IFA Talk

GBI Podcast #2: Powering the future and navigating the energy transition with experts from Blackfinch Ventures

Welcome to a special episode of IFA Talk, brought to you in partnership with GBI Magazine. In this week’s podcast, we’re diving headfirst into one of the most pressing and exciting topics of our time—how we’re powering the future and navigating the energy transition. 

Hosted by Matt Williams, Content Editor at GBI and IFA Magazine, alongside IFA Magazine’s Senior Financial Journalist Jenny Hunter, this episode brings together two exceptional guests from Blackfinch. Joining the conversation are Dr Reuben Wilcock, Head of Ventures, and Tim Wynn-Jones, Head of Energy Transition. 

Podcast #100: Women and financial advice – are advisers missing a trick? With Philip Wickenden and Gillian Hepburn

In this episode of IFA Talk, we're getting into a topic that’s been stirring up some serious conversation in the financial world—how well are advisers really connecting with their women clients? Jenny Hunter, our Senior Financial Journalist, and Editor Sue Whitbread dig into some eye-opening research called "Women and Financial Advice." 

M&P Podcast #12: Exploring opportunities in later-life lending with Dave Harris

Welcome to this week’s Mortgage & Property edition of IFA Talk! In this episode, we dive into the exciting world of later-life lending—a sector experiencing rapid growth and opening up incredible opportunities for advisers and their clients.

Joining us is Dave Harris, CEO of specialist later life lender, more2life. With his wealth of experience and optimism about the future, Dave shares insights on the evolution of later-life lending products and how these changes are creating new possibilities for mainstream mortgage advisers and IFAs with older clients.

 

We also explore some of the barriers that may be holding advisers back from engaging with this market and discuss the compelling reasons to get involved. Finally, Dave sheds light on the unique challenges of the later-life lending sector, especially in the context of Consumer Duty requirements, and how advisers can confidently navigate this space without needing to cover every available product.

Whether you’re already advising in this area or just curious about the opportunities, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways to help you grow your expertise and serve your clients better. Don’t miss it—tune in now!

Podcast #99: Opportunities for closing the advice gap AND helping advice businesses to build scale - with Octopus Money’s Ruth Handcock

Our guest on this week’s IFA Talk is Ruth Handcock, Chief Executive of Octopus Money – and someone who’s always been so passionate about the future of financial advice as she makes so clear in this conversation. 

During her chat with Sue and Brandon, Ruth explains how by using a combination of coaches (aka humans!) and great tech, Ruth and her team at Octopus Money is now partnering with financial advice businesses to deliver practical and cost effective solutions to these big challenges. 

Podcast #98: What can we expect from markets in 2025? With Shanti Kelemen, M&G Wealth

In this week’s show, Sue and Brandon talk to Shanti Kelleman firstly to reflect on some of the ideas her and her team got right in 2024. They progress to talk about her thoughts on some of the possible positive events she’s seeing ( spoiler alert – look out for some surprises here!), then it rolls into where some of the key risks might lie and how she and her team use these ideas to create diversification within portfolios. 

Podcast #97: IFA Talk’s Budget Special | What do advisers need to know? With Dynamic Planner’s Steph Wilcox

In this week’s special edition of our IFA Talk, Sue and Brandon focus on the measures announced in last week’s budget that are of most relevance to advisers and their clients. 

Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first budget was always going to involve some big decisions. And big was what she delivered - announcing the biggest budget tax rises we’ve seen in the modern era - at a whopping £40bn. Whether it’s employer NICs, IHT, CGT, pensions, the property market, gilts etc. the chancellor has given advisers plenty to think about. 

M&P Podcast #11: Why are long-term fixed rate mortgages growing in popularity? With April Mortgages’ Rachael Hunnisett

We’re used to seeing fixed rate mortgages being offered for a 2 year term or even up to 5 years but recently the market has been moving to offer even longer fixed rate products.  

Sue and Brandon’s guest on today’s Mortgage & Property special edition of the IFA Talk podcast is really on top of all this and she is Rachael Hunnisett, Director Of Mortgage Distribution at April Mortgages. April is a lender which specialises in longer term fixes – and in her role there, Rachael is very much involved in driving their intermediary business. 

I&P Podcast #8: Unlocking the power of Business Protection with Shelley Read from Royal London

In this episode of IFA Talk, Jenny and Brandon dig into the topic of Business Protection and why it’s something advisers shouldn’t overlook. In fact, it’s something that should be at the forefront of planning for businesses to have the right cover in place to protect both the company and its clients when the unexpected happens. 

Podcast #96 - Revitalising UK REITs: The factors driving change in real estate with Matt Norris from Gravis

Welcome to our latest IFA Talk podcast! In this episode, we dive into the evolving landscape of UK Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), which have faced recent challenges but currently show signs of revitalisation.

Joining us is Matt Norris, Head of Real Estate Securities at Gravis, who will walk us through seven key factors that could spark a positive shift in the sector, beginning with the impact of declining interest rates. 

Podcast #95: Why your advice business needs to take marketing seriously – and how to be better at doing it

Getting to grips with marketing is the subject for this week’s IFA Talk. Sue and Brandon’s guest is Nicola McCoosh. Nicola is founder of Yada Yada Finance, a financial marketing business based in Northern Ireland.

It was set up by Nicola – a seasoned marketing professional herself- to help financial services firms to bridge the gap between the needs of the business and needs of the clients which that business serves.