Each of us shares an ever more complex and connected planet. One where we’re all facing the consequences of a human-made climate emergency and conflicts. A world of profound inequalities in health, economic and social outcomes between – and within – populations. 

So it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that more and more clients are looking for returns that aren’t measured financially, but by effecting positive economic, social and environmental change.

But how many of your clients think this way? And if you did know how many, how confident are you that you can help clients make their social and charitable ambitions part of a practical financial plan? 

What you’ll learn from this Assembly

To explore this topic we gathered together three wise people (appropriate for the time of year) to help us:

• look at different ways in which clients can give these days
• why they might want to give in the first place; and
• the evidence that clients do want to give but their advisers don’t seem to realise

Host Richard Allum is joined by pioneering ethical investing advocate and financial planner Jeannie Boyle of EQ Investors, Jack Chellman chief project officer of the innovative Global Returns Project and David McIntosh of chief executive of ShareGift – a brilliant service that has turned the shareholding equivalent of spare change into more than £50 million in donations to UK charities since 1996.

Watch or listen now

Once upon a time, philanthropy was something that only the very wealthiest would consider. But in this season of goodwill – and in a world that doesn’t half need it – find out why that’s no longer true – and how paraplanners can help clients put their money to work in powerfully positive ways more easily than ever before.

Think you know how to stay safe online? No matter how tech security savvy you think you are, even people who have never known a world without the web can fall victim to sophisticated scams (listen out for the case of a 20 year old digital native who nearly lost £000s in a fake HMRC email scam). 

Which is why you should tune in to this eye-opening conversation with Sarah Coles, Parmenion’s head of cyber and resilience. 

As a seasoned cybersecurity expert, whose blog posts have acquired almost cult status among readers of the Assembly’s monthly newsletter, Sarah has spent a decade protecting wealth management professionals and practices. In this conversation with host Richard Allum, Sarah shares five practical tips that will help shield you and your business from a world of cyber threats.

Be in the know

Want to know why storing passwords in your browser might be riskier than you think? Or why relying on SMS codes for two-factor authentication could leave you vulnerable? Sarah breaks down complex security concepts into actionable steps you can implement right away.

In fewer than 30 minutes, you’ll discover:

• Why length matters more than complexity for password security
• The truth about backup solutions (no, Dropbox sync isn’t enough)
• How to spot sophisticated phishing attempts that can fool even experts
• Simple ways to protect client data that meet regulatory requirements
• Real-world examples of common security mistakes and how to avoid them

Whether you’re a solo paraplanner or part of a larger team, this conversation offers valuable insights for protecting not only your practice and your clients’ sensitive information but your personal information too. 

Tune in and adopt healthy habits

These days, good security isn’t just about the tech you use. It’s about developing smart habits that become second nature. Tune in and, in half an hour, you could be setting out on a lifetime of freshly minted healthy cyber security habits.

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.

Switch off. Show up. Join in. 

So, if you’re an outsourced paraplanner, here’s our invitation: at 10am on Thursday 12 December 2024, set your notifications to ‘do not disturb’, click on the Zoom link in your event invitation 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. To save a spot hit ‘Book Event’ and look out for the calendar invitation in your inbox.

Aegon UK’s Sarah Purves and Succession Wealth’s Ellie Welling return for a follow-up to last month’s ‘What kind of paraplanning leader will I be?’ Assembly.

Picking up where they left off in November, Sarah, Ellie and host, Richard Allum, explore a topic that every aspiring and existing leader will experience during their career: difficult conversations. 

Sarah shares ideas and techniques that can help paraplanning leaders successfully prepare for and navigate discussions that you might otherwise dread.

During the second half of this episode, our guests focused on questions, ideas and topics raised by paraplanners during the first Assembly.  

But whether or not you joined Sarah and Ellie last time, and haven’t had a chance to listen or watch it on catch up yet, you’re sure to gain plenty to inform your reflections on successful leadership by tuning into this discussion.

Watch or listen now

So if you’re on the lookout for an hour that’s packed with practical ideas and insights that could prove vital to your next steps in paraplanning, look no further.

Perhaps you’ve been thinking about stepping into a leadership role in paraplanning. Or you’re already managing others and want to build your skills. Either way, our specially extended lunchtime Assembly at 12.30pm on Wednesday 13 November is for you.

What’s in it for me?

Over 90 minutes, you’ll explore what kind of paraplanning leader you could be and discover how you can make that step with confidence – all from the comfort of your own desk (or canteen, cafe, or kitchen table).

Wherever you’re joining from, we’ll have Aegon UK’s learning and organisational consultant, Sarah Purves, on hand to help. Throughout the Assembly, Sarah will be inviting you to try out a series of exercises that will help you:

• Identify the paraplanning leadership qualities you already have (you might be surprised)
• Discover your natural management style by learning from what’s worked (and what hasn’t) with your own managers
• Get better at those tricky conversations that come with leading others
• Build a practical toolkit you can use straight away to have more impact in your role

What’s more, Sarah will be joined by paraplanner Ellie Welling from Succession Wealth who will be sharing her own experience of moving into a leadership role – what she’s learned, what she wishes she’d known, and how she’s gone about developing her own approach to managing a team.

It’s an Assembly that’s specially designed so you can:

• share your thoughts about the challenges of leadership without judgment if you’d like to
• learn from the experience of others at different stages of their career
• gain practical tips you can actually use right away
• work out if leadership is right for you and what it could look like
• ask questions you’ve always wanted to ask about managing others

Save your spot now

There’s no magic formula for becoming a leader. But there are tools and techniques that really work. Whether you just want to tune in to listen and learn, or get stuck in and share your thoughts in the Chat, you’ll be really welcome.

So how about it? Save your spot now.

Don’t miss part two!

This Assembly was the first of a two-parter on paraplanning leadership. In the second part, Sarah, Ellie and Richard will dig into dealing with difficult conversations as well as exploring the questions raised in the Chat at today’s Assembly.

To save your spot for that Assembly, visit the event page.

Scottish Widows’ pensions specialist (and Big Day Out 2024 ‘Quiz the Expert’ alumnus), Gareth Davies, joins host, Richard Allum, for the follow-up to his popular ‘Is there a recipe for successful retirement income advice?‘ Assembly which we held back in June.

Why a second helping?

An unbelievably busy Chat meant that Gareth fielded a fair few comments and questions which left too much ground to cover in just one lunch hour. So Gareth agreed to come back later in the year to conclude his survey of the retirement advice landscape.

In this concluding Assembly, Gareth and Richard…

• Revisit the annuities vs. drawdown debate – examining the case for ‘annuities plus drawdown’, exploring the latest annuity features, and discussing strategies for annuitising fully crystallised pension pots.
• Dig into pension death benefits: they’ll consider the options and potential pitfalls of death benefits – plus focus on the importance of nomination forms and their regular review.
• Assess the effect of regulatory change: if there’s time, they’ll consider how the FCA’s thematic review is influencing retirement income advice, what it may mean for centralised retirement propositions, and what it means for your ongoing assessment of suitability.

It makes for a lunch-hour Assembly that’s packed with valuable insights and practical ideas that you can apply to client cases right away.

Perennial Assembly favourite, Les Cameron of M&G Wealth, joined us to share his thoughts on Labour’s Budget on 30 October.

As well as the fact that Rachel Reeves made history by becoming the first woman to deliver a budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer, were there measures that are sure to feature when Budget history is written?

Or were the widespread jitters among savers and investors ill-founded as Labour delivered its first Budget since Alistair Darling’s on 20 April 2010 – no fewer than 5,334 days earlier.

What actually happened?

Were the headlines screaming about capital gains and inheritance tax? How about pension tax relief and fuel duty? Or national insurance and the British ISA? Perhaps even VAT on school fees or measures affecting non-doms? And what about a wealth tax?

Les was on hand to offer his thoughts and insights, and address lots of questions and comments posted by paraplanners in the Chat.

So did it turn out to be one of the most consequential Budgets of recent years? Was it more of a ‘pitch-rolling’ statement in preparation for future measures? Or something else altogether?

Tune in and find out.

What steps can you take to make sure your client’s plan will deliver a reliable income in retirement nowadays?

After all, it’s an area of advice that is coming under some significant regulatory attention. Because not only is it the subject of a thematic review but the arrival of The Consumer Duty has also turned the spotlight on the suitability of advice too. 

Retirement income advice: why all the fuss?

The last few years witnessed big challenges for paraplanners seeking secure incomes in retirement for clients thanks to significant economic and political events.  

First there was pension freedoms and the surge in drawdown strategies. Next, rising inflation and interest rates conspired to squeeze income during the cost of living crisis. And that crisis prompted the search for secure income and a revival of annuities.

The paraplanner’s dilemma

But what’s the right balance between drawdown and secure income strategies? (Is there a balance to be struck at all?) What steps can you take so your client won’t simply run out of money? And how can you be sure that the FCA will agree that your approach to retirement income is consistently suitable?

Patrick’s practical planning pointers

That’s where our guest expert at this Assembly, Parmenion‘s head of strategic partnerships, Patrick Ingram, comes in. Because Patrick shares some practical ideas that you apply straightaway to cases, and offers insights that will help you think through the planning challenges.

Among the areas that Patrick and host, Richard Allum, cover in this lunch-hour Assembly are:

• analytical drawdown advice for clients spending money in retirement 
• why managing drawdown is different to wealth management 
• the importance of secure income ratios in drawdown planning 
• the ‘4% rule’ versus current annuity rates

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.

Switch off. Show up. Join in. 

So, if you’re an outsourced paraplanner, here’s our invitation: at 10am on Friday 11 October 2024, set your notifications to ‘do not disturb’, click on the Zoom link in your event invitation 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. To save a spot hit ‘Book Event’ and look out for the calendar invitation in your inbox.

Ever wondered how platform’s manage your client’s cash?

In this bite-sized Assembly, Transact’s Glen Sweet reveals all.

You’ll learn how a platform like Transact calculates the aggregate interest earned across a client’s daily trading and longer-term deposit accounts. And also that, because of differences in charging from platform to platform, it’s important to take a closer look at whether and how charges affect interest returned to clients.

If you’re interested in fixed-term deposits on platforms, Glen covers that too.

And let’s not forget about HMRC. Glen explains how different wrappers handle cash interest – from tax-free ISAs to the more complex general investment accounts (GIA).

And finally, did you know there’s a trend among some businesses in the UK – at least at the time of publication in September 2024 – to move corporate cash on to platforms? Tune in to find out why.