly improved technologyinfrastructure - the best in the market. This will enable them to focus onproviding quality advice and customer care. They simply won't have access tothis level of IT expertise in small companies."We are very pleased that such a strong group of providers are joining ourpanel. The access to leading investment and protection products that this givesour member IFAs, coupled with the new technology platform, will be a reason formany IFAs to join the Lighthouse Group." ENDS Further information:Lighthouse Group plc Tel: 020 7776 8890Malcolm Streatfield, Chief ExecutiveWaughton Tel: 020 7796 9999Robin Hepburn/Sorrel DaviesNotes to editorsLighthouseXpress is a new IT platform providing a bespoke, sophisticated backoffice solution linked to the Lighthouse commission, compliance and marketingsystems. It will capture all client personal and policy details and provide thetools needed to analyse holdings and support the advice process. It willinclude electronic links to portals for quotations, to providers to place newbusiness, and also to the Lighthouse operations centre in Exeter. When fullyconfigured, it will support a `paperless' office.END