FTAdviser Podcast

What does the FCA's retirement data tell us?

April 26, 2024 10:35 - 23 minutes - 260 MB

The regulator's latest data on the retirement income market showed there continues to be a trend of less people taking advice when entering drawdown. There was also less people taking guidance when buying annuities or entering their pots in general. Joining FT Adviser news editor Amy Austin to delve into the data and discuss what it means are Tom Mcphail, director of public affairs at the Lang Cat and Mark Ormston, director of propositions and corporate partnerships at Retirement Line. Ho...

'Talent is everywhere; opportunity is not'

April 22, 2024 12:23 - 25 minutes - 35.7 MB

The latest episode of the FT Adviser Editor's Podcast focuses on a few words: Talent is everywhere, opportunities are not. This is wording taken from the mission statement of youth empowerment charity Urban Synergy. Founded in 2007, the charity has helped more than 20,000 young people aged between 9 and 24 years to reach their full potential. Chief executive and founder Leila Thomas talks to Simoney Kyriakou about the opportunities that financial services companies have to help create diver...

Should investors care about elections?

April 19, 2024 10:00 - 29 minutes - 319 MB

Much of the world's population will be going to the polls for elections in the coming years. But should advisers or their clients react to the politics, either by viewing it as a chance for profit or a threat requiring evasive action. Joining FT Adviser investment editor David Thorpe to discuss the topic are Sunil Krishnan, head of multi-asset funds at Aviva Investors; Hugh Gimber, market strategist at JP Morgan; and Hiroki Hashimoto, senior multi-asset fund manager at Royal London Asset Ma...

How retirement advice became a key focus 10 years on from pension freedoms

April 12, 2024 10:00 - 27 minutes - 306 MB

It's been a decade since the world of pensions was turned on its head by the then government. People were given more freedom and choice to use their pension funds as they please. But what is the lasting impact of the reforms and why is the regulator now concerned about retirement advice? Amy Austin speaks to Andrew Tully, technical services director at Nucleus, and David Haynes, senior financial adviser at Nightingales Wealth Management, to find out. The FT Adviser Podcast is the podcast f...

From Nasa to Income Protection: what lessons can we learn from AI advances

April 10, 2024 14:00 - 26 minutes - 296 MB

In this episode of the Editor's Podcast, Simoney Kyriakou, editor of FT Adviser, talks about artificial intelligence - two words one can hardly escape hearing or reading, it seems. But the speed at which this so-called Fifth Industrial Revolution is taking place makes it impossible to ignore. She is joined by a tech enthusiast, Dr Christian Westermann to consider how financial services can use AI better. He worked on NASA and the ESA space missions in the 1990s, building satellite-based instr...

What would abolishing NI mean for pensions?

April 05, 2024 09:56 - 30 minutes - 339 MB

It is the current government's long-term ambition to abolish National Insurance, after two consecutive cuts in the past two fiscal events. But what would a world without NI look like, and what impact would it have on pensions? FT Adviser's Alina Khan is joined by Ian Cook, chartered financial planner at Quilter Cheviot, Tom Selby, director of public policy at AJ Bell and Susan Hope, IFA workplace senior manager at Scottish Widows, to discuss the scenario. The FT Adviser Podcast is the podc...

How to help the sticky middle

March 25, 2024 13:30 - 26 minutes - 291 MB

On this episode of the Editor's Podcast, brought to you by FT Adviser, Simoney Kyriakou speaks to Anna Sofat, chairperson of workplace gender equality champion One Loud Voice, and Lizzie Holliday, director of policy and public affairs for NOW: Pension. We discuss why gender disparity prevails in pensions and in employment, and consider ways that today's financial advice community - as well as politicians and providers - can work together to help overcome persistent problems in women's finance...

Achieving diversification from global equity income

March 22, 2024 11:00 - 26 minutes - 296 MB

The latest edition of the FT Adviser podcast discusses the challenges and approaches to building a diversified global equity income allocation in a world of higher, but perhaps peaking, interest rates. Investment editor David Thorpe is joined by Will McIntosh-Whyte, multi-asset investor at Rathbones, John Moore, senior investment manager at RBC Brewin Dolphin, and Mark Peden, global equity fund manager at Aegon, who discuss the various ways in which higher bond yields can impact an equity a...

Is the profession in trouble as young adviser numbers fall?

March 15, 2024 08:20 - 24 minutes - 267 MB

A recent Freedom of Information request by FT Adviser revealed the number of firms authorised to provide retail investment advice has fallen from 6,240 in August 2022 to 5,805 as at February 2024. Taking a closer look at the adviser numbers, FT Adviser found the number of young advisers has diminished in the past 18 months while the number of older advisers has grown. So what does this mean for the advice profession? FT Adviser news editor Amy Austin is joined by Keith Richards, CEO of the...

Government debt could impact long-term volatility

March 13, 2024 09:00 - 19 minutes - 218 MB

In this sponsored edition of the FT Adviser podcast we look at what changed for fixed income in 2023. Could it all change again in 2024? And are central banks really on top of inflation? Amanda Stitt, portfolio specialist in the fixed income division at T Rowe Price, discusses the topic with investment reporter Tara O’Connor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do Jeremy Hunt's tax cuts stack up?

March 08, 2024 11:00 - 19 minutes - 215 MB

This week chancellor Jeremy Hunt presented his Budget, which included a 2 per cent cut in national insurance. He presented himself and his party as tax cutters but does this stack up? FT Adviser deputy editor Damian Fantato is joined by Matthew Todd, associate director at RSM, Eleanor Ingilby, head of high net worth at Atomos, and Claire Trott, director at Technical Connection, to find out. They discuss the continued freeze on tax thresholds, the impact on inheritance tax of the decision t...

How can the advice profession attract more women?

March 01, 2024 11:00 - 33 minutes - 363 MB

Making the advice industry more inclusive and attractive to female investors has long been on the agenda. So, how has the profession evolved over time and what needs to happen next? FT Adviser senior reporter Alina Khan speaks to Dynamic Planner's Yasmina Siadatan and Katherine Waller, co-founder of SixDegrees, to find out. The FT Adviser Podcast is the podcast for financial advisers, brought to you by FT Adviser. Each week, we are joined by guests from the industry to discuss the week in n...

Editor's podcast: Why the Lord Mayor views London as the world's coffee house

February 29, 2024 08:25 - 35 minutes - 394 MB

Welcome to this new conversational series from FT Adviser, in which the editor talks to people from outside of financial services to get a fresh perspective on global and national developments that may affect aspects of the profession in the future. This podcast, the first in our series, features the the Lord Mayor of London, Michael Mainelli. We visited him at Mansion House to ask what he has been doing in his first few months in office, and to discuss the variety of initiatives he has la...

What's in store for mortgage rates?

February 23, 2024 11:20 - 16 minutes - 180 MB

Mortgage rates have been turbulent over the past 18 months. And after decreasing amid falling inflation, they are currently creeping back up. What will happen to mortgage rates in the near future? FT Adviser's senior reporter Tom Dunstan chats to Hodge retail managing director Christie Cook, Ash Ridge equity release adviser Jane King, and London Money director Martin Stewart about what lies ahead. The FT Adviser Podcast is the podcast for financial advisers, brought to you by FT Adviser. E...

Diversification in a higher inflation world

February 16, 2024 11:09 - 29 minutes - 327 MB

This edition of the FT Adviser podcast explores the options for advisers and their clients seeking to diversify their portfolios. Can investors rely on bonds and equities to be inversely correlated in future, as they have been in the past, or is a more sophisticated approach needed? Discussing the topic with FT Adviser investment editor David Thorpe are Nathan Sweeney, chief investment officer for multi-asset at Marlborough, Rupert Thompson, chief economist at Kingswood, and Hugh Gimber, ma...

How to benefit from the great wealth transfer

February 09, 2024 10:22 - 25 minutes - 285 MB

Attracting the next generation of clients is vital for the financial advice industry. But what's an effective way to do it? Thinking about technology seems a good starting point... In this week's podcast FT Adviser senior reporter Alina Khan is joined by Ben Barratt from First Sentinel Wealth and Benchmark's Gillian Hepburn to discuss the great wealth transfer. The FT Adviser Podcast is the podcast for financial advisers, brought to you by FT Adviser. Each week, we are joined by guests fro...

There’s a fine line between educating and giving advice on social media

February 02, 2024 11:00 - 21 minutes - 242 MB

Mortgage brokers and financial advisers have hopped onto social media and are increasingly doing live streams on the platforms such as TikTok to answer any questions people may have about their finances. But this raises the question of does this blend advice and guidance? Amy Austin, news editor at FTAdviser speaks to financial coach Philly Ponniah and Stephen Perkins at YellowBrick Mortgages about the emergence of advisers on social media and what this could mean for the advice/guidance b...

What should the FCA's ESG advice working group look at?

January 26, 2024 11:00 - 17 minutes - 187 MB

Late last year the Financial Conduct Authority announced it would be forming a working group to look at how its SDR rules on greenwashing would affect advisers rather than publishing rules on the issue. In this week's podcast FT Adviser deputy editor Damian Fantato is joined by Matthew Connell, director of policy and public affairs at the Chartered Insurance Institute, and Luke Murray, consultant at Bovill, to discuss what the rules on ESG are for advisers at the moment, what gaps there are...

What's in store for investments in 2024?

January 22, 2024 08:00 - 17 minutes - 24.8 MB

In this episode of the FT Adviser In Focus podcast, we look at the year ahead for investments. We speak to three fund managers about their views on inflationary pressures, geopolitical uncertainty and the effect any upcoming elections might have on equity and bond markets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Duration will help you this year': the outlook for fixed income

January 19, 2024 10:29 - 30 minutes - 41.7 MB

The latest eposide of the FT Adviser podcast brings together a trio of fixed income investors to discuss the outlook for bonds in 2024 and beyond. After two volatile years, will the bulk of the returns come from income or capital growth in this part of the investment universe, and what role do government bonds have in balanced portfolios as yields rise, but volatility remains high? The guests on this edition of the FT Adviser podcast are Lloyd Harris, head of fixed income at Premier Miton; Gu...

What does 2024 have in store for advisers?

January 12, 2024 11:00 - 25 minutes - 285 MB

2023 saw plenty of upheaval in the financial advice sector, with consolidation continuing and with regulatory changes from the consumer duty to simplified advice. It was also a year of rising interest rates. This week FT Adviser deputy editor Damian Fantato is joined by news editor Amy Austin, deputy news editor Sonia Rach and reporter Tara O'Conner to reflect on the year which has just ended and discuss what 2024 might have in store. They discuss the looming lifetime allowance changes, ho...

What do the FCA's simplified advice proposals mean?

December 22, 2023 08:00 - 20 minutes - 28.6 MB

Earlier this month the FCA published proposals aimed at widening access to financial advice. They included plans for "targeted support" and a new form of simplified advice. This week, in the final FT Adviser podcast of 2023, deputy editor Damian Fantato is joined by Rachel Vahey, head of public policy at AJ Bell, to discuss the proposals. They explore whether the proposals will advantage larger firms, what smaller firms should do if they want to take advantage and whether this could lead t...

What does true diversification look like right now for multi-asset investors?

December 20, 2023 11:00 - 29 minutes - 328 MB

In a world that is experiencing sudden shifts between different economic scenarios, building an investment portfolio has arguably become more challenging. And even for those multi-asset investors, whose strategies are meant to offer flexibility to meet investment goals with broad options for investing across sectors, and more diversification than other investment strategies, can they really rely on how they have always done things? With the 60/40 approach having worked in the decades leadin...

'The year of recession which never happened': 2023 in review

December 15, 2023 11:00 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MB

The past year has seen an AI-driven tech surge and rising bond yields as markets grapple with rising rates, high inflation and geopolitics. This week David Thorpe, investment editor on FTAdviser, is joined by Richard Saldanha, global equity fund manager at Aviva Investors, Mark Preskett, portfolio manager at Morningstar, and Guy Foster, chief strategist at Brewin Dolphin, to reflect on the past year in markets and look forward to 2024. They discuss the concentration of the US stock market ...

Why mental health matters

December 11, 2023 09:21 - 36 minutes - 396 MB

Looking after a client's mental wellbeing is as much part of a financial adviser's job as making sure staff and they themselves are happy and content. In this episode of the FTAdviser In Focus podcast we hear from three advisers about working with vulnerability both in the workplace and with clients. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does 2024's slowing mortgage market have in store?

December 08, 2023 11:00 - 19 minutes - 215 MB

The Office for Budget Responsibility has predicted that in 2024 house prices will go down by about 5 per cent, with transactions falling by 7 per cent. On this week's podcast FTAdviser reporter Tom Dunstan talks to Martin Stewart, director of London Money, and Tony Hall, head of business development at Saffron for Intermediaries, about what effect this might have. They discuss whether the forecasts should be taken as gospel, how mortgage brokers can "keep the lights on" during a slower yea...

2023 Recap: Lessons and Opportunities in the Aftershock Economy

December 06, 2023 09:00 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MB

After a 2-year post-pandemic inflation surge, the global economy eases from extensive fiscal and monetary interventions. Central banks reassess recession risks, signalling potential investment opportunities as volatility reawakens. This content was paid for by PIMCO and produced in partnership with the Financial Times Commercial department. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The race is on: preparing for the end of the lifetime allowance

December 01, 2023 11:00 - 26 minutes - 290 MB

At the Autumn Statement the government confirmed that it would be scrapping the lifetime allowance from early April, ignoring pleas from the industry for more time to prepare. So what do advisers, pension providers and platforms have to do now to prepare? This week FTAdviser news editor Amy Austin is joined by Andrew Tully, technical services director at Nucleus, and Jon Greer, head of retirement policy at Quilter, to find out. As well as plans for preparing for the change they discuss th...

Building a responsible bond portfolio

November 29, 2023 15:48 - 19 minutes - 27.5 MB

In this podcast, sponsored by Columbia Threadneedle Investments, FTAdviser's investment editor David Thorpe talks to Tammie Tang, the lead manager of the CT UK Social Bond fund. They discuss how a bond fund manager can deliver an impact, and why Tang takes a regional and a demographic focus. Tang also explains why she thinks the "greenium" - or green premium - is often small or non-existent and why it's better to focus on market sentiment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...

Did the Autumn Statement change anything?

November 24, 2023 11:00 - 25 minutes - 278 MB

Jeremy Hunt touted this week's Autumn Statement, which included a 2 percentage point cut in national insurance contributions, as the beginning of his plans to cut taxes for businesses and individuals and as a return to growth. But did the chancellor of exchequer's actions match his words? This week FTAdviser deputy editor Damian Fantato is joined by Matt Todd, associate director at RSM, Ian Cook, chartered financial planner at Quilter Cheviot, and Claire Trott, director at Technical Connec...

Does Jeremy Hunt need to reform Isas in the Autumn Statement?

November 17, 2023 11:44 - 23 minutes - 263 MB

One of the rumours which has swirled around about next week's Autumn Statement is that Jeremy Hunt will use it to reform and simplify the Isa regime. There have been rumours he will allow savers to put money into multiple Isas in the same year, but there have also been reports he is considering a "British Isa" to encourage investment into UK companies. This week Damian Fantato, deputy editor of FTAdviser, is joined by Tom Selby, head of retirement policy at AJ Bell, and Tim Morris, IFA at ...

What does a defensive portfolio look like in the current environment?

November 10, 2023 13:05 - 29 minutes - 320 MB

The market turbulence across a variety of assets over the past year or so has raised the question of where investors should go to seek shelter from the storm. This week FTAdviser's investment editor David Thorpe is joined by Ian Barnes, chief investment officer at Netwealth, David Jane, multi-asset fund manager at Premier Miton, and Ben Gutteridge, director of the model portfolio service at Invesco, to find out. They discuss the role of government bonds in general and gilts in particular g...

'Now is the moment when everything changed for Alzheimer's'

November 03, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 327 MB

Research into dementia is at a breakthrough point, signalling the moment in history that people will look back on and say that "this is the moment when everything changed". This was the positive message delivered by Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research at Alzheimer's Society, speaking to editor Simoney Kyriakou on the latest FTAdviser podcast. He was joined by guests Yvonne Braun, director, long-term savings, health and protection, at the Association of British Insurers; and R...

SJP exit fee scrap ‘first high profile case of consumer duty starting to bite’

October 27, 2023 10:00 - 21 minutes - 241 MB

Last week, St James’s Place announced it was scrapping exit fees for the vast majority of new investment bonds and pensions as part of an overhaul of its charging structure. The firm said there would be a revised charging structure for new investment bonds and pensions which will operate with an initial charge and ongoing charges but without any early withdrawal charges. In addition, charges across all its wrappers, which have historically been disclosed primarily on an all-inclusive basis...

Where are the opportunities in sustainable fixed income?

October 25, 2023 08:00 - 32 minutes - 355 MB

The ESG fixed income market has seen impressive growth since its establishment more than a decade ago, but more recently performance has been lacking. In this CPD podcast we speak to fund managers Kris Atkinson and Stuart Chilvers, and adviser Minesh Patel about how they navigate the current market and where the future opportunities lie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Industry has moved on from replatforming issues

October 20, 2023 12:02 - 21 minutes - 234 MB

Amy Austin, news editor at FTAdviser speaks to Ben Hammond, consulting director at the Lang Cat and Verona Kenny, Managing Director of Intermediary at 7IM, about the FCA's letter to platform CEOs. They discuss the FCA's issues around fees, unstable technology and long transfer times. The FTAdviser Podcast is the podcast for financial advisers, brought to you by FTAdviser. Each week, FTAdviser is joined by guests from the industry to discuss the week in news and pressing industry issues. ...

Could a "pot for life" solve the issue of small pensions?

October 13, 2023 12:07 - 22 minutes - 242 MB

Earlier this year the Department for Work and Pensions said it will work to encourage consolidation to solve the problem of small pension pots. But pensions minister Laura Trott said the longer-term solution to this issue would be to move to an Australian-style "pot for life" system. Amy Austin, news editor at FTAdviser speaks to Tom Selby, head of retirement policy at AJ Bell and Kate Smith, head of pensions at Aegon, about the small pots issue, what government could do to resolve it and w...

Making homes greener

October 09, 2023 08:26 - 34 minutes - 376 MB

On this episode of the FTAdviser In Focus podcast we speak to mortgage advisers about whether or not it makes sense to invest in green home improvements. They all agree the idea of greener homes is a great one but there are various issues in the way they are currently funded that raise concerns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has the landscape for sellers changed?

October 06, 2023 10:00 - 24 minutes - 268 MB

Over the previous years and during lockdown, we saw a flurry of activity and a surge in the number of start-up consolidators popping up, as well as a lot of private equity deals. But this last year it has felt like a bit more of a slow down. This week, FTAdviser's deputy news editor Sonia Rach talks to Louise Jeffreys, managing director at Gunner and Co and Paul Morrish, founder at Succession Wealth, on the state of the seller market. They discuss everything from what has been driving th...

CISI conference: Client discovery meetings done right

October 04, 2023 14:29 - 23 minutes - 257 MB

FTAdviser speaks to Brendan Frazier, founder of Wired Planning, psychologist Dr Moira Somers, and Kusal Ariyawansa, adviser at Appleton Gerrard, about the best way to hold client discovery meetings, after their panel discussion at today's CISI conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CISI conference: Future of adviser technology

October 04, 2023 10:50 - 19 minutes - 212 MB

FTAdviser speaks to Josh Butten, director of financial planning firm Boosst, and Jon Doyle, founder of Juniper Wealth Management, about the future of adviser technology, straight after their session with Ian McKenna at today's CISI conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does the model for equity release advice need to change?

September 29, 2023 09:51 - 24 minutes - 265 MB

Earlier this month the Financial Conduct Authority published the results of its review into lifetime mortgage advice, concluding it was "disappointed" by what it found. One of the overarching conclusions the FCA reached is that there were many examples of advisers steering outcomes in favour of a lifetime mortgage and failing to discuss alternatives. In short, if you went to an adviser to ask about a lifetime mortgage, you were likely to end up being recommended a lifetime mortgage regardle...

Is there merit in separating financial advice and financial planning?

September 22, 2023 10:00 - 26 minutes - 292 MB

It has been argued that financial planning and financial advice could be split so that planning on its own could allow financial planners to focus on less wealthy and younger clients who are happy to DIY invest. Amy Austin, news editor at FTAdviser speaks to Steve Conley, founder of the Academy of Life Planning and Sam Tate, co-founder & director of New World Financial Group about the pros and cons of doing so. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘The regulator wants fewer firms to manage’

September 15, 2023 08:29 - 23 minutes - 262 MB

Last month, Tenet announced it will close its network, with its appointed representatives moving to The Openwork Partnership as part of an exclusive agreement with the company. The agreement will provide Tenet's firms and advisers the choice of retaining their independent status through Openwork's IFA business 2plan Wealth Management or becoming part of the restricted Openwork proposition. This came as the Financial Conduct Authority’s annual report and accounts for 2022-23 revealed that t...

How to help clients navigate the mortgage market

September 08, 2023 10:00 - 26 minutes - 287 MB

The mortgage market has been on a rollercoaster ride over the past year. Since former Prime Minister Liz Truss’ disastrous mini-budget in 2022, combined with rampant inflation and subsequent base rate rises, lenders, brokers and would-be borrowers alike have been trying to keep up with the fast-paced changes to products. How are we to make sense of what is happening in the mortgage market right now? In this latest FTAdviser podcast, editor Simoney Kyriakou is joined by Mike Cook, chief mortg...

Understanding how to build a thematic investment approach

August 30, 2023 10:00 - 28 minutes - 39.2 MB

MSCI describes thematic investing as a top-down investment approach that relies on research to explore macroeconomic, geopolitical and technological trends. These trends encompass long-term, structural shifts arising from new business models, disruptive technologies and changing consumer tastes and behaviors – megatrends that have the potential to change whole industries and shape the way we will live, work, travel and treat disease in the future. Thematic investing is intentionally futur...

Exiting an advice business

August 07, 2023 09:48 - 29 minutes - 326 MB

It is no secret that the adviser population is maturing. But what do advisers need to know about passing on their business in the current market? We speak to Victoria Hicks, managing director of The Exit Partnership, and Kanishk Swarup, founder of Compound Wealth Planning, to find out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do private assets fit into an investment portfolio?

August 02, 2023 10:00 - 24 minutes - 268 MB

A recent study by global consulting firm Cerulli Associates found that nearly half of the private banks and wealth managers indicate that a lack of liquidity, high fees, and clients’ risk aversion are the top concerns preventing them from increasing private investments within their clients’ portfolios. The democratization of private assets faces several challenges. Are there ways to address these? On this latest podcast, FTAdviser deputy features editor Ima Jackson-Obot is joined by Nick ...

How much longer can financial advice consolidation go on for?

July 28, 2023 10:00 - 28 minutes - 39.9 MB

It seems the pace of consolidation has continued apace despite the changing economic circumstances, but has anything changed? This week, in the last FTAdviser Podcast before a summer break, deputy editor Damian Fantato is joined by Albertha Charles, UK asset and wealth management lead at PwC, and Louise Jeffries, managing director of Gunnar & Co, to find out. They discuss what is driving consolidation now, the role of private equity, the profile of companies which are likely to be snapped ...

Savers must understand risks of chancellor’s pension fund reforms

July 21, 2023 10:43 - 22 minutes - 245 MB

In his Mansion House speech earlier this month, Jeremy Hunt said some of the UK’s largest defined contribution pension schemes had agreed to commit 5 per cent of their default funds to unlisted equities by 2030. Hunt said his aim was to enable the UK’s financial services sector to increase returns for pensioners, improve outcomes for investors and unlock capital for UK growth businesses but what are the risks and will schemes jump on board? This week Amy Austin, news editor at FTAdviser sp...

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