`Independent' coverage of personal finance wins double award

This year's Bradford & Bingley personal finance media awards have brought a double success for The Independent, which was chosen as Personal Finance Newspaper of the Year.

At the same time, our personal finance editor, Nic Cicutti, was named Personal Finance Journalist of the Year.

The awards top a growing list of accolades for The Independent's business and personal finance coverage. In April we were named Financial Journal of the Year in the Wincott awards for business and financial journalism.

Derek Pain, our stock market reporter, was Stock Market Reporter of the Year for the second year in succession, while Mr Cicutti was recently also named Life and Pensions Journalist of the Year, by the Association of British Insurers.

In making The Independent Personal Finance Journal of the year, the judges cited "a mix of thought-provoking, authoritive articles, intelligent economic commentary, a regular financial money makeover case study, snippets about new product developments and lighter features such as collecting for investment."

The judges highlighted our pioneering work on the upfront and encashment costs of pension and life assurance policies as well as numerous scoops on the pensions mis-selling scandal. The judges said: "The Independent's money writers get to the heart of important issues and are given the space to pursue their topics - which serves the reader well."

Completing the double, Mr Cicutti was named Personal Finance Journalist of the Year for "his consistently mature standards of analysis and comment across a wide range of issues affecting both the financial services industry and consumers". The awards were presented in London last Monday by Helen Liddell, Economic Secretary to the Treasury.