IFA Talk

Mag7, gold, Bitcoin, SpaceX… when the latest investment story dominates the headlines, how can advisers help clients avoid the FOMO? In the latest episode of IFA Talk, Sue and Meg are joined by Ben Peele, Managing Director of Partner Group at PortfolioMetrix, to explore the dangers of chasing the latest investment fashions.

From the Magnificent Seven and gold to Bitcoin and SpaceX, headline-grabbing investment options can be incredibly compelling – and it’s only human not to want to miss out.

But for clients, jumping on the latest investment bandwagon can also mean taking on unintended risks and losing sight of the bigger picture.

So, what role can advisers and investment managers play in helping clients keep their heads when the latest “must-have” investment is tempting them into a speculative approach rather than sensible financial planning?

Ben discusses not only why these stories attract so much attention, but also the role MPS can play in keeping portfolios on track, and how advisers can help clients visualise the benefits of a diversified, strategic approach to long term investing. After all, it’s the latter which can really help deliver their financial planning objectives as well as the peace of mind to sleep at night.

 

In this month’s special Tax-Efficient Investment edition of IFA Talk, the podcast from IFA Magazine, we dive into sustainable, climate-friendly investing. Joining us is Dr Nicky Dee, the Co-Founder of Carbon13, a venture builder and investor designed to accelerate high-impact climate tech solutions at scale.

Nicky discusses SEIS and shares how a venture builder such as Carbon13 offers a structurally different approach. She also walks us through what she’s learnt in her time surrounded by emerging climate tech, looking back to Cleantech 1.0 and revealing where the industry is now.

After that, Nicky shares some of Carbon13’s experiences with early-stage climate tech companies, detailing some of the key lessons she’s learnt while watching hundreds of companies succeed and fail. Nicky also voices her approval for the SEIS scheme, which has become a source of envy across Europe.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, the weekly podcast from IFA Magazine, Charlie Marchant, CEO of Exposure Ninja, joins us to share her insights on AI.

Here on IFA Talk, it’s very rare that we do a podcast without at least mentioning AI, but this week, we focus specifically on AI and how it is impacting the world of financial advising.

Charlie explains how the journey of a financial adviser is changing today, answering why more and more people are relying on AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews instead of just searching.

After that, Charlie reveals how these AI tools decide which firms to recommend and where it pulls its information from. Then, Charlie shares her expert insights to firms with just one marketing person, or even none, outlining what they should be doing over the next 90 days to improve their AI visibility while staying financially compliant.

In this month's special New Insurance & Protection episode of IFA Talk, we explore the value of protection advice and why it should sit at the heart of holistic financial planning.

To discuss this, Matt and Jenny are joined by Vikki Jefferies, Market Development Director at Legal & General. Vikki shares her insights into the importance of protection advice, the challenges around the protection customer knowledge gap, and how advisers can help clients better understand the value of protection.

The episode also explores the wider value protection can provide beyond simply paying claims, with Vikki sharing some of the stories recognised through the British Quality Awards and the impact advisers can have on their clients’ lives.

Lastly, we turn our attention to discuss why protection should be viewed as a core part of holistic financial planning, while offering key takeaways for advisers looking to have more meaningful protection conversations with their clients.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, IFA Magazine’s weekly podcast, Steve Jordan, co-founder and director of Five Wealth, joins us to discuss professional financial advice and the importance of proper planning.

Together, we look at what really makes professional financial advice so valuable to the client.  It’s about so much more than investment performance. The real difference comes from understanding your clients, building trusted, long-term relationships with them and helping them plan for the future with peace of mind.

Steve shares the key lessons from building and scaling a financial advice business, all while maintaining the focus on genuine client relationships. He also outlines how the roles of wealth managers and financial advisers have evolved, noting what clients increasingly value from getting professional advice, beyond investment performance.

After that, Steve reveals how Five Wealth have approached scaling their business while keeping the client experience at the heart of it all.

Then finally, Steve looks ahead to pinpoint some of the key opportunities and challenges which independent advisers are likely to face over the next decade.

The Great Wealth Transfer is already underway, with trillions of pounds expected to pass from baby boomers to younger generations over the coming decades. But what does this mean for financial advisers, and is the profession ready for one of the biggest shifts in wealth the UK has ever seen?

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, Meg Bratley and Sue are joined by Simon Hemley, Non-Executive Director and Board Adviser at Financial Solutions.

Together, they explore how the advice profession can prepare for changing client demographics, whether younger investors are at risk of turning to finfluencers instead of regulated advice, and what advisers need to do to remain relevant in the years ahead.

The discussion also looks at the continued wave of consolidation across the advice market, asking whether bigger really is better for advisers and clients, or whether independent firms still have an important role to play.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, the weekly podcast brought to you by IFA Magazine, we unpack what a Burnham Government might mean for advisers.

Joining us to share her insights is Rachel Vahey, Head of Public Policy at AJ Bell. Rachel discusses renewed speculation surrounding pension tax-free cash, outlining how seriously advisers should be taking the speculation. She also makes suggestions for some realistic reforms, should changes come to fruition.

After that, we move on to inheritance tax (IHT), after the previous government had already set things in motion to bring unused pension funds into IHT from next April. With suggestions the new administration could look again at exactly how that's implemented, Rachel reveals what she believes a Burnham government is most likely to do regarding pensions and IHT, and how advisers should be preparing clients while there's still so much uncertainty.

Finally, we dive into the topic of ISAs, which have been another area of discussion among several governments. Rachel outlines the changes which the government have already put in place, highlighting the biggest differences for advisers and their clients, before speculating on whether there’s a chance that these changes could be reversed down the line.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, the weekly podcast from IFA Magazine, we’re unpacking the topic of AI in advice and the importance of clean data.

With the help of Rory McLaren, Chief Technology Officer at Dynamic Planner, we explore why high-quality data is the biggest challenge for firms and the foundation of effective AI. Rory reveals why it’s impossible to unlock AI’s true potential without getting the foundations right.

There's a temptation to add AI to every process, but that’s not always the right approach. Rory details how firms should decide where AI genuinely adds value, and where traditional technology or human expertise remains the better option.

Then, we discuss the ‘first principles’ approach to redesigning the advice journey, before Rory gets his crystal ball out to predict where he expects AI will make the biggest long-term difference when built from the ground up.

Be sure to check out this episode and all other episodes of IFA Talk on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon!

In the latest special Mortgage & Property edition of IFA Talk, we explore what it takes to build a successful and sustainable mortgage advisory business, from attracting new clients and generating referrals to improving business performance and preparing for future growth.

To discuss these important topics, hosts Meg and Sue are joined by Terry Blackburn, Founder and CEO of The Wealthy Advisers Club, the UK's leading community for financial advisers, mortgage brokers and protection specialists. Having worked with hundreds of adviser firms through coaching, mentoring and business development, Terry shares practical insights into the habits, systems and strategies that help the industry's top-performing businesses thrive.

Highlights include:

• The key characteristics that separate successful mortgage brokerages from the rest of the market
• Practical strategies for attracting new clients, generating referrals and building long-term business growth
• Why systems, processes and client experience are essential to creating a sustainable and profitable advice business
• The opportunities and challenges shaping the future of mortgage advice, and how firms can position themselves for long-term success

This episode provides valuable insight for mortgage brokers, advisers and industry professionals looking to strengthen their businesses, improve client outcomes and gain practical ideas for sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive market.

 

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, we discuss the topic of bereavement support and the ideal time for it to start.

Joining us to do this is Sam Patterson, Head of Proposition at Equilibrium Financial Planning. Together we break down what bereavement support looks like, and why it should begin before a client or their family reaches a point of crisis.

We also discuss the idea of dress rehearsals in bereavement support, outlining the sorts of questions which advisers should be answering to alleviate concerns in a sensitive manner.

After that, Sam details some of the specific areas which advisers should cover, from income continuity to wills and responsibilities.

Lastly, we ask Sam to explain how advisers can balance the technical side of financial planning with the human side, showing compassion and clarity which their bereaved clients will surely need.