Lighthouse further enhances financial planning

Lighthouse Group plc

('Lighthouse' or the 'Group')

Lighthouse further enhances financial planning via new low-cost online service

Lighthouse Group plc (AIM: LGT), a leading national financial adviser for Middle Britain, is pleased to announce a new enhancement to its capability to deliver cost effective, robust and straightforward financial planning solutions.

Underpinning and supporting a continued commitment to offer "face-to-face" financial advice, Lighthouse has chosen to work with Money on Toast (a trading name of CPN Investment Management LLP), a pioneer in the development of online financial advice, to provide straightforward ISA and General Investment Account planning via a low-cost on-line advice process.

By delivering this focused investment advice in a simple process online, Lighthouse can now offer individuals the opportunity of receiving such advice at a time and place which is entirely appropriate for them, in effect facilitating access to an 'advice process' which enables individuals to have their investment objectives, "risk attitude" and "capacity for loss" identified and accordingly matched with appropriate investment portfolios, whenever it suits. Individuals who require broader financial planning assistance or indeed wish to engage with a financial adviser in a traditional "face-to-face" environment will continue to benefit from access to Lighthouse's extensive population of financial planners across the UK.

Initially, and as stage one of a planned range of "Keep it Simple" financial planning solutions, Lighthouse will be offering this facility to members of two of its Affinity Group partners, the Royal College of Nursing ("RCN") and the CSMA Club, for a six-month trial period with a view to then extending the facility to cover other Affinity partners.

This new offering will enable potential customers within that portion of the UK population who do not currently find it economically viable to engage with a financial adviser, to gain access to sensibly priced financial products via a straightforward, convenient to use and simple to follow process, helping to address the well-publicised "savings gap" that currently exists.

Carolyn Munton of the Royal College of Nursing, commented: "In an increasingly busy world, finding time to see a financial adviser can sometimes be difficult, so for our members to now be able to receive on-line focused investment advice at any time to suit them is a welcome development from Lighthouse."

James Robertson, Head of Marketing of the CSMA Club, said: "Straightforward on-line investment advice from Lighthouse will add an additional layer of opportunity for our members to benefit from effective financial planning and is therefore welcomed by the CSMA Club."

Charlie Nicholls for Money on Toast, said: "We are excited to be working with Lighthouse and are pleased that online advice services will be brought to the attention of a large number of working people who need it. It is past due that people are able to reap the benefits of technology and receive both financial advice and a discretionary portfolio management service online."

Malcolm Streatfield, Chief Executive of Lighthouse, said: "We are delighted to partner with Money on Toast to provide this excellent new online service to two of our Affinity Group partners, both of which have welcomed this as a positive development for their members. We look forward to reporting the conclusion of a successful trial in six months' time and then rolling this service out to our other Affinity Partners."

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About Lighthouse Group plc

As one of the UK's largest autonomous financial advice and Wealth Management Groups and winner of FT Businesses Large IFA of the Year Award for three years in succession 2010-2012, Lighthouse provides a comprehensive range of services to businesses and individuals and is retained by most of the major trades unions to advise their over five million members.

Lighthouse has been listed on AIM since 2000 and presents an integrated financial services company for investors, coupled with significant scale in terms of distribution through financial advisers and Wealth Managers and a fully diversified model.