If you mention the acronyms FNZ, GBST and CMA to the average person on the Clapham Omnibus you would get a puzzled look and yet this story has profound implications for UK investors, for the platform sector and in reality for most of the UK population.

Eagle-eyed Budget and Treasury watchers are well aware that what appear to be small or insignificant changes made by Chancellors or ministers can often have huge ramifications in subsequent years.

News this week that the Government will press ahead with plans to push up the age for accessing the Pension Freedoms from 55 to 27 by 2028 will have surprised some and disappointed many.

We’ve just published the latest issue of Financial Planning Today magazine, the sister publication to Financial Planning Today website. It contains some excellent features and content as ever but one poignant article in the magazine, a case study, reminded me of just how crucial Financial Planning can be.

To work from home, or not to work from home? - that is the question. It’s certainly a question many Financial Planners are wrangling with at the moment.

I was taken aback this week while watching the FCA’s virtual Annual Meeting by the strength of criticism by the FCA of Google and other search engines for failing to stem the tide of bogus financial advertising and the heartache and compensation bills that follow in its wake.

In a sea of bad news there was a small island of cheerfulness this week, at least for the Financial Planning profession.

Well done to all the Financial Planning firms who have been taking part in the CISI’s Financial Planning Week this week. I applaud your efforts. I just wish there were more of you.

A couple of surveys we reported on this week reminded me about the epic scale of pension ignorance among the great British public.

It’s hard to find a silver lining in current Covid cloud but one of them may be a boost to recruiting the next generation of Financial Planners.