Recent research reveals a striking irony in today’s financial advice market: younger people are increasingly looking for financial guidance, just as advisers are offloading clients who fall outside their target profiles. This disconnect raises important questions about accessibility, fairness, and the future of financial advice. Younger Generations Turning to Financial Advice Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ recent … Continue reading Younger People Seek Financial Advice While Advisers Shift Focus →

When we look at the opioid epidemic in the United States, it’s impossible to ignore how financial incentives played a destructive role. Pharmaceutical companies encouraged doctors to prescribe painkillers like OxyContin, offering them financial rewards, such as bonuses, speaking fees, and perks, based on how much they prescribed. This model put profits above patient care, … Continue reading The Opioid Epidemic and Financial Advice: A Tale of Misaligned Incentives →

In 2018, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) brought about significant reforms in the institutional investment world by mandating the unbundling of research and trading costs. Before this, asset managers often paid for both services through opaque, bundled fees, which obscured the true cost to clients. MiFID II forced these costs to … Continue reading What the Financial Advice Industry Can Learn from MiFID II’s Unbundling of Research and Trading →

The financial advice industry is seeing more professionals leaving than joining. And it’s not hard to see why. Financial advice, tied so closely to product sales, has increasingly become a sector dominated by sales targets and covering backs, rather than client care. This doesn’t align with what many of today’s new entrants to the workforce … Continue reading The Great Adviser Exodus: Embracing a Values-Based Future in Financial Planning →

Ah, the United Kingdom, land of tea, crumpets, and, apparently, a grossly overburdened financial advisory sector. Let's break this down: with 28 million households and a whopping 28,000 financial advisers, each managing a maximum of 100 clients, only a mere 10% of households are graced with ongoing financial services. Yes, just 10%. That leaves 90% … Continue reading The Great British Financial Adviser Dilemma: An Ode to Overload and Obsolescence →

Introduction In the UK, financial planning services can be regulated by different authorities depending on the nature of the advice provided. This article clarifies the distinctions between FCA-regulated financial planners who often outsource wealth management to discretionary fund managers (DFMs) through model portfolio services (MPS), and financial planners regulated by the Competition and Markets Authority … Continue reading The Difference Between FCA-Regulated Financial Planners Who Outsource Wealth Management and CMA-Regulated Financial Planners →

In the wake of over £612 million lost to investment fraud in the UK last year, the clarion call for a rigid demarcation between financial advice and investment has never been louder. The statistics are stark, painting a grim picture of the vulnerability of investors, particularly those aged 55 and over, who have suffered disproportionately … Continue reading The Imperative Wall Between Advice and Investments: Navigating Integrity in Financial Markets →