In this week's podcast episode we are back talking to Meg and James at the Verve Group and catching up on what they have learned since we lat talked to them. We had a really interesting discussion about the weight of expectations that they put on themselves when studying for exams. We share their ups and downs and talk openly about how we all fail; some just don't want to admit it! If you are an employer who has recently taken on new members of your team, this is a must listen episode....
Aug 04, 2022•36 min•Season 4Ep. 2
In the first of the series, we talk to Gareth Tregidon CFP™, CEO and Head of Financial Planning at Nugenis Financial Planning Ltd. Gareth was a CFP assessor for the Institute of Financial Planning L6 and Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment L7 financial plan case study assessor for many years and has assessed 600 financial plan assessments! We talk all things assessment related including: How to approach your plan creation. Do's and don'ts when it comes to assumptions. Common mistak...
Jul 28, 2022•48 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In the final episode of this series, we talk to Andy Bounds, one of the best communicators I know! We waste many hours each week cc'ing people into needless emails, covering your backside and preparing to blame your manager when they don't instantly recall said email and swoop in to fix mistakes. We are swamped with so many emails that we miss the critical ones, we can't make decisions quickly. Andy shows us how to stop all that today by thinking about the 'afters' - what will be better after th...
May 26, 2022•44 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this week's episode we talk to Brett Davidson, FP Advance, about how to attract and communicate with clients. When trying to attract new clients, it's tempting to try to appeal to a wide audience, but that's not how things work when it comes to attracting clients. Growth doesn't come from comfortably blending in and in this episode we take a deep dive into: - Focus on what makes you unique - Own your point of view and get it out into the world - Get comfortable that 50% of people will love yo...
May 19, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In this week's episode we talk to Ian McKenna, Director of the Financial Technology Research Centre about all things technology in the financial planning profession. Find out what new tools are coming on to the market and where you can achieve more efficiencies in your business. We also talk about how the FCA is changing the face of tech and what are the likely changes on the horizon for advisers in our profession. This episode is packed with up-to-date information to help keep your business run...
May 12, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this week's episode we talk to Jonathan Gibson CFP™ about how his journey to build his own financial planning firm and how he's so passionate about attracting new talent, that he's doing things differently. We talk about the biggest influencers in his life, the successes and failures along the way and what he's doing to attract new talent to the profession. Jonathan's firm has the Lockie Consultants 'Your Financial Planning Symphony' Training and Development scheme too which gives structure a...
May 05, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Better client questions leads to better information, better outcomes for clients and ultimately happier clients! Do you think you ask great questions? Think again! In this week's episode we talk to Brendan Frazier, the founder of Wired Planning in the US. He has a refreshing way of improving the quality of the questions you ask your clients. We discuss the content of questions as well as the approach and order to ask them. His 'Pillars of great questions' include: 1) A great question minus liste...
Apr 28, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In this week's episode we talk to Katie Braden, CFP® at Innovating Advice, about all things marketing. Why are so many financial planning business websites the same? Why do so many feel static and (dare I say it) boring? How can you stand out from the crowd of financial planning businesses? There's that age-old saying that only 20% of your marketing is effective, but no one knows which 20% it is! In this conversation we delve much deeper into all these issues, including common misconceptions tha...
Apr 21, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this week's episode we talk to George Kinder CFP about why he became a CFP professional and why that wasn't enough for his clients. George gives practical tips on how to improve your client discussions which lead to a deeper understanding of what they want to achieve with their wealth. He also shares some rare insights into some of his own failures and regrets and shares how they spurred him on to do better for his clients. We also discuss the rise of financial coaching offerings for financia...
Apr 14, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 4
There are so many different terms surrounding ESG that understanding them all and thinking through how they impact the type of service you offer your financial planning clients can be tricky. I saw three fund manager presentations recently, each fund manager said only one aspect E, S or G was the most important. Funnily though, they each said something different to the others! In this week's episode we talk to Sam Adams, CEO and Co-Founder of Vert Asset Management and we delve deep into the prac...
Apr 07, 2022•51 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In this week's interview we talk to Noel Maye, CEO of the Financial Planning Standards Board, about the global financial planning profession and what it means to be a CFP professional in the UK and across the world. We talk in detail about the key areas that CFP professionals are changing to support more clients both during the pandemic and beyond. We also look at how the global numbers of CFP professionals is growing, why that might be as well as future projects for financial planners and the p...
Mar 31, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In the first in our series of business planning podcast episodes, we talk to Marlene Outrim CFP™ at Uniq Family Wealth. Marlene shares her approach to clients, how she explains what financial planning is and how she identifies and deals with conflict between couples. We also talk about how those insights gave her drive to write several books including her most recent, Cascading Your Wealth. A fascinating and thought provoking episode to challenge the way you deal with clients. Bio: Marlene J Out...
Mar 24, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In this week's episode we talk to Matthew Walne CFP™, Santorini Financial Planning. Matthew became interested in obtaining his CFP certification quite a few years ago and had a tough journey to get there. Matthew is one of the nicest financial planners that you will ever meet in the profession. But underneath that Mr Nice Guy, there is a man with a dogged determination to continue his own personal development of knowledge and skills. In doing so, he has proven to himself what many of us already ...
Feb 17, 2022•31 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In this week's episode we talk frankly and openly about the issues around giving advice to vulnerable clients with Martin Lines, Development and Events Director, Just With recent FCA research suggesting that around 50% of people who seek financial advice should probably be classed as vulnerable because of the pandemic, now is a good time to revisit these issues. We discuss what the regulator is doing and we explore how financial planning firms are tackling this issue in their day-to-day work wit...
Feb 10, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Many financial planning firms 'give away' the financial plan as part of an investment management service or as a loss leader because they are paid a percentage of assets under management. This puts the emphasis on gaining more assets for the business rather than providing financial plans for clients. Numerous surveys show a reluctance for the public to pay for advice they seek - this is partly because they do not see the value in what you offer. In this week's episode we talk to Warren Shute CFP...
Feb 03, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 7
In this episode we talk to Susie Bewell CFP™, Branch Principal, Raymond James Hitchin, about why she decided to become a CFP professional, her journey to get there and the way she has moved her more traditional wealth management business to offer a comprehensive financial planning service to her clients. Many investment/wealth managers tell me that they don't think they need to think about financial planning, but as both the wealth management market shrinks due to technological advances and the ...
Jan 27, 2022•26 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In this week's episode we talk to Sarah Huffen CFP™ Chartered MCSI, Principal of Gilded Wealth. Sarah is a very determined lady. Sarah left school with very few qualifications she embarked on a unique path into financial services, starting her own business and being one of very few people to pass their CISI L7 assessment on her first submission. She did all that whilst arranging a wedding and catching COVID-19 too! Sarah believes passionately that more women should enter the financial planning p...
Jan 20, 2022•19 min•Season 5Ep. 2
In this week's episode we talk to Tina Weeks CFP™, Serenity Financial Planning, about how financial planners can become even better at helping clients achieve their goals. We talk about how cashflow planning is only scratching the surface as far as giving comprehensive financial planning is concerned and why she decided to gain the CFP certification and how it has helped her in business and with her clients. We have a frank discussion about her journey to CFP and the changes that she has made to...
Jan 13, 2022•42 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In this week's episode we talk to Louise Sagar CFP™, Live Vitae Financial Planning, who went on quite a journey to gain her Certified Financial Planner certification. In this frank discussion she shares her journey and experiences and explains how becoming a paraplanner started her journey to CFP and with a young family, lead her ultimately to start her own lifestyle business. Louise offers invaluable tips for those embarking on the CFP in the UK and also offers some sound advice to those juggli...
Jan 06, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Wendy is a CFP™ professional who started the charity Ditch Debt with Dignity in 2014 and since then has supported hundreds of wealthy people who have got into debt. In a world where so many on lower incomes have struggled financially during the pandemic, many wealthier people have tried to keep up the appearance of affluence which has resulted in many feeling ashamed and reluctant to seek help. We talk about how to identify which of your clients might be starting to struggle financially, practic...
Dec 30, 2021•35 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In this week's podcast episode, the first one in this series, I talk to Joanna Redmond CFP™, Financial Planner at Investment for Life. Joanna has been a CFP Professional for around seven years and has spent most of the last six assessing IFP and CISI L6 and L7 financial plan submissions before stepping down in 2021. She gives us many significant tips and advice to those who are about to embark on the CISI L7 case study financial plan assessment and even more advice to those in the middle of the ...
Dec 22, 2021•42 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this week's podcast episode, the final one in this series, I talk to Joanna Redmond CFP™, Financial Planner at Investment for Life. Joanna has been a CFP Professional for around seven years and has spent most of the last six assessing IFP and CISI L6 and L7 financial plan submissions before stepping down in 2021. She gives us many significant tips and advice to those who are about to embark on the CISI L7 case study financial plan assessment and even more advice to those in the middle of the ...
Oct 28, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this week's episode we talk to Phil Billingham and Shannon Currie, both Certified Financial Planner professionals at Perceptive Planning. We talk about the international advantages of being a CFP professional and why they structured their business to give CFP assessment-style comprehensive financial planning advice to all clients. In addition we discuss how they work with CFP professionals all over the world, but particularly in South Africa, to bring comprehensive financial planning advice t...
Oct 22, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this week's podcast episode we are back talking to Meg and James at the Verve Group and catching up on what they have learned since we lat talked to them. We had a really interesting discussion about what employers could do more of to help those entering the profession. If you are an employer who has recently taken on new members of your team, this is a must listen episode. Website: LockieConstulants.com
Oct 14, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In this week's podcast episode we talk to Farida Hassanali Certified Financial PlannerTM, Senior Paraplanner, Paradigm Norton We talk about why she decided to become a financial planner at such a young age, how she got her break in the profession, her experience of studying for here CFP certification in the UK and how she helps a particular group of clients achieve their goals. Farida also shares her tips on how to approach your CISI L7 financial plan case study assessment and in particular thin...
Oct 07, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In this week's podcast episode we talk to one of the most well respected Certified Financial Planner professionals in the UK, Robert Lockie. He has been a long-standing CFP professional and has a reputation for his knowledge and expertise for all things technically related in the financial planning sphere. There's not much he doesn't know about assumptions. As you will hear in this episode, he gives you a fascinating insight into how to think through assumptions and how to apply them in real lif...
Sep 30, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode we speak to Alasdair Walker who recently gained his CFP certification in the UK. Alasdair is a long standing self confessed serial 'exam passer' but the CISI L7 assessment proved a challenging path to CFP certification. He shares an honest account of the ups and downs of the process, how to approach it and the changes he has made in his business because of it. Bio: Alasdair Walker CFP™ MCSI FPFS, Managing Director, Handford, Aitkenhead and Walker Alasdair is an award-winning CFP™...
Sep 23, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In this week’s podcast we are dropping in on two new entrants to the financial planning profession. Meg and James are like a breath of fresh air. We catch up with them to find out what attracted them to the profession and what their first few months have been like. We will be catching up with both of them on a regular basis and following them on their journeys in the financial planning profession. By doing this we hope to highlight the highs and lows of their experiences and help financial plann...
Sep 17, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this podcast we talk all things Certified Financial Planner Professional certification with Amyr. Amyr earned his CFP professional certification two years ago and during this interview he shares his story about his "Ah ha!" moment that so many financial planners have when undertaking the required assessments to become certified. Amyr also shares some excellent tips and advice to those thinking of undertaking this journey. Amyr Rocha Lima, MSc FPFS CFP® is a financial planner who specialises i...
Sep 09, 2021•34 min
Noel Maye is Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB). Before joining the organization, Maye was Senior Vice President of Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) in the United States, where he oversaw the international, legal, consumer and public affairs, and communications departments, and served as corporate spokesperson. Prior to CFP Board, he was an associate with Ogilvy, Adams & Rinehart, a New York-based public relations firm, wh...
Aug 25, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 1
