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:

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.

How are paraplanners feeling about things at the moment? About regulatory change? About day-to day pressures and workload? About emerging technology and its influence on advice? About perception of paraplanning as a profession and career? 

Upbeat? Pretty neutral? A bit meh?

Well wonder no more and join us online at 1pm on 25 September 2024 when Craig Spittal of Scottish Widows, will reveal the findings of Scottish Widows’ latest annual survey of paraplanners in the UK.

Craig and host, Richard Allum, will be joined by paraplanners Ceetal Katechia of PSA Financial Services and Sarah Lees of Forvis Mazars to discuss findings that are so fresh off the press, we can only give you a flavour of what we expect to cover during this lunch-hour Assembly. And they are:

Because it’s an Assembly, we’d love to hear what you’re thinking and feeling about the issues that crop up. So we’ll have lots of polls for you to vote in plus there will be lots of chance to contribute to the conversation in the chat.

For a long time, paraplanners (and paraplanning) were lucky if they received even a passing mention in the conclusions of surveys of advice professionals in the UK. And a dedicated survey only for paraplanners and all about what matters to paraplanning? Unthinkable.

So this online Assembly, packed with findings from original research commissioned and conducted among 200 paraplanners by Scottish Widows, won’t just offer a really clear snapshot of how paraplanners are feeling about the world of advice today. It offers us all a chance to reflect on what’s affecting our profession and help focus our minds on how we’d like to shape our profession in the future.

Want to take part in the conversation? Then book your spot now.

When it comes to gaining and maintaining inheritance tax (IHT) planning know-how and expertise, nothing beats a good case study.

So this special case study investigation, which features not one but two client examples, is bound to be right up your street.

Join Steve and Richard as they crack the case

Because in this 50-minute episode, Utmost International’s Steve Sayer joins host, Richard Allum, to explore why reversionary interest trusts (RITs) combined with the available nil rate band (NRB) threshold, can become a powerful and flexible feature of a client’s IHT strategy.

In a conversation that’s packed with practical insights, ideas and expertise, tax and trusts expert Steve unpacks two case studies which will help you:

– understand the mechanics and key features of a RIT
– consider planning opportunities using RITs especially in conjunction with other options
– be able to discuss and explain RITs and NRB with a client in a clear and concise way
– apply this knowledge to appropriate, individual, client scenarios

Whether you’re a seasoned paraplanner who wants to keep your knowledge fresh or the role of RITs in IHT planning is new territory for you, we’re sure you’ll enjoy the hands-on learning offered by this expert discussion.

Watch or listen now

Just follow the links for a CPD certificate and downloads.

It’s been just over a year since the arrival of The Consumer Duty.

So, whether you’ve been neck-deep in its implementation or still feel like you’re getting to grips with it, now seems like a good time to see how we’re all getting on with it.

That’s why you’re invited to join us online at 1.00pm on Wednesday 14 August 2024 for a lunch-hour Assembly that’s all about The Consumer Duty.

To explore the topic, we’ll be joined by founder of Compliance and Training Solutions (CATS), Mel Holman, and Tom Lloyd-Read, technical planning manager at Stonehage Fleming.

Mel has been providing advice and implementation support to a range of organisations while Tom has been deeply involved in implementation of the Duty within his firm.

Over the course of the lunch-hour Assembly, we’re bound to cover:

What’s more, if our pre-event prep is anything to go by, there’s every chance we’ll touch on cashflow modelling assumptions, dashboards and gap analysis too.

Of course, being an Assembly, not only are you invited to tune into the conversation, we’d love you to share your thoughts and ideas on what’s working, what’s not, and where firms are still figuring things out in the chat.

So if you’re up for an hour’s worth of thoughtful insights and practical takeaways, join the conversion and save your spot now.

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 16 August 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.

To mark Independence Day in the United States, we thought we’d treat you to a bonus episode: a bite-sized Assembly that’s all about investing for US expats living in the UK.

Because despite being citizens of the ‘land of the free’, once they leave the USA’s shores, expat savers and investors often face complex challenges to stay on the right side of the US equivalent of HMRC: the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

So what do paraplanners in the UK need to know to support US expat clients? Who better to ask for expert knowledge and insight than a specialist in investing for US expats: Canaccord Genuity’s Laurence Leigh.

In this bite-sized Assembly, Laurence explores:

In just ten minutes, Laurence covers the dos and don’ts of advising US expats, the limitations of UK platforms, and the severe penalties for non-compliance.

It’s an episode packed with practical advice that will give you confidence in ensuring US expat clients can invest effectively and stay compliant on both sides of the Atlantic.

Working out what to do with your client’s wealth after their death is all part of a paraplanner’s life.

But settling on the best strategy can be complex – especially when missing a vital detail can have costly consequences.

So what can you do about it?

Stay up to date with the latest thinking, that’s what.

Which is why Neil Macleod, senior technical manager at M&G Wealth, joined us to explore death and trusts and paraplanning.

During this lunch-hour Assembly, Neil covered:

What will I learn from this online Assembly?

By the end of this Assembly, you’ll be able to:

No matter how complex the cases you deal with, this is a great chance to tune in to Neil’s expertise, and get up to speed on death and trusts.

Brian Radbone, Technical Counsel at Transact, joins Richard to unpack the post-lifetime allowance (LTA) world and its consequences for paraplanners.

In a bite-sized Assembly lasting less than eight minutes, Brian explores transition certificates, new lump sum allowances, and why timing is everything when it comes to crystallising benefits. Plus he discusses the importance of understanding provider restrictions.

If you’re in the market for a post-LTA primer but are pushed for time, this Assembly is ideal.

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 5 July 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.