IFA Talk

This week on IFA Talk, in partnership with Evelyn Partners, we take a deep dive into passive investing, and how it has evolved over the years.

Joining Matt and Sue to unpack this is Dan Caps, who heads up Evelyn Partners’ Index MPS proposition. Dan guides us through the changes to passive investing over the years, looking at not just costs, but some of the other factors which are drawing investors towards those passive investment strategies.

He also alleviates some of the concerns around concentration and index construction, revealing how companies like Evelyn Partners can ensure that portfolios remain resilient despite the challenges they face.

Now live: the latest New Insurance & Protection special episode of IFA Talk turns its attention to inheritance tax planning and the growing role of protection-linked investment solutions.

In this episode, hosts Meg Bratley and Jenny Hunter are joined by Gordon Pugh, Investment Director at Blackfinch Investments. Gordon discusses how advisers are approaching inheritance tax (IHT) planning today and explores the concept of insured IHT investing in practice, including how it can support more confident client decision-making.

Highlights from this week’s episode

• What does insured IHT investing look like in practice?
• Why clients delay IHT planning, and how to change the conversation
• Where insured investing fits, and where it doesn’t
• Blackfinch Adapt IHT Insured Service explained

Key takeaways for advisers

Gordon closes the discussion with practical insights and top tips for advisers navigating inheritance tax planning conversations in today’s environment. This episode provides a timely and practical look at how advisers can help clients approach inheritance tax planning with greater confidence, clarity and structure, particularly where investment and protection solutions intersect.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, in partnership with Minerva Fund Management Solutions (Minerva), we explore how some firms are rethinking the structure of their investment proposition, using a unitised investment solution.

Today, advisers are faced with more choice than ever when it comes to investment propositions, including in-house advisory, MPS and bespoke DFMs. There is no shortage of ways to deliver investment outcomes for clients.

But with that choice, complexity can follow. For some firms, there is a sense that none of the existing options quite strike the right balance between control, consistency and scalability. But is there a middle way?

Joining us to break this down is Minerva’s Managing Director, Chris Edmeades. He outlines where growing advice firms typically start to feel pressure in their investment approach, the limitations of traditional advisory, model portfolio and outsourced solutions, and what a middle ground might look like in practice using a unitised fund approach.

Chris also reveals how firms can retain control while improving efficiency and governance, along with the types of firms this approach may suit best.

This episode offers a practical and thought-provoking perspective on how advisers can structure their investment approach for the future.

 

Now live: In the latest special Mortgage & Property Investment edition of IFA Talk, we explore the evolving mortgage landscape, with a particular focus on the growing role of long-term fixed-rate mortgages and how innovation could help shape the future of the UK housing market.

To discuss this further, hosts Meg and Jenny are joined by Colin Bell, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Perenna, the fintech mortgage bank focused on bringing long-term fixed-rate mortgages to the UK market. With growing interest in product innovation and increasing pressure to improve housing supply, this episode examines how the mortgage market is adapting, and what it means for advisers and brokers.

What’s covered in this episode:

• The growth of long-term fixed-rate mortgages in the UK and what’s driving increasing demand
• How Perenna has developed and its mission to bring greater stability to borrowers
• The potential role of funding innovation, including covered bonds, in supporting mortgage market expansion
• How product innovation could help support the delivery of Labour’s 1.5 million new homes target
• What these developments mean for advisers and brokers navigating a changing mortgage landscape
• Key takeaways for those working across the mortgage market today

This episode provides valuable insight for advisers and mortgage professionals navigating an ever-changing market, offering perspective on long-term fixed-rate products, innovation in lending, and further insight into how the sector can evolve to support future housing demand.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, we explore how investment platforms can demonstrate real value during periods of heightened uncertainty. And what advisers should expect from them when markets are unsettled.

Joining us to break this down is Linda Johnstone, Head of Investment Proposition at Novia Global.  At a time when geopolitical tensions and market volatility are front of mind, the conversation centres on a key message for advisers and investors alike: which is to stay calm, but don’t stand still.

Linda shares practical insights into how platforms can support advisers and clients when uncertainty rises, including why staying calm matters, but passivity isn’t the answer. She also outlines the role of platforms in uncertain markets, the challenge of legacy technology, what good platform design should deliver, and how to keep a long-term perspective.

In this month’s special Tax Efficient Investment edition of IFA Talk, we’re exploring why tax-efficient investment schemes are becoming an increasingly important part of a well-diversified portfolio.

Mei Lim, Managing Partner at Anthemis, joins us to explain why that shift is happening, what it means for UK scale-ups facing a persistent funding gap, and the crucial role private capital can play in driving growth.

Mei also outlines why domestic investment matters, not just for returns, but for keeping intellectual property, talent, and high-value jobs here in the UK.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, Meg Bratley and Sue Whitbread are joined by Jamie Sexton, Chief Client Officer at True Potential, to explore the fast-evolving role of AI in financial advice and what it means for the future of the profession.

As technology continues to reshape the advice landscape, the conversation focuses on where AI is having the greatest impact today, from supporting basic guidance to enhancing more complex, high-touch advice. Jamie shares his perspective on how advisers can think about AI not as a threat, but as a practical tool to help close the advice gap and improve outcomes for clients.

The episode also dives into what meaningful AI integration actually looks like in practice. Beyond simply saving time, the discussion explores how firms can measure success, embed technology effectively, and ensure it enhances both operational efficiency and the overall advice proposition.

We also look at the client experience and how technology can go beyond efficiency gains to play a deeper role in building trust, identifying client needs earlier, and strengthening long-term relationships.

We wrapped things up by asking Jamie for his key takeaways, offering practical insights for advisers looking to navigate the intersection of AI, regulation and client engagement.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, Jenny Hunter, Deputy Editor of IFA Magazine, and Editor Sue Whitbread are joined by Anthony Villis, Managing Director and co-founder of First Wealth, to discuss the real value of financial planning.

While investment performance often dominates client conversations, the discussion explores how the true value advisers provide often lies elsewhere. Anthony shares his thoughts on how advisers can move conversations beyond short-term returns and towards purpose, long-term goals and better financial decision-making.

The episode also touches on the role of human behaviour in how people manage their money. Anthony explains how biases and emotions can influence client decisions, and how advisers can help clients stay focused on the bigger picture during times of uncertainty or market volatility.

We wrapped things up by considering what a great long-term adviser might look like in the future, and how the profession may continue to evolve as planning, behavioural coaching and deeper client relationships become even more important.

We could have chatted to Anthony for much longer than we had time for, so I’m sure we’ll see him again on the podcast soon to chat about even more interesting topics.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, we unpack one of the biggest challengers facing advisers; helping clients stay calm when markets become uncertain.

In such turbulent times, good advice really matters, not just in terms of building financial plans, but in helping clients manage the emotional side of investing and avoid making mistakes from short-term overreactions.

This week, James Sullivan, Head of Partnerships at Tyndall Investment Management, joins us to discuss how advisers can prepare clients for turbulent periods, communicate effectively during uncertainty, and keep conversations focused on long-term outcomes.

Now live: This month’s New Insurance & Protection special edition of IFA Talk tackles a critical question for advisers: how can clients be best supported through a cancer diagnosis, and what role should protection planning play in that journey?

In this episode, Meg Bratley and Jenny Hunter are joined by Mark Stephenson, CEO of Reframe Cancer, to discuss how advisers can help clients navigate cancer support, the evolving landscape of patient needs, and where opportunities lie for proactive guidance and tailored protection solutions.

What this episode covers

• Key shifts in cancer care and patient expectations that advisers should be aware of

• How advisers and insurers can improve support during diagnosis, treatment, and recovery

• The role of specialist cancer navigation and why it can make a real difference for clients

• Practical opportunities and challenges for advisers over the next 12–18 months

This episode is essential listening for advisers looking to enhance their client support offering, understand the practical impact of a cancer diagnosis, and explore how tailored protection solutions can provide reassurance and guidance when clients need it most. In a market where empathy, expertise, and proactive guidance matter more than ever, this episode underscores why being equipped to support clients through serious illness is not just good pra