As we near the end of the second decade of the 21st century, it’s fair to say the technological advances so far this century have been astonishing.
I recently attended the “Yes She Can” launch event, hosted by The Wisdom Council. I have to say that I find many of these female-focused events put me off. I am not a fan of positive discrimination and often that is what appears to be suggested.
In these days of remote working, video calling and cloud computing, it suprises me that actually getting together with other finance professionals remains not just popular but increasingly so.
I’ve always believed that when it comes to investing you should get what you pay for. If you buy an actively-managed fund you expect a smart human (and his or her friends) to be taking some wise decisions with your money. The personal touch, if you like.
I spent this half term in Poland with my youngest daughter who is studying philosophy and ethics and thought that she ought to visit a concentration camp to better understand some of her studies.
Today we received our questionnaire from the FCA regarding actions that now need to be taken following receipt of the information we provided to them regarding defined benefit pensions.
If you are a Financial Planner, millennials - those aged roughly 18-38 - are potentially the next big client target group…but there’s a problem.
I ended my last commentary by expressing concern for all senior managers working with SIPPs – whether as a provider or adviser – given the ongoing regulatory uncertainty particularly around the responsibilities for investment due diligence.
A new report out today from the FCA and The Pensions Regulator has thrown up some disturbing findings and also blown out of the water the myth that only the poorly educated and vulnerable are the victims of the pension scammers.
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I’m back from a short break and while I was away a lot has happened: a general election has been called, Brexit has been postponed once again and Woodford has pretty much collapsed and been subject to a BBC Panorama investigation.
It’s been an exciting couple of months at Jane Smith Financial Planning.
The woes of Woodford Investment Management have been well chronicled by Financial Planning Today and others. I will not repeat them hear suffice to say that the curtain is coming down on a painful episode in fund management, as Mr Woodford described it himself.
The recent developments involving Berkeley Burke SIPP Administration (BBSAL) have caused understandable concern and consternation for SIPP providers, advisers and SIPP investors.