Standard Life's chief executive David Nish has called for politicians to take a long-term view on a savings culture for the UK, following a year of radical change in pensions policy.
Mr Nish said: "There is a real need for all political parties to focus on long-term savings and come up with policies that are sustainable for periods of time beyond a parliament."
Questioned on the risks ahead of the company this year, and the impact of the forthcoming general election, Mr Nish said: "All I would ask of all the parties is they give clarity and certainty as regards policy direction."
He said Standard had shown itself to be a "business that deals with change incredibly well", following the upheavals to financial advice and pensions, but went on: "Savings requires a lot of stability to give consumers confidence to invest for the long-term, which is fundamentally where we need to be."
On whether he agreed with criticisms of Ed Miliband's stance towards business, Mr Nish said it was "all about the quality of policies not personalities".
The chief executive was commenting on what he called a "transformational" year in which Standard acquired Glasgow-based Ignis Asset Management for £390m and sold its historic Canadian business for £2.2bn. He said the depth and breadth of the group would enable it to offset a 66per cent crash in annuity sales, prompted by the pensions changes, and to ride out potential political and market turbulence in 2015.
Standard's 19 per cent full-year rise in core pre-tax profit to £604million beat market expectations, as did the 38 per cent rise in continuing assets to £297billion, though only £1bn came from new net inflows.
Standard Life Investments chief Keith Skeoch said there were "three really big risks out there" to growth around the world. There were doubts that monetary policy could kick-start inflation, the fact that "the world doesn't really know how to cope with negative interest rates", and the dangers of imposing capital controls on Greece to keep it in the eurozone. "That is really about a two-tier eurozone and maybe that is the beginning of the end."
Paul Matthews, head of the UK and European business, said Standard was determined to provide enough advice and guidance for retirement customers, and would probably add to this month's acquisition of a north of England advisory firm. "If demand is as we expect and we find the right people, you can expect us to do some more."
But on the outlook for further significant acquisitions in 2015, Mr Nish said: "At the moment we have got our hands full in integrating our business and with the organic expansion."
SLI saw revenues up by a third to £686m, as total assets under management increased by 45% to £245.9bn including £117bn for third parties. Its £1bn of net inflows came despite losing £2.6bn from the Ignis Absolute Return Government Bond fund, whose six-strong management team jumped ship for Old Mutual.
Mr Skeoch said SLI had boosted its headcount by almost 400 through the acquisition, and Ignis's London office would close on Monday with staff relocating to SLI's floor in 'The Gherkin' building. Some Glasgow staff had been relocated to Edinburgh or offered jobs there, but the office remained "very firmly open". Mr Skeoch said full integration of funds onto the SLI platform would not be complete until mid-2016, adding: "As long as our growth continues our headcount will continue to rise."
The final dividend of 11.43p, making a total 8 per cent higher at a better than expected 17.03p, will be payable after a nine for 11 share consolidation, and an equivalent return of capital to shareholders following the sale of the Canadian business.
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