As interest rates start to rise, the prospect of lockdowns recede into the past and global economies reopen, the high-growth nature of emerging markets may become particularly relevant. But investing in emerging markets is not without risk and this week, FTAdviser special projects editor David Thorpe is joined by Fahad Hassan, chief investment officer at Albermarle Street Partners, Gustoavo Medeiros, head of research at Ashmore, and Zehid Osmani, who runs the Martin Currie Global Long-term Uncon...
Jan 21, 2022•34 min
2021 was a busy year for mergers and acquisitions in the financial advice market, with consolidation fueled by private equity money continuing apace. As well as the traditional consolidators, there is now a group of start-ups looking to build national financial advice businesses through acquisition. But how much longer can this go on for? This week FTAdviser reporter Sonia Rach joined by Louise Jeffreys of Gunner & Co and Heather Hopkins of NextWealth to find out. They discuss what is curren...
Jan 14, 2022•22 min
As we head into 2022, the pandemic is still ongoing. Variants are still being discovered. Travel plans are changing all the time. The UK and indeed most countries around the world have moved to hybrid working. Meanwhile, advised clients have moved house, saved money, lost money, taken out protection plans, reassessed their retirement goals and now many may feel they are at a crossroads. Where do they go from here? What new plans will they have to make in 2022? Guiding them on their journey are t...
Jan 10, 2022•25 min
The start of 2022 has been an improvement on the start of 2021 - if nothing else because we can leave our homes. But last year was eventful despite the ongoing fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. Consolidation activity continued at pace, with private equity continuing to play a major role, and last year's tax reforms will give advisers plenty to think about. So what does 2022 have in store for advisers this year? FTAdviser's digital editor Damian Fantato is joined by reporters Amy Austin, Ruby Hin...
Jan 07, 2022•33 min
The past couple of years have been difficult for many people in the UK and elsewhere. As a result, people have changed their plans and found their financial futures altered. So what happens when clients change their minds - either because they have to, or because they want to? How should investment portfolios be structured to help cope with big life-changing decisions? How can investors ride out the sort of pandemic-induced volatility seen in 2020 without being spooked? And can technology help p...
Dec 20, 2021•31 min
It has been a decade since Nutmeg launched as the first major British robo-adviser and since then, many start-ups have entered this space with the intention of disrupting investing but not all have succeeded. After several years of many private equity-backed launches, the number of new robo-advisers being launched has dried up and, if anything, the space is contracting. UBS Smartwealth, Investec Click & Invest, Moo.la and Scalable Capital have all quit the UK retail market. And earlier this ...
Dec 17, 2021•33 min
The collapse in bond yields and the dominance of stocks which pay little in the way of dividends has forced many medium risk investors to confront the dilemma of whether accept a lower yield or take on more risk. In this edition of the FTAdviser Podcast, sponsored by Schroders, special projects editor David Thorpe examines what these investors can do to square this circle. He is joined by Andrew Marsh, manager of the Artemis Income fund, Darius McDermott, investment adviser to the Chelsea multi-...
Dec 15, 2021•35 min
Pensions minister Guy Opperman has said his next plans for reform involve legislating for simpler pension statements, including a "statement season" when everyone receives their pension information at the same time of year. Opperman said he wanted it to become normal for people would meet in a place such as a pub and have a frank conversation about their pensions with their friends. But should this be Opperman's priority? And what impact, if any, could pension statements and a "statement season"...
Dec 10, 2021•21 min
The cost of raising a child is something many advisers discuss with clients, either on marriage or when the first child is born. Everything from funding school fees to food and clothing needs to be planned carefully. But what happens when clients are unable to conceive and need fertility treatment? How can advisers discuss this sensitive topic with their clients and help them cover the cost of conception? Talking to senior editor Simoney Kyriakou on this latest FTAdviser In Focus podcast is Char...
Dec 06, 2021•30 min
The return of inflation, low yields and the spread of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus have raised some awkward questions for bonds and their role in portoflios. Yield curves, often used by investors to gauge the market's expectations for growth, have been flattening recently which suggests there is widespread concern about the economic outlook. With quantitative easing coming to an end in the UK and the Federal Reserve announcing the end of tapering, what does this mean the the outlook fo...
Dec 03, 2021•37 min
The FCA has pledged to introduce ESG rules for financial advisers, implementing a regime which would require intermediaries to take into account sustainability issues when advising clients. But what is the current regulatory situation? In this podcast sponsored by Royal London, FTAdviser special projects editor David Thorpe is joined by Ryan Medlock, senior investment development and technical manager at Royal London, and independent investment commentator Adrian Lowcock. They discuss the curren...
Dec 01, 2021•25 min
The Chartered Insurance Institute is currently running a consultation which, it says, will help it and its members adapt to the changing world of new technology, more demanding regulation and changing attitudes among consumers. It puts forward proposals about the membership career journey and how the CII's learning and assessment could evolve. But the proposals have sparked some degree of concern among chartered financial planners - particularly since they come so soon after the CII's attempt to...
Nov 26, 2021•24 min
The wealth management industry cannot solve climate change on its own, and there were significant elements missing from the Cop26 agreement, said Eoin Murray, head of investment at Federated Hermes. Speaking on the latest edition of the FTAdviser podcast about the outcome from the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, Murray said the devil was in the detail of the agreement. “So much of it is promissory and that always makes me nervous,” he said. “We also need to bear in mind that we will never solve [climat...
Nov 19, 2021•24 min
The highly unusual nature of the economic recession and recovery means there are likely to be a number of “bubbles burst” in the coming years, according to this week's FTAdviser Podcast. As the global economy seeks to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation is making a comeback and central banks are considering whether to increase interest rates. This week FTAdviser's special projects editor David Thorpe is joined by Simon King, chief investment officer at Vermeer Partners, Simon Edelsten,...
Nov 12, 2021•36 min
In October, the US Securities and Exchange Commission gave the green light to the ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF. This is the first US bitcoin futures-based exchange-traded fund, and for many this was seen as a turning point for cryptocurrencies when it began trading at the end of October. But the SEC drew a line in the sand just a few days later, refusing to authorise a leveraged ETF fund tracking a basket of synthetic crypto assets. This suggested the regulator wants to limit new bitcoin-relat...
Nov 08, 2021•22 min
Rising inflation has prompted concerns that the UK economy is seeing the return of stagflation. Last seen in the 1970s, stagflation is characterised by stagnant growth and high inflation. The supply chain disruptions which led to fuel shortages in September and the looming rising cost of energy saw many draw parallels with the that era. Indeed, the Bank of England's new chief economist, Huw Pill, is predicting inflation is likely to hit, or even exceed 5% next year. This week David Thorpe, speci...
Nov 05, 2021•36 min
This week chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak hailed his second Budget of 2021 as heralding a "new age of optimism" as the UK seeks to leave the Covid-19 pandemic behind it. Are things that simple? On its surface, the Budget focused on reforming alcohol duty and business rates, and tinkering with air passenger duty, leaving many areas financial advisers might worry about unaddressed. But with rising inflation, a hike in national insurance already in the pipeline and many allowances frozen in...
Oct 29, 2021•25 min
October 2021 marked the start of regulatory scrutiny over pay gap data reporting. Many companies have already reported, while others are still to unveil their data. Yet even with regulatory pressure to disclose the level of the so-called gender pay gap, many companies still seem unwilling to be as transparent as they could be. It is known that gender pay disparity leads to financial inequality between the sexes, greater financial vulnerability for women and poorer pension outcomes. So how can pa...
Oct 25, 2021•26 min
With the stamp duty holiday at an end and the Budget taking place next week, what does the future hold for stamp duty? Regularly referred to as the UK's "worst tax", stamp duty is regularly seen as in need of reform. But did the Covid-19 stamp duty holiday, which ended this month and saw receipts increase to £12.3bn, make reform any likelier? Hosted by Damian Fantato, digital editor at FTAdviser, this week's podcast explores what the future of the stamp duty land tax looks like, and how its futu...
Oct 22, 2021•17 min
As long as there have been financial advisers, there has been debate about how to plug the advice gap. But research has found that some 39m people have never sought any professional advice or guidance for their finances, and one in five advisers won't serve someone with less than £100,000. So there is clearly a gap to be plugged, but does the plugging of it fall to advisers? What role do providers have? And do the rules around advice and guidance help providers support their clients? This week D...
Oct 15, 2021•27 min
Breaking up is always difficult. Quite apart from the emotional aspects, the financial aspects are particularly difficult for both parties, with division of assets often needing solicitors and court orders. Although there is a need for professional advice, too often people think they will simply split the assets - the man gets the pension; the woman (especially if she is the primary carer for the children) gets the house. Or the house might be sold and the equity split between the two. But these...
Oct 11, 2021•23 min
For the past four months, the rate of inflation has beaten the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target. Despite saying that this rise will be “transitory”, the central bank has warned inflation might soar over 4 per cent before the end of the year - meaning it could reach its highest point in a decade, and so far governor Andrew Bailey has not confirmed that rates will rise in order to tackle this. This week, senior reporter Sally Hickey speaks to Lawrence Cook, head of UK intermediary distribution ...
Oct 08, 2021•22 min
Markets have been going through a turbulent period in recent weeks and, in part, this has been down to events taking place in China. Chinese equities have lost 11 per cent over the past three months because of concerns about an ongoing regulatory crackdown in the country. But these worries have been exacerbated by the liquidity crisis facing property giant Evergrande. Both of these developments have combined and rippled through global markets. What does this mean for investors, emerging markets ...
Oct 01, 2021•31 min
We've all heard the phrase 'people buy people'. But does this really apply to advising different genders? After all, a great financial adviser can deliver great financial advice to any client, regardless of their gender. But it is also true that there are additional benefits to an advice firm that can be gained by having a more diverse team. Moreover, there are sometimes particular sensitivities that women might face which would mean they are more comfortable with a female financial adviser. Tal...
Sep 27, 2021•20 min
Next year will see the launch of collective defined contribution pensions - at least one will come into existence when Royal Mail 160,000 employees move into this new type of scheme, but will others follow? CDC pensions aim to bridge the gap between defined benefit and defined contribution by having all employees pay into one massive pot from which their benefits are drawn. This week reporter Amy Austin talks to Simon Eagle, chairman of Willis Towers Watson's CDC working party, and Tim Middleton...
Sep 24, 2021•18 min
After plenty of waiting, the government has finally unveiled a plan which, it says, will solve the UK's social care crisis. On this week's podcast, senior reporter Amy Austin is joined by Steve Webb, former pensions minister and partner at LCP and Tony Mudd, divisional director for tax & technical support at St James’s Place. They discuss the government’s social care plans and how it is unlikely there will be any new products in the immediate future due to timing issues. The FTAdviser Podcas...
Sep 17, 2021•24 min
We know there is a gender pay gap - and therefore there is a gender pension gap that needs to be filled. But often we forget that this lack of funding for women in retirement can also lead to a poorer outcome for women needing care in later life. So how can advisers help women get on a better financial footing in retirement? And what is needed to help educate female clients about their financial needs later on in life? Joining Simoney Kyriakou, senior editor of FTAdviser, to discuss these questi...
Sep 13, 2021•27 min
Consolidation in the digital mortgage space has spiked in recent months as larger companies buy up the technology to service their own customer bases. Having attracted some hefty investments over the last year too - most notably the in August 2020, how much of a threat are these digital brokers? On this week's FTAdviser Podcast, reporter Ruby Hinchliffe is joined by Charlotte Nixon, mortgage adviser and protection proposition director at Quilter, and Billy Grimley, chief commercial officer at Sm...
Sep 10, 2021•30 min
The re-opening of pubs and shops, as well as the return of international travel, might make some think the Covid-19 pandemic is moving into history. But the economic impact of the pandemic, and its impact on markets, has not yet fully played out, with the Bank of England yet to raise interest rates from their rock bottom position at 0.1% and the future direction of inflation uncertain as the re-opening of the British economy distorts the picture. This week FTAdviser special projects editor David...
Sep 03, 2021•31 min
The gap between those who need advice and those who can access it - the so-called 'advice gap' - is one of the long-standing conundrums the financial advice profession has faced. For some advice firms, the solution is to encourage more people into the profession to level out the supply and demand imbalance which has led to a surge in the number of advice academies being launched. So what role do these academies - many of which are associated with large, vertically integrated advice firms - have ...
Aug 27, 2021•37 min
