Like many this week I was taken aback at the scale of the BSPS pension transfer scandal redress. It’s huge and just the tip of an iceberg.
The latest FCA action on the BSPS scandal has highlighted the considerable risks for Financial Planners in advising on DB transfers.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Spring Statement today may be severely tested in the months to come.
I must confess I was sceptical when a number of Financial Planners, including employee ownership evangelist Chris Budd, began pushing the idea that employee ownership could be a viable pathway for many Financial Planning firms.
Most scammers find their victims, at least initially, online these days, whether it be through website ads or social media.
There is no doubt that new FCA CEO Nikhil Rathi is a much-needed breath of fresh air at the regulator but I’m beginning to wonder if there is more than a whiff of staff trouble at the regulatory mill.
Make no mistake, the requirement to develop strategies which can recognise and appropriately service the needs of vulnerable customers is a big deal in financial services this year.
When I was in my early teens Friday night was movie night at home. My brother and I would head down to Blockbuster Video and pick up a film to watch on VHS, often recommended by the guy behind the counter.
If there is one 'engine' which has transformed the financial advice profession over the past 10 years it is the professional bodies. The 30th anniversary celebrations this week for the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment reminded me of the incredible transformation of the sector in recent years and how much of that is due to the professional bodies.
One of the key roles of a Financial Planner is to assess clients’ appetite for investment risk. Selecting investments is nigh on impossible without this and a major industry has grown up around client risk profiling.
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In my article for Financial Planning Today earlier in January I questioned just how “fair and reasonable” are the decisions being reached by the Financial Ombudsman Service - particularly in relation to historic events involving SIPPs and SIPP investments.
This week wealth manager St James's Place announced the launch of a bold new logo and rebrand but I wonder if the coming changes will go deeper and be even bolder?
There has been much talk lately about how Financial Planners can spot and work with vulnerable clients.
It’s been an accepted wisdom over the past few decades that we are all living longer, at least as a nation. That’s now being tested.