Another advice firm has chosen to leave St. James's Place. SRB Financial Planning, a business responsible for approximately £250 million of client assets, has joined Quilter Financial Planning after reviewing its future strategic options. The firm said it selected Quilter for its greater investment flexibility, technology, operational support and broader platform. The move adds to … Continue reading Another Adviser Firm Walks Away from SJP. Coincidence—or the Start of a Structural Shift?
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17 Million Pension Policies. £500 Billion Invested. The FCA Says Many Could Be Poor Value.
The Financial Conduct Authority has issued a clear warning to pension providers. Millions of people holding older unit-linked pension and savings policies may not be receiving fair value. The scale is remarkable. Around 17 million policies. Around £500 billion invested. Many of these products are no longer sold. They sit quietly in the background, often … Continue reading 17 Million Pension Policies. £500 Billion Invested. The FCA Says Many Could Be Poor Value.
If Even the FCA Says Investment Documents Are Too Hard to Understand… Perhaps It’s Time to Level the Playing Field
The Financial Conduct Authority has reached a striking conclusion. After reviewing 172 investment disclosure documents, it found that almost all were written at a level too difficult for the average consumer to understand. Only 6% were considered to be written in plain English, and every single document reviewed fell below the level expected for someone … Continue reading If Even the FCA Says Investment Documents Are Too Hard to Understand… Perhaps It’s Time to Level the Playing Field
Financial Regulation Should Create Trust. So Why Do So Many Victims Never Find Justice?
As Parliament debates reforms to the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA), much of the discussion has focused on economic growth, regulatory efficiency and reducing unnecessary burdens on business. Those are legitimate objectives. But there is another question that deserves equal attention. When financial regulation fails an individual, how does that individual obtain justice? For … Continue reading Financial Regulation Should Create Trust. So Why Do So Many Victims Never Find Justice?
Andy Burnham will give mayors and councils responsibility for helping a “lost generation”
How to get nearly one million young people into work. Burnham to give mayors powers to help ‘lost generation’ of Neets. The regional devolution plan will shift Whitehall budgets to local authorities as unemployment among young people hits record high across the country. The story is about a significant proposed shift in how the UK … Continue reading Andy Burnham will give mayors and councils responsibility for helping a “lost generation”
How Many Ordinary People Could Realistically Navigate a System This Complex Without Assistance?
Imagine you discover something has gone badly wrong. Perhaps a financial institution has made a mistake. Perhaps an insurer has refused a claim. Perhaps you believe you have been misled, treated unfairly, or suffered a significant financial loss. You decide to do what responsible citizens are told to do. You gather evidence. You write letters. … Continue reading How Many Ordinary People Could Realistically Navigate a System This Complex Without Assistance?
Before You Join a Financial Adviser Academy, Read the Contract — Not Just the Brochure
A glossy career-change brochure can make a new life sound simple. A clear pathway. Professional qualifications. Mentoring. Support. A respected brand. The chance to build a business. A route out of a career that no longer fits. For someone feeling stuck, that can be powerful. Especially if the message arrives at the right moment. You … Continue reading Before You Join a Financial Adviser Academy, Read the Contract — Not Just the Brochure
Consumer-Side AI: The Public Interest Use Case Financial Services Must Not Ignore
There is a missing half in the financial services AI conversation. At the moment, much of the debate is about how firms use artificial intelligence. How firms govern it. How firms test it. How firms manage risk. How firms explain AI-assisted decisions. How firms improve efficiency, productivity, compliance, and customer service. All of that matters. … Continue reading Consumer-Side AI: The Public Interest Use Case Financial Services Must Not Ignore
Who Is Protected When Public-Interest Harm Prevention Tools Are Restricted?
There is a strange irony in trying to protect people before harm happens. You build a tool that helps ordinary people read what they are being asked to sign. You make it simple. You make it affordable. You design it to slow people down at the moment of risk, before they give away rights, control, … Continue reading Who Is Protected When Public-Interest Harm Prevention Tools Are Restricted?
Dead Firms. Live Harm. Delayed Justice.
Why agency before advice is becoming a consumer protection necessity A financial firm can disappear. The harm it caused often does not. That is the uncomfortable lesson emerging from recent analysis of Financial Ombudsman Service complaints and the wider enforcement record across UK financial services. Complaints are still being upheld against firms that are no … Continue reading Dead Firms. Live Harm. Delayed Justice.
Academy of Life Planning 