We’re really pleased to announce that Sarah Lees and Sam Tonks will host the Paraplanners’ Assembly’s Big Day Out on 14 September 2023.
Sarah and Sam – along with a team of volunteer group hosts – will welcome as many as 100 participants to the annual gathering at FarmED near Chipping Norton.
This will be Sarah’s second time hosting the annual gathering of paraplanners – widely regarded as the world’s greatest paraplanning event (that’s held at a farm or farm-related location).
Sarah, who was crowned CISI’s Paraplanner of the Year in 2021, is a serial participant in the national Assembly.
In fact, this year’s Big Day Out will be the SEVENTH national event that the senior paraplanner from Mazars has taken part in during her 10-year paraplanning career – missing only the 2017 edition since 2016.
In marked contrast, for Succession Wealth paraplanner trainer Sam, the Big Day Out will mark a couple of firsts.
(1) It’s the 2020 Money Marketing Award Best Paraplanner winner’s debut as host of the national event; and (2) despite being a guest at online Assemblies, a participant (and group leader?) at the Big Day Out of this World and Big Day Out (In), PLUS organiser of this November’s Assembly In The Middle, it’s the FIRST TIME Sam will have attended the national gathering IN PERSON!
We know, right?! 🤯
Sam’s debut continues the tradition of inviting paraplanners with the desire to do so, the chance to host Assembly events.
That practice started in 2017 when Caroline Stuart hosted the – then – national Powwow in Aynho, Northamptonshire. Between 2013 and 2016, Assembly co-founder, Richard Allum, had hosted all four national events. Becca Tuck put in a virtuoso performance as the solo host in 2019 and, in 2020, Becca was joined on the beach at Paraplanners Paradise by Jonny Stubbs for the Big Day Out (In). The following year – so that’s 2021 – Jonny and Caroline Singleton landed on Paraplanet for the Big Day Out of this World. Jonny returned to Earth in September 2022 to co-host the Big Day Out with Sarah Lees. (Don’t worry, we didn’t leave Caroline on Paraplanet!)
Don’t leave it too late to grab your ticket!
Secure your ticket NOW for THE BIG DAY OUT on 14 September 2023 and, if you’d like to join us, the BIG NIGHT IN from 7pm on 13 September.
The BIG DAY OUT costs £35. Tickets for THE BIG NIGHT IN cost £20. For full event details and to grab your ticket
Want to get involved in hosting or supporting Assembly events?
Then take a look at our pages on hosting an event, organising a local Assembly and volunteering. If you fancy a go, get in touch!
If you haven’t already discovered it, when you explore our new Resources page, you can search more than 6,000 minutes of video content from our previous online Assemblies. These are the top five most popular videos between 1-31 January 2023 – that’s based on the total number of views.
1. Top slicing relief: Planning strategies
Steve Sayer from Utmost Group talks about financial planning approaches to top slicing relief. Steve offers tips on avoiding incurring trustee rates of tax on gains, explains when new money should top up an existing bond or go into a new one, and suggest how to plan for ongoing income.
2. Getting started with SSAS
Rachel Geary of Barnett Waddingham explores small self-administered schemes (SSAS) and what paraplanners need to know.
3. What’s the right order of tax on income?
Do you know the order in which income tax is applied to different sources? If not, this Assembly with Les Cameron of M&G Wealth is for you. Even if you think you do know, we’re sure you’ll leave this Assembly older – by 45 mins and 32 seconds – but wiser.
4. Get into the right headspace for tax year end
Facilitator Becca Timmins is joined by Kez Condy and Jo Parkes from Navigatus, Zoe Hitchcock from Crowe UK and Emery Little’s Satu Flynn to discuss how they were getting in the zone for 2023’s tax deadline.
5. A plain English guide to old pension jargon: part one
James Jones-Tinsley of Barnett Waddingham and Richard Allum pick their way through the potpourri of jargon associated with old pensions contracts. This video is so popular, we’ve just recorded a new episode which we’ll publish at the end of this month – February 2023.
Today, we’ve published our most recent online Assembly on getting in the right headspace for tax year end as our very first podcast episode.
From now on, we’ll be publishing a podcast edition after each online Assembly – as well as bonus content from time to time.
In addition to the library of videos from more than 100 online Assemblies, it’s another way in which the Assembly hopes – no matter whether you’re a contributor or listener – you’ll be able learn things, fix things and share things that help you become the paraplanner you want to be.
Where can I find the podcast?
It may take a while for episodes to appear on your favourite podcast app but you can already find us on Spotify – and we’ve popped the episode below for good measure. (Depending on the privacy settings you accepted for our site, you may need to click a ‘Load content’ button for the Spotify player to appear.)
What’s in this episode?
Our first podcast episode features the conversation from our recent Assembly on getting in the right headspace for tax year end. Facilitated by Becca Timmins, the discussion involved guests with loads of in-house and outsourced paraplanning experience between them: Zoe Hitchcock from Crowe UK, Emery Little’s Satu Flynn, and Kez Condy and Jo Parkes from Navigatus.
With the upcoming tax year end deadline in mind, our guests tackled three questions:
- What went well at tax year end last year?
- What was a challenge?
- What will you take with you into this tax year end?
Tune in to hear paraplanners share their insights and experiences and perhaps you’ll pick up some ideas, tips and techniques you can apply to your own run in to this year’s tax year end.
We’re beyond excited to reveal that Sarah Lees and Jonny Stubbs will be this year’s Big Day Out 2022 hosts in the Cotswold countryside setting of FarmED on Thursday 15 September 2022.
While this will be Sarah’s first appearance at the Paraplanners Assembly as a host, the senior paraplanner at Mazars Financial Planning Limited is no stranger to the main event. In fact, Sarah is a serial participant in the national Assembly. Her hosting debut will mean she’s notched up an impressive tally of SIX national events – missing only the 2017 edition since 2016.
The Big Day Out 2022 will be Jonny’s hat-trick of national Assembly host appearances but his first at an in-person event. In 2020, the director of risk for LIFT Financial caught the train to the imaginary coastal resort of Paraplanners Paradise alongside co-host Becca Tuck and, last year, was launched to the – once mythical – world of Paraplanet with fellow explorer, Caroline Singleton.
Sarah’s debut continues the tradition of inviting paraplanners with the desire to do so, the chance to host Assembly events. That practice started in 2017 when Caroline Stuart hosted the – then – national Powwow in Aynho, Northamptonshire. Between 2013 and 2016, Assembly co-founder, Richard Allum, had hosted all four national events.
(In fact, this article by Caroline Stuart from IFA Magazine in 2020 still sends tingles up the spines of your Assembly backroom team.)
Don’t leave it too late to grab your ticket!
Secure your ticket NOW for THE BIG DAY OUT on 15 September 2022 and, if you’d like to join us, the BIG NIGHT IN from 7pm on 14 September.
It’s the first time we’ve gathered together since 2019.
The BIG DAY OUT cost £30. Tickets for THE BIG NIGHT IN cost £20.
For full event details and to grab your ticket ➔ Big Day Out 2022 on Eventbrite
Want to get involved in hosting Assembly events?
Then the first step is to get familiar with the different formats by trying out the different kinds of events we host. When you have – and you’re definitely interested in contributing a bit of time and energy – get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Didn’t think you’d hear from Mission Control again? Well, we are about to launch a space time capsule into orbit.
This capsule will remind us and all future paraplanners of our maiden voyage to Paraplanet, all that we saw along the way, and what we wore to get there.
So without further delay, here it is…
A long time ago in a Galaxy far, far away…a Big Bang occurred and after all the atoms had discussed how rude that was and dusted themselves off…a unique planet full of paraplanners was born, and thus we ended up calling it Paraplanet, quite rightly!
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more
Pete Hodkinson, our Chief Medical Officer, was on hand to give us all the safety tips required for a safe flight. Pete is Clinical Senior Lecturer and Head of Aerospace Medicine at King’s College London, so we were in safe hands.
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more
Astrophysicist, space writer, presenter, and now Paraplanet Spaceways’s official Chief Navigation Officer, Dr Jeni Millard pointed out all the sights our teams would be taking in on their explorative journey towards Paraplanet.
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more
And we wouldn’t be true paraplanners if we weren’t stepping into this new frontier without knowing what the future holds for investment in space. So we sent out a call for help, and Octopus Ventures hailed us for a chat.
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more
That’s it. We have carved a new chapter in history exploring Paraplanet and all it’s sights. It is now your turn to go forth and spread the learn, fix, and share motto across the Galaxy.
Over and out from Mission Control…
In 2013, we set out with a simple ambition: To create an informal gathering designed by paraplanners for paraplanners to exchange views, learn things, fix things and share things.
Taking inspiration from the unique quality of teepees to create space for conversation and cooperation in-the-round, we settled on the idea of staging an unconference event held in rolling countryside under open skies – in teepees.
And because of the teepees’ association with Native American tradition, we named the event the Paraplanners Powwow. The language and imagery and props and furnishings we adopted drew on the depictions of the 19th century United States popularised in ‘Western’ films and TV.
Despite being intended as a one-off event, the organising principles adopted for that original event proved compelling.
So much so, in fact, that paraplanners who attended the very first Powwow decided to organise their own events: Powwow Up North was born, and then Powwow Down South, and then Powwow North of the Border, and so on and so on.
The Paraplanners Powwow name stuck and so we stuck with the whole Powwow theme.
But in recent weeks we’ve had plenty of reasons to think again about persisting with the ‘Powwow’ theme – not least because we received an email challenging us directly about our adoption and use of the powwow idea, naming and associated branding.
To be confronted with the idea that our events contribute to cultural appropriation of Native American tradition and, in doing so, perpetuate prejudice has been upsetting. And we know that participants in our events would feel exactly the same as us.
But as organisers, we should have recognised the harm that the adoption of the powwow would cause. We didn’t and we are sorry.
What we can do is make changes now.
We have already begun to take steps to remove the Powwow and Howwow names and end the use of imagery and props that contribute to cultural appropriation of Native American tradition.
That’s why, from now on, we’re the Paraplanners Assembly.
And although we’re changing our name, the idea that’s made our events and the community that’s flourished around them remains exactly the same: To create informal gatherings designed by paraplanners for paraplanners to exchange views, learn things, fix things and share things.
We’re learning from our mistakes. We’re fixing it. And – today – we’re sharing our news.
We’ll be publishing details of new events coming up and will see you at an Assembly soon.
On the 12 September 2019, paraplanners gathered in a teepee to learn, fix, share on a host of topics. Given that there was so much information to scribble down, the jolly folk that hosted the campfires and pick n mixes have sent over all their links and resources. So we’ve popped it all down in a handy link pack.
However, before you get click-happy, here’s a few snaps from the day…
Paraplanning tips campfire with Aleks Sasin and Jackie Manning
A number of you asked for a list of the books mentioned in the session and here they are:
- Getting Things Done – David Allen
- Deep Work – Cal Newport
- The One Think – Gary Keller
- Eat That Frog – Brian Tracy
The Mac app mentioned that focuses on the active window only is HazeOver.
Bonds vs Collectives campfire with Neil MacGillivray and Andy Marshall
The lovely folk of James Hay have sent over a copy of Neil’s presentation on Investment Taxation, plus here’s some handy links on capital gains tax,offshore bond guide and offshore single premium bonds.
CRP campfire with Jonny Stubbs, Martin Lines and Tim Coverdale
Here’s Jonny with more on the Withdrawal policy statement.
Who created it?
Although I can’t take all the credit as it was a mish-mash of various examples I’ve found over the years on the t’internet and using the same framework we use for our Investor Policy Statement. If anyone’s interested… No? Oh, just me then… This is apparently the guy who first came up with the idea for a WPS.
What it’s for?
It helps a financial planner to set a pre-agreed framework/mandate with a client for how they plan on withdrawing money from their various assets to meet their income needs after they stop receiving income from employment. It also sets out in advance what action the planner/client will take in the event of planned and unplanned events e.g. when and how should income be adjusted in the event of market volatility, major crash, inflationary pressures, unexpected expenses, poor performance etc. The idea is that it is reviewed each year at the annual review and a new copy signed together with a record of any tweaks or changes made to the document.
Any health warnings?
The example I’ve provided is just that, an example, and anyone using it should make sure it is personalised to their particular firms views, compliance, and client circumstances and objectives etc. It’s also not a fire and forget solution. The power of it comes from revisiting it every year with the client and getting them to re-sign it to confirm their understanding. Kinda like ‘a (financial) plan on a page’.
Useful links
- From the horses mouth
- A great overview of what suitability really means here
- Some great material from Just on all things CRP including practical examples
- Institute and Faculty of Actuaries: ‘Can we help consumers avoid running out of money in retirement?’
- The Yin and Yang of retirement income philosophies
- Good general overview of managing drawdown here
7IM’s Retirement Income Service
This link provides technical insight into why they follow a “bucketing” approach.
Financial Wellbeing ‘Pick n’ Mix’ session with Chris Budd
Need a reminder of the key elements of Chris Budd’stalk on financial wellbeing, then look no further than here.
Investment Research ‘Pick n’ Mix’ session with Nicki Hinton-Jones and Guy Anderson
Nicki Hinton-Jones of XPM Consulting’s slide from the investment research ‘Pick n Mix’. To find out more about Nicki and her work visit her at xpm-consulting.com
The slide lists the four key areas of due diligence research for investment products and services.
Octopus Investments Handouts
Just in case you whizzed past their handouts here’s the adviser gap report and the Octopus IHT intergenerational research report.
Nathan Fry Notes
Powwow regular, Nathan Fry has very kindly sent us a copy of his notes from the day too. Have a read of them here.
Want some more Powwow in your life? Then check out our upcoming events.
On a sunny Thursday in September, and for the sixth year running (!), paraplanners gathered in a teepee in rolling countryside to learn, share, fix and exchange views. Here’s a few snaps from the day taken by our photographer, Ady Kerry.
We thought you’d like to see a selection of shots from yesterday’s Paraplanners Powwow so – err – here’s a selection of Ady Kerry’s shots from yesterday’s Paraplanners Powwow.
Plus, here’s an added bonus for you to download – find Neil MacGillivray’s Tax Hackathon slides here and Chris Hubbard’s talk on influencing back at the ranch here and here.
We thought you’d like to see a selection of shots from yesterday’s Paraplanners Powwow so – err – here’s a selection of Ady Kerry’s shots from yesterday’s Paraplanners Powwow…
