In a special bite-sized Assembly, Transact’s Stuart Fleat explains how model portfolio services offered by discretionary investment managers are able to accessed on platforms like Transact.
In less than six minutes, Stuart explains how platforms and MPS providers are able to handle access to client accounts and data securely and confidentially, how portfolio rebalancing works in practice, practical considerations around capital gains tax, and how clients are invested into the model portfolios.
Once upon a time, we were scouring our library of previous online Assemblies and realised something: we had never covered the topic of inheritance tax (IHT) planning using the alternative investment market (AIM)!
So we thought it was high time to fix that with a whistle-stop tour to discover why investing in AIM is right up there as a strategy for IHT planning.
Whether you’re new to paraplanning and in search of a primer, or you’ve been paraplanning for absolutely ages and want to make sure you really know what you’re talking about, tuning into this Assembly will be well worth your while.
To help us navigate the topic we were joined by the ideal tour guide: Canaccord Genuity’s senior investment director and head of IHT investments, Paul Parker. During our lunch-hour gathering we explored:
- why AIM is so appealing for IHT planning
- business relief and how it works
- why AIM has a reputation for riskier investments
- how clients can invest in AIM – investment managers and DFMs
- researching the suitability of AIM portfolios and their managers
- things to consider when designing an IHT strategy using AIM
As ever, the chat was open for paraplanners to pose questions, or share ideas and observations – and the quality of contributions was great!
In a world where even HMRC doesn’t seem too sure what the score is, how can paraplanners get to grips with the new allowances landscape so clients know what they need to know right now?
Well you could tune into this recording of our Assembly with Les Cameron on 24 April 2024 for starters.
Because M&G Wealth’s head of technical took us on a guided tour of the new allowances regime following the abolition of the lifetime allowance (LTA).
What you’ll gain from this Assembly
During this lunch-hour event, hosted by Richard Allum of The Paraplanners, Les explored what has changed, what matters, and what it all means for you and your clients.
In a session that was jam-packed with examples, case studies and practical tips, Les covered all the essentials including
- individual starting allowances
- allowance excesses
- transitional allowances – including transitional tax free amount certificates (TTFACs)
- ongoing allowance availability and use
- death benefits and beneficiaries drawdown
- the importance of the order of benefits
Among the nuggets that Les shared were his analysis of the winners and losers under the new regime, nine things you need to know about TTFACs, and planning opportunities for clients as a result of the changes.
What’s more, he recapped the legislative position as well as shared some good-to-know quirks that the changes are throwing up.
With the post-LTA world still in an apparent state of flux, this is a timely chance to take stock in the company of one of the Assembly’s most popular experts. Want to join in? Then save your spot now.
Back in the days of pandemic restrictions, we would throw open the doors of a Zoom room for an hour on a Friday morning so – whether in-house or outsourced – any paraplanner who was working from home and fancied a natter could drop in (we called them Coffee Mornings).
Despite the return to a more traditional office hours for part of the week, the world of hybrid working and WFH continues to leave loads of us craving a bit of watercooler-style conversation once in a while – if only to stay sane.
Which is why we’re reviving our informal one-hour drop-ins once again.
Pop the kettle on, it’s Elevenses
We’re calling them Elevenses and we’ll be opening the Zoom room for the next one at 11am on Friday 15 March 2024.
To join in, just click the ‘Book event’ button, fill out your details and you’ll receive a calendar invitation with the Zoom link in your inbox (so you don’t forget).
What to expect
There’s nothing to prepare or anything – although a frequent topic of conversation is ‘What’s for tea?’ so be ready for that – so just pour yourself a cuppa, grab a biscuit or two or three or four…and click the link.
Expect to be greeted by a friendly-faced paraplanner or two (Caroline Stuart will definitely be one of the hosts for this gathering).
There might only be two or three of us. And then there might be 20.
You can stay for the whole hour. Or just five minutes. It’s entirely up to you.
See you there?
If you’re a paraplanner who lives or works in Dorset, Hampshire and the New Forest, and south Wiltshire, then our New Forest Assembly at 10am on Thursday 25 April 2024 is just the thing for you.
Organised by Evelyn Partners’ Jackie Manning and Sarah Lees from Mazars, the Assembly, which is being hosted at Greyfriars Community Centre in Ringwood, Hampshire, is your chance to catch up with paraplanners from your neck of the woods. (Why a community centre? Take a look at our recent blog post.)
When you book your spot, you’ll be invited to shape the agenda by suggesting topics that you’d like the Assembly cover during the get-together.
But to give you an idea of what to expect, at last October’s gathering of paraplanners at the equivalent event in London (The Other London Assembly), we exchanged ideas and perspectives on:
- the role of AI in paraplanning
- how The Consumer Duty was going in each others’ firms
- Recruitment
- Qualifications
- how to help new paraplanners joining your firm get on board and still be able to do your day job; and
- practical ideas about how to progress in your career when exams and you just don’t get on.
The New Forest Assembly is the ideal chance to learn what’s going on in each other’s worlds, share ideas, and discover practical tips and illuminating insights – and tackle any other paraplanning topics that are on your mind when we gather.
See you on 25 April 2024? Then save your spot now.
Join paraplanners from all over the country as we gather for the Paraplanners’ Assembly’s BIG DAY OUT on 12 September 2024.
And on the eve of the main event – so that’s from 7pm on 11 September 2024 – we’ll be hosting The Big Night In BBQ.
For both events we’ll be gathering together at a breathtaking destination – FarmED – right in the heart of the Cotswold countryside. Tickets for The Big Day Out 2024 cost £40. Tickets for The Big Night In BBQ cost £20.
Take part and you’ll not only receive a record of six hours CPD but the chance to receive a NextWealth report worth the equivalent of £500 too.
We’ve provided all the information you could possibly need below.
Jump to
- The Big Day Out
- The Big Night In BBQ
- Where can I stay?
- What if I have to be careful about what I eat?
- How accessible is FarmED for people who use wheelchairs or have other needs?
- I’m not a paraplanner or administrator. Can I take part?
- What is FarmED?
- Will there be photography at the event?
The Big Day Out 2024
1000-1700 on Thursday 12 September | £40
From its first meeting in 2013, the Paraplanners’ Assembly’s annual gathering has created space for sparking collaboration and conversation among paraplanners that is unlike any other event in the world of wealth management.
No presentations. No muzak. No boiled sweets. No exhibition areas. No product pitches.
Instead, The Big Day Out is an informal gathering that offers six hours’ worth of CPD thanks to its combination of tailor-made interactive sessions led by hand-picked experts (and designed especially for the event), and group discussions facilitated by paraplanner hosts.
It makes for a supportive and encouraging space in which you can listen and learn, and share ideas, knowledge and insights. And it’s a unique environment in which you can really focus and flourish – both professionally and personally.
You’ll feel you belong at The Big Day Out because The Big Day Out belongs to you. So how about it? Want to know more?
Here’s the running order for The Big Day Out 2024.
09:00: Breakfast and gathering
Arrive. Check in with our registration team. Then help yourself to a delicious hot breakfast bun (or buns), and coffee and tea. Take the chance to say ‘hello’ to people you know. Take a deep breath and muster the courage to introduce yourself to people you don’t know. Take a wander around the RIBA award-winning site (it really is a lovely location). See if you can spot The Big Day Out chicken.
1000: Welcome!
Join us in the conference barn for a warm welcome from your Big Day Out hosts, Sam Tonks and Chris Wormwell. And then we go straight into…
Hone it. Own it: One hour to perfect your development plan
New for this year, and designed especially for the Paraplanners’ Assembly, we’re opening and closing the day with two really interactive sessions led by Arch Inspire’s Rachael Hurdman.
What are they all about? How to create an actionable and practical plan to achieve your personal and professional development goals.
But this won’t be some dry run-of-the-mill classroom-type session because IT’S A BIG DAY OUT! So expect practical tools, techniques and insights that (1) you can try out throughout the sessions at your Big Day Out and (2) will last you (and people back at the office you share them with) for years.
1100: Quick Break
1115: Crop Rotation No. 1
PS. What’s more, by taking part in the Big Day Out, you’ll receive a special edition of NextWealth’s latest research into the role of AI – worth £xxx – to share with the leaders of your business back at the office.
ROTATION A
Quiz the experts
Our technical sessions are a perennial favourite among paraplanners.
After all, it could be the one chance you get this year to fire any question you can possibly think of at experts who – we’re pretty certain – will be able to answer them. (As long as it’s a technical paraplanning question and not e.g. ‘Yes, but what’s the universe expanding into?’)
This year is no exception. Your stellar quartet of experts includes:
– Les Cameron of M&G Wealth
– Gareth Davies of Scottish Widows
– Natalie Howard of Canaccord Genuity
– Brian Radbone of Transact
So begin collecting your questions today and you’ll be all set to quiz the experts on the day.
ROTATION B
Productivity tips you live by. Apps and tools you can’t live without.
Because the Big Day Out attracts paraplanners from companies large and small, and from in-house and outsourced teams, we know that the ability to influence things such as report content and formats, and choice of software and tech tools varies widely among participants.
But one thing that won’t vary widely is the way we go about getting our own stuff done.
So that’s what this session is all about: what’s the secret to your day-to-day personal productivity? What are the tips or techniques that help you get things done? And what tools, apps or websites do you keep coming back to?
Whether you’re the world’s leading expert on the application of the Pomodoro method, Eisenhower matrix and tried all the task management apps – or are thinking ‘Pomodoro what?’, this will be a fantastic chance to discover how and why other paraplanners do what they do, the way they do.
ROTATION C
You, clients and the future of advice technology.
You already know how influential technology is in day-to-day paraplanning. But what does the future of work look like for paraplanners with the arrival of AI? In this crop rotation – designed especially for the Big Day Out – NextWealth founder and managing director, Heather Hopkins, will lead a conversation that’s all about how technology is changing advice, what innovations are coming down the line, and how they’re likely to influence the practice of paraplanning.
This is a fantastic opportunity for you and your paraplanning peers to share what you think and feel about the future – and technology’s role in it.
From due diligence to data, and research to report writing, this is a unique chance to explore how emerging technologies will influence paraplanning facilitated by one of the most influential figures in UK advicetech today
1200: Crop Rotation No. 2
You and your group will head into your second crop rotation. We’ll tell you exactly where you need to be but, if you find yourself in a rotation that looks and sounds very familiar, you’re in the wrong one.
1245: Lunch
Locally sourced and freshly prepared, we guarantee that this will be a *chef’s kiss* of a lunch for you to tuck into. Bon appetit!
1345: Crop Rotation No. 3
Your third and final crop rotation of the day. After this, we’re all getting back together.
1430: Break
Who said anything about an afternoon treat?
1500: Hone it. Own it: Part Two
Rachael Hurdman returns and, in this closing session, invites you to take a couple of practical steps that will enable you to gather the loose ends of your personal action plan. Expect another really interactive session where you can try out your new tools, and round off your development plan – and Big Day Out – perfectly.
1600: The Paraplanners’ Assembly
It’s the session after which the Assembly is named. Just like at our first gathering in 2013, Sam and Chris will open up the floor for you to share anything that’s on your mind.
1630: Cheerio and close
The Big Night In BBQ 2024
1900-1000 on Wednesday 11 September | £20
Join paraplanners gathering in the Cotswolds for an informal Big Night In on the eve of The Big Day Out.
Hosted at FarmED, you’ll get the chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones – all while tucking into a BBQ and buffet of locally sourced fare rustled up in the canteen’s kitchen.
What’s more, if the weather’s fine, you’ll get the chance to savour the sight of the setting sun across the Evenlode valley.
Included in the ticket price is complimentary transport from Chipping Norton town centre to FarmED (so long as you catch our bus, that is).
To join The Big Night In, just add it to your Big Day Out ticket when you reach the checkout.
Where can I stay?
Chipping Norton (10 mins drive to FarmED): the nearest town to FarmED and there are a number of hotels and pubs with rooms in the town centre: Premier Inn; Kings Arms; Crown & Cushion and The Fox.
The rates at the Premier Inn are remarkably expensive, we’re afraid. The combination of the annual Fair in Chipping Norton plus the proximity of Soho Farmhouse, Daylesford Farm and Diddly Squat perhaps inflating prices. The rates at the Kings Arms, Crown & Cushions and The Fox do seem reasonable compared to previous years at the moment.
Shipton-under-Wychwood (5 mins drive to FarmED): the nearest village to FarmED and there are some really good options there which appear reasonably priced for September: The Crown, Wychwood Inn and Lamb Inn.
Long Compton (20 mins drive to FarmED): The Red Lion is a popular country pub with rooms. Long Compton is on the main road from Oxford to Shipston-on-Stour. It’s a little bit north of Chipping Norton but you can reach FarmED without having to drive via Chipping Norton. Speaking of Shipston-on-Stour…
Shipston-on-Stour (30 mins drive to FarmED): There are a number of places to stay in the centre of this market town including The George Townhouse, The Lazy Pug, The White Bear and The Bower House Restaurant and Rooms
Banbury (30 min drive to FarmED): Don’t rule out Banbury too. It’s just a 30 minute drive from Banbury Cross to FarmED with a Premier Inn in the centre of town and one on the outskirts by the M40. However, the newly refurbished Whateley Hall, which is just a stone’s throw from Banbury Cross itself, is offering good rates too at the moment. The operator of the Big Night In BBQ coach is based in Banbury so, if you decide to book a room in Banbury, let us know, and we can arrange for the coach’s first stop to be in Banbury.
Burford (15 mins drive to FarmED). Burford’s a popular tourist spot so the hotels do tend to be very pricey. But it’s an option and there’s a Travelodge too so it may be worth a look.
Airbnb: we haven’t researched Airbnb but, because it’s a popular tourist destination, there may well be B&Bs available for overnight stays within an easy drive of
What if I need to be careful about what I eat?
You can let us know if there are any foods you’d like to avoid for the Big Day Out and the Big Night In as part of the checkout process. (By the way, because it’s a working farm, FarmED’s kitchen uses organic produce grown in its own fields so you’re in for the FRESHEST ingredients imaginable!)
How accessible is FarmED for people who use wheelchairs or have other needs?
Our event takes place in FarmED’s award-winning buildings. There are no steps in any of the buildings. Wide side doors can be opened to assist wheelchair access. Assistance dogs are welcome in the buildings. There are two disabled car parking spaces next to the entrance of the main building.
I’m not a paraplanner or administrator. Can I take part?
Assemblies are designed by paraplanners for paraplanners and we also welcome administrators, so if you are not one please don’t book a ticket. If you’re still really interested in coming along then get in touch with us at [email protected].
What is FarmED?
FarmED’s mission is to provide learning spaces and events that inspire, educate and connect people to build sustainable farming and food systems that nourish people and regenerate the planet. These really chime with the Assembly’s role in the lives of paraplanners. (Plus it’s a lovely venue.)
Will there be photography at the event?
Yes. We love a good a photo featuring our events so don’t be surprised if you spot a photographer or Assembly host lurking with a camera. If you don’t want to appear in photographs that we publish online, please let us know when you arrive at the event.
Are you an outsourced paraplanner?
Whether you’re the only employee of your paraplanning practice, or you lead a paraplanning powerhouse with employees and a hefty bank of clients, outsourced paraplanners share lots of things in common.
You just do.
But here’s the thing: despite the growing number of outsourced paraplanners in the UK these days, opportunities to get together to talk only about things that matter in the outsourced world, are surprisingly few and far between.
Why an event for outsourced paraplanners?
At last year’s Big Day Out, we invited Christina Georgiou and Andy Schleider to host a drop in session for participants who were starting out as outsourced paraplanners, thinking about it, or already were. (The session was an IRL version of the ‘Outsourced Paraplanners banter + chat group’ hosted by Andy on WhatsApp.)
The popularity of that session illustrated three things (1) the appetite to get together face-to-face as well as via messaging apps (2) the role the Assembly can play to bring outsourced paraplanners together and (3) how the Assembly can support informal networks that already exist for outsourced paraplanning.
After all, it’s exactly what the Paraplanners’ Assembly has always been about since our very first gathering in 2013: creating spaces – in person and online – that spark collaboration and conversation. Spaces where paraplanners can exchange views, learn things, fix things and share things.
Switch off. Show up. Join in.
Here’s our invitation: set your notifications to ‘do not disturb’, click on the Zoom link in your event confirmation and gather with other outsourced paraplanners across the UK for an hour of conversation, ideas and practical insights.
There’s nothing to prepare. Just come along ready to share your answer to one question:
‘What’s on your mind today?’
Spaces are limited. Save your spot now.
If you’re a paraplanner who lives or works in Bristol, north Somerset, south Gloucestershire, west Wiltshire or just across the bridge in Wales then our Bristol Assembly at 9.30am on Wednesday 12 June 2024 will be right up your street.
Organised by Plan Works’ Sian Davies Cole and Maddy Gooding of In Step Paraplanning this is your chance to catch up with paraplanners from your neck of the woods.
When you book your spot, you’ll be invited to shape the agenda by suggesting topics that you’d like the Assembly cover during the get-together at Little Stoke Community Hall, Little Stoke in north Bristol. (Why a community centre? Take a look at our recent blog post.)
To give you an idea of what to expect, at last October’s gathering of paraplanners at the equivalent event in London (The Other London Assembly), we exchanged ideas and perspectives on:
- the role of AI in paraplanning
- how The Consumer Duty was going in each others’ firms
- Recruitment
- Qualifications
- how to help new paraplanners joining your firm get on board and still be able to do your day job; and
- practical ideas about how to progress in your career when exams and you just don’t get on.
It’s the ideal chance to learn what’s going on in each other’s worlds, share ideas, and discover practical tips and illuminating insights – and tackle any other paraplanning topics that are on your mind when we gather.
Expect the same kind of thing from the Bristol Assembly on 12 June.
So how about it? Book your spot now.
If you’re a paraplanner who lives or works in striking distance of central London, then The Other London Assembly from 10am on Thursday 2 May 2023 will be right up your street.
Hosted by Dan Atkinson and Andy Schleider – and generously hosted by Barnett Waddingham at their London Wall Place office – this is your chance to catch up with paraplanners from your neck of the woods.
When you book your spot, you’ll be invited to shape the agenda by suggesting topics that you’d like the Assembly cover during the get-together.
At last October’s event, we exchanged ideas and perspectives on the two topics voted for by participants:
- the role of AI in paraplanning; and
- how The Consumer Duty was going in each others’ firms.
And in an open floor session to conclude the get together, topics raised included
- Recruitment
- Qualifications
- how to help new paraplanners joining your firm get on board and still be able to do your day job; and
- practical ideas about how to progress in your career when exams and you just don’t get on.
It’s the ideal chance to learn what’s going on in each other’s worlds, share ideas, and discover practical tips and illuminating insights – and tackle any other paraplanning topics that are on your mind when we gather.
Expect the same kind of thing from The Other London Assembly on 2 May.
So how about it? Book your spot now.
Richard Allum and Paradigm Norton’s Dan Atkinson get to grips with the topic of planning assumptions.
For what seemed like AGES, low interest rates and low inflation rates gave the impression that the factors affecting a client’s future were pretty predictable.
But more recently, roller-coaster interest and inflation rates, combined with pandemics and wars, could leave you thinking that the future is altogether more unpredictable.
But is it?
Assumptions that are fit for purpose
During this online Assembly, Dan and Richard explored ways to think about planning assumptions in future.
They considered the kind of indicators you can use to form a set of assumptions with the durability to withstand those periodic headwinds sparked by social, economic and environmental events – the kind that have dominated our lives lately.
Of course investments are important but healthspans, death, inflation, spending, retirement, care and more have the potential to feature.
And then there are clients with specific outcomes in mind to add to the mix – for instance, meeting school fees, saving to offset childrens’ university tuition fees or deposits for their first homes.
Don’t miss out
Tune in and you’ll discover you’re in good company. Not only is Dan responsible for Paradigm Norton’s financial planning assumptions, he also owns a crystal ball (he actually does) so – one way or another – he’ll have all bases covered.
Listen now
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