IFA Talk

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.

In this month’s special Tax-Efficient Investment (TEI) edition of IFA Talk, we’re discussing the role of Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) in an everchanging tax landscape.

Joining us to do this is Will Fraser-Allen, Managing Partner at AlbionVC. Together, we’re focusing on how the role of VCTs is evolving in response to changes in the UK tax landscape, along with the opportunities emerging across the UK's innovation economy.

Will answers why focused capital is so important as we look to scale the next generation of successful businesses, along with the areas where he sees the biggest opportunities. He also breaks down the recent Budget changes to VCT tax relief and dividend taxation, answering what impact he expects the move to 20% relief to have on advisers and their clients, and why he believes the underlying VCT investment case still holds despite these changes.

Meanwhile, with growing interest in deeptech startups, Will shares how AlbionVC is aligning with these trends, and the opportunities which they are seeing across the sector. Lastly, Will reveals where he sees VCTs fitting within a balanced portfolio in 2026, before outlining what advisers need to be looking for in a VCT manager.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, the weekly podcast from IFA Magazine, we explore the continued rise of DIY investing, what investors should look for beyond platform costs, and how advisers can help clients build resilient portfolios in an increasingly complex investment landscape.

To discuss this further, Meg and Jenny are joined by Rohit Vaswani, Director of Investment & Client Solutions at Omnis. Drawing on nearly two decades of industry experience, Rohit shares his views on why professional financial advice remains invaluable despite the growth of low-cost investment platforms.

Rohit also discusses the importance of understanding risk tolerance, constructing portfolios that can weather changing market conditions, and how technology is shaping the future of investing.

For advisers, this episode offers valuable insight into investor behaviour, the role of platform selection beyond price alone, and practical approaches to helping clients stay focused on their long-term financial goals through periods of market uncertainty.

In this month's special New Insurance and Protection episode of IFA Talk, we explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the insurance and protection landscape and ask whether it can help close the protection gap while improving access for underserved clients.

To discuss this, Meg and Sue are joined by Jake Attfield, Head of Strategy at Fair4All Finance. Jake shares his insights on the opportunities and challenges AI presents for insurers. Together, they discuss whether AI risks reinforcing existing barriers through underwriting and product design, or whether it has the potential to deliver fairer, more inclusive protection solutions.

Jake also explores the importance of governance and tackling algorithmic bias as insurers continue to invest in AI-driven technologies.

The episode also looks at the role of alternative protection models, including pay-as-you-go cover, micro-insurance and parametric insurance, and considers how regulatory initiatives and the Government's Financial Inclusion Strategy could help drive greater innovation and inclusion across the market.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, the weekly podcast from IFA Magazine, Matt Williams and Sue Whitbread explore the growing investment confidence gap across generations and what advisers can do to help bridge it.

New research from NatWest reveals that the average Brit doesn’t make their first investment until the age of 34, despite younger generations showing increasing curiosity about investing. While Gen Z appears the most eager to engage, many still lack the confidence to take that crucial first step.

Joining us on the podcast this week is Aroma Khan, Financial Planner at NatWest, who shares insights from the research and discusses what she believes the findings mean for advisers working across different client demographics.

For advisers, this episode offers valuable insight into how attitudes towards investing differ by generation and where the profession has an opportunity to educate, guide and empower clients earlier in their financial journey.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, we unpack the topic of succession planning, with many financial planners now approaching retirement. Joining us to do this is Chris Ball, CEO of Hoxton Wealth. 

Chris outlines the practical steps which firms can take now to protect clients, and what those financial planners should be considering. He also reveals how Hoxton Wealth approaches succession planning.

After that, we ask Chris to take a look back a few decades, to detail how succession planning has changed since the turn of the century.

Lastly, Chris shares how he expects technology to impact succession planning over the next 10-20 years, as AI continues to transform how businesses operate.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, the weekly podcast from IFA Magazine, we discuss the behavioural science side of complaints, and how such complaints affect financial advisers.

Joining us to do this is BareRock’s COO John Netting and Head of Behavioural Science & CXO, Babs Crane. Together, we unpack how and why advisers react to complaints, which can often feel like personal attacks to them.

We also discuss BareRock’s recent report, which aims to flip the script on traditional guides, looking instead at the psychology of the finanacial adviser.

The report suggests that many disputes are caused more from a lack of client understanding, with clients nodding along to avoid appearing confused or asking questions they feel might be obvious. John and Babs explain the social psychology behind this and suggest how advisers can break throough that barrier.

We also dive into how the human memory can naturally rewrite history when things go wrong, and how mistakes can change a client’s psychology in different ways depending on how those mistakes are discovered.

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

Also, listen to the Brooks Macdonald episode, mentioned in this podcast, by clicking here!

John Netting (COO of BareRock): John has spent over two decades managing complaints at the coalface for financial advisers. He understands exactly where firms break down, the emotional toll a single dispute takes on support staff, and how transactional client relationships breed claims.

Babs Crane (Head of Behavioural Science & CXO at BareRock): Babs holds an MSc in Consumer Psychology and a BSc (Hons) in Psychology. She is the scientific engine that explains why clients act the way they do. She can talk brilliantly on concepts like the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve (why clients legitimately forget risks explained to them), Hindsight Bias, and how power dynamics cause clients to nod along when they are actually drowning in cognitive overload.

In the latest special Mortgage & Property edition of IFA Talk, we explore the evolving later life lending landscape, with a particular focus on adviser support, Consumer Duty, advice quality and the growing need for specialist expertise within the sector.

To discuss these important issues, hosts Meg and Sue are joined by Mark Gregory, Founder and CEO of Equity Release Group. Having spent more than a decade developing technology, advice processes and consumer platforms in the later life lending market, Mark shares the thinking behind The Equity Release Network (TERN), a new specialist network designed to support advisers operating in this increasingly complex area of financial services.

Highlights include:

• The challenges currently facing advisers working within the later life lending market, and how support structures need to evolve

• The role of training, technology and compliance in helping firms deliver strong customer outcomes under Consumer Duty

• Why specialist network models may become increasingly important as adviser and consumer needs continue to change

• The potential impact of greater adviser support on market growth, confidence and access to later life lending advice

This episode provides valuable insight for advisers, brokers and industry professionals looking to better understand the future of later life lending, the importance of advice quality and the changing support requirements of advisers operating in this specialist market.