Business Development Updates

09 November 2017

IHT affects more clients than you think

It’s hardly news that, after years of rising asset prices, more people are affected by inheritance tax.
 
But it may surprise you just how big this issue now is. And advisers have a crucial role to play in helping clients navigate the inheritance tax maze, as this blog post shows.
 
Well over 40,000 estates now have an inheritance tax liability (Office for Budget Responsibility). More will follow. The Treasury has estimated that, over the next five years, it will pull in an extra £1.2 billion in inheritance tax receipts. That’s an increase of nearly 25% on today’s level.
 
This is an area where clients value ongoing guidance. Yet some are putting it off. Recent research shows there are three main reasons why this is. 

02 November 2017

Octopus Live: 6 big client issues of 2018 (2hrs CPD)

What options does a client have if they’re bumping up against pension limits? How can you help clients who are landlords reduce their tax bills (even after recent legislation changes)? And what’s the best way to bring up the tricky topic of estate planning? 

Octopus Investments will be answering these questions and more at the upcoming Octopus Live seminars around the UK. Each event will tackle six of the big topics your clients want answers about.

Aberdeen, 7 November, 10-12
Ashford, 22 November, 10-12
Belfast, 15 November, 10-12
Brighton, 23 November, 10-12
Bristol, 22 November, 10-12
Cardiff, 21 November, 10-12
Exeter, 30 November, 10-12
Glasgow, 8 November, 10-12
Knutsford, 14 November, 10-12
Leeds, 16 November, 10-12
London, 7 November, 4.30-7.30
Luton, 9 November, 10-12
Newcastle, 9 November, 10-12
Newmarket, 7 December, 10-12
Nottingham, 5 December, 10-12
Southampton, 14 November, 10-12
Truro, 29 November, 10-12
Weybridge, 16 November, 10-12
 

Secure your place at an event near you before spaces run out. It promises to be a very lively, informative and topical event. And of course, as well as refreshments, attendees will gain two hours of CPD.

26 October 2017

A thought- provoking set of insights from Rathbones on prospects for markets - Q4 2017

We believe that you value clear, decisive market views and in our view Rathbones offer that here. As you know they are a major investment house with £37.5 bn.* under management and have been in business since 1742.
 
Highlights from the latest Rathbones Investment Insight Report Q4 2017

Investors today are paying a relatively high price for the domestically focused FTSE 250 compared with its larger multinational peers in the FTSE 100 – implications for investors Gold is back in the spotlight after an increase in geopolitical risks Can investors continue to find value in Europe’s equity markets? Attractive infrastructure investments are harder to find Are UK and US consumers driving into another financial crisis? Rathbones think not

 
You can access The Rathbone Investment Insights Document here
 
For more details on Rathbones including contacts
 
*as at 30 September 2017. Includes funds managed by Rathbone Unit Trust Management.

20 October 2017

Consider how robo or automated advice could help your business and expand your client reach

1. We know that it’s not cost-effective for some advisers to service clients with smaller investment pots.
2. We also know that some advisers have historic clients who may be in need of review.

Well, we think we’ve come up with a solution. We’ve recently partnered with Munnypot, who offer low cost, online investment advice. Munnypot are keen to work with the Adviser Home community to explore how their service can suit you and your clients.

Munnypot was founded by former IFAs, Andrew Fay and Simon Redgrove, who went on to form Cavanagh group and held the roles of Head of Wealth Management and Head of Personal Advice respectively at Close Brothers. Since then they have been developing Munnypot.

Munnypot offers online, personalised investment advice. If you pass clients to them, you achieve a clear regulatory hand off. You also gain from any investments made through the Munnypot service.

Munnypot is intuitive, easy to use and available for ISA and GIA investments of as little as £25 per month or a £250 single investment. The investment platform is provided by SEI and, with Vanguard Life Style Funds as the investment offering, the total costs – including advice cost – are targeted under 1%.

For more information and details on how to get in touch with Munnypot to see how this could work for you and your clients. More details here>>

20 October 2017

Octopus Live seminars.

The autumn series of Octopus Live seminars is just around the corner. Octopus will be hosting events across the UK, focusing on key advice opportunities that will dominate conversations with your clients in the months and years ahead.
 
Octopus will be:

taking a closer look at some of the trends expected to have a direct impact on your business and your clients talking through the opportunities that these scenarios present and how to approach your clients with them taking you through some of the solutions available that are designed to specifically meet these challenges  

Because a growing list of uncertainties requires a more innovative range of solutions.

It promises to be a very lively, informative and topical event. As well as refreshments, attendees will gain two hours of CPD.
Register now for Octopus Live

11 October 2017

Estate & Succession Planning with Investment Protection Options

We would like to introduce you to Stellar Asset Management, the estate & succession planning specialist.

Stellar was founded by Jonathan Gain just over a decade ago to offer real choiceto investors when considering inheritance tax planning options.

Investors can choose to invest in equities or physical assets, for growth or income - and they can insure their capital from the start.

Although each of Stellar’s services meets a different requirement, all are transparent, capable of generating uncapped returns and can be insured from day one.

 

AiM IHT Portfolio

 

«  40 AiM listed companies

«  Well diversified portfolio

«  Nine-year performance history

«  Available on wrap platforms

 

Find out more

 

AiM IHT ISA

 

«  40 AiM listed companies

«  Well diversified portfolio

«  Nine-year performance history

«  Available in an ISA & on wrap platforms

 

Find out more

  

 

Succession

 

«  Grow your capital

«  Invests in securitised tangible assets

«  Access to seven trading activities

«  Net target return of 5% p.a.

 

Find out more

 

Estate Planning Service

 

«  Generate a natural income

«  Invests in securitised tangible assets

«  Access to three trading activities

«  Net target income of 4.5% p.a.

 

Find out more

 

Investment Protection

Investors can choose to protect their investment from day one with Stellar’s loss in value insurance, providing real peace of mind that their legacy is protected.

Stellar are the only provider to offer a comprehensive insurance policy alongside all their services.

Stellar will be sharing documents from their adviser education toolkit with the Adviser Home community over the coming weeks, including placemats, guides and case studies – so watch this space!

More details and contact

For more details about Stellar and contact details, please click here.

04 October 2017

Will your next PII renewal still offer you DB Transfer cover?

You may have seen the recent MM article where Keith Richards warned advisers that PII insurers can withdraw cover for DB Transfers at your next renewal. There is becoming an urgent need for you to work with your broker on how to present your firm in the best light to insurers to ensure this doesn’t automatically happen.

It's not just DB cover that Insurers may exclude at your renewal. Will EIS's or P2P come in for critical review to lead insurers to withdraw cover? Having a dialogue with specialists can pre-empt issues before they arise.

O3 Insurance Solutions are at the forefront in providing robust PI cover exclusively to advisory firms and remain the only provider of 2 year PII policies for advisers! 

PII Renewal?
If your PII is due for renewal in the coming months and you would like a no obligation PII quote with the possibly of securing a 2 year PII policy with no hidden exclusions simply contact George or send him a copy of your renewal proposal:  [email protected]

About 03
O3 Insurance solutions are 100% specialists in providing Professional Indemnity for Financial Advisers and Planners. This is all they do, and with over 50 years of experience they can ensure that you have the right platform in place if anything were to happen. A specialist team of PI Lawyers and Claims experts are on hand to guide you through the process in any event.

25 September 2017

New RSMR Rating for Brooks Macdonald Defensive Capital Fund - join webinar with the manager

The IFSL Brooks Macdonald Defensive Capital Fund (DCF) has received the prestigious Rayner Spencer Mills Research (RSMR) rating. All of RSMR’s rated funds are subject to rigorous and ongoing scrutiny on both a qualitative and quantitative basis.
 
DCF has been a rated fund since August 2017. It is an award winning, global multi-asset absolute return fund, focusing on more esoteric asset classes including structured notes, convertible bonds, preference shares and discounted assets.
 
RSMR said the following about DCF.
 
“A positive for this fund is its differentiated return generating assets. Equity markets are viewed as being expensive relative to historic levels while the low yield environment offers minimal returns in bond markets at present. The majority of assets in the portfolio have fixed lives creating a self-amortising portfolio. The approach taken, not being dependent on market direction, offers investors an alternative in terms of return generation. It seeks opportunities in areas of the market that have suffered in previous crises and where they believe pricing anomalies exist.
 
Over the past five years, the risk adjusted performance of the fund has been strong generating a 35% cumulative return (as at 31 July 2017) at an annualised volatility level of approximately 3.8%. As the fund is long-only, it benefits from rising asset prices, but is still capable of generating positive returns in flat or slightly downwards markets. The fund had a particularly strong performance in 2016 returning approximately 9.3%.
 
The management team is well rounded. Jon Gumpel is an experienced manager who has worked in financial markets for over 30 years while the addition of Niall O’Connor in 2013 has strengthened the team’s technical capabilities given his background in derivative pricing and risk modelling. The manager’s skill lies in constructing a portfolio of alternative assets uncorrelated to traditional fixed income and equity markets with reasonable assurance that the underlying quality of these assets will hold value and be sufficiently liquid in a period of market stress.
 
The esoteric nature of the underlying investments must however be emphasised to investors with a caution that this fund is a satellite rather than a core holding but it is well worthy of a place in a diversified portfolio.”
 
For more details and contacts go here>> 
 
Join the webinar
 
Jon Gumpel, manager of the fund, is hosting a webinar on 4 October at 10am. Click here to attend.


Brendan Llewellyn
Adviser Home

Important information
Prices and income will fluctuate and you may not get back your original investment. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.
 
All services, unless otherwise stated, provided by Brooks Macdonald Funds Limited.
 
Brooks Macdonald Funds Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England No 5730097. Registered office: 72 Welbeck Street, London, W1G 0AY.
 
Investment Fund Services Limited (IFSL) is the Authorised Corporate Director for the IFSL Brooks Macdonald Fund. IFSL is registered in England No. 06110770 and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: Marlborough House, 59 Chorley New Road, Bolton, BL1 4QP. Copies of the Prospectus and Key Investor Information Documents are available from www.ifslfunds.com or can be requested as a paper copy by calling 0808 178 9321 or writing to IFSL, Marlborough House, 59 Chorley New Road, Bolton, BL1 4QP

20 September 2017

Octopus Titan VCT: open for investment

Octopus Titan VCT is now open for investment through a new share offer of up to £120 million.

Early bird discount

Investors applying for Octopus Titan VCT shares before 14 November 2017will receive a 2% early bird discount on the initial fee.

Backing Britain’s brightest businesses

Investors have the opportunity to participate in the potential growth of some of the UK’s most entrepreneurial high-growth businesses by investing in Octopus Titan VCT. They can claim 30% income tax relief on the amount they invest, along with tax-free dividends and tax-free growth. You’ll find the prospectus, brochure and application form on the Octopus Titan VCT webpage.

Regular dividends

Octopus Titan VCT aims to pay annual tax-free dividends of at least 5p per share, as well as potential special dividend payments, if portfolio companies are sold at a significant profit. It’s important to remind clients that the value of shares can fall as well as rise, that dividends are not guaranteed, and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

If you have any questions about the Octopus Titan VCT new share offer, please call  0800 316 2067 or email [email protected]

 

For professional advisers only. Not to be relied upon by retail investors. The value of an investment, and any income from it, can fall as well as rise. Investors may not get back the full amount they invest. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change in the future. Tax reliefs depend on the VCT maintaining its VCT-qualifying status. VCT shares could fall or rise in value more than other shares listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. They may also be harder to sell. Personal opinions may change and should not be seen as advice or a recommendation. These products are not suitable for everyone. Any recommendation should be based on a holistic review of your client's financial situation, objectives and needs. We do not offer investment or tax advice. We recommend investors seek professional advice before deciding to invest. This advertisement is not a prospectus. Investors should only subscribe for shares based on information in the prospectus, which can be obtained from octopusinvestments.com.Issued by Octopus Investments Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT. Registered in England and Wales No. 03942880. We may record telephone calls to help improve our customer service. Issued: September 2017. CAM05583.

 

07 September 2017

If you have business clients, the risks they face are also your risks

Business or corporate clients can be really important to your practice so helping them understand and manage their risks is also a way of protecting your own business.
 
Risks can include the loss of a key employee and the lack of continuity and succession planning should one of the business owners die. These are risks you can help with.
 
Corporate protection makes sure businesses can continue to trade, replace key individuals, protect corporate debt and allow the owners to maintain control of their business while making sure their dependants receive a fair value for their share of it.
 
Whether you’re active in corporate protection or not – you can benefit from Aegon’s focus on providing you with the right information, support, tools and calculators to help you in this crucially important market.
 
‘It won’t happen to me’
Your clients have worked hard to build up their business, so it makes sense to protect it. They might not consider what would happen to their business if they were to die or become critically ill. But the reality is – the unthinkable does happen.

 

Take the first step
Look out for our Infomix emails – where we’ll showcase Aegon’s practical tools (including sales ideas, pre-approach letters, videos and calculators) that you can use when discussing corporate protection with your clients.
 
Aegon also have specialist consultants dedicated to helping you develop your corporate protection business. They can offer assistance with planning your strategy, identification of opportunities and practical day-to-day help with particular cases.
 
Action
Visit the Aegon Corporate Protection zone on Adviser Home to access this support material and get contact details.
 
Protect your client’s business – and protect your own

 
Source: www.actuaries.org.uk/learn-and-develop/continuous-mortality-investigation/cmi-mortality-and-morbidity-tables
1 Based on mortality data of 73% (CMI working paper 75, calendar years 2007-2010) of TMN00 mortality table, male non-smokers at 5+ years’ duration
2 Based on morbidity data of 102% (CMI working paper 75, calendar years 2007-2010) of SC04 morbidity table, male non-smokers at 5+ years’ duration
The figures are based on insured data – which means those people who have the appropriate insurance already in place. Equivalent figures applying across the whole population would show increased  likelihood of such an event being even more likely.

31 August 2017

Invesco Perpetuals Open Investment Meeting - your invitation

You are invited to join Invesco Perpetual on the morning of the 22nd September in London as 4 of their most respected investment professionals give their latest market and asset class views and insights.

The event will be chaired by Invesco Perpetual’s CIO, Nick Mustoe. Speakers will include Invesco Ltd’s Chief Economist, John Greenwood, UK Equities Fund Manager, Martin Walker, and Fixed Interest Fund Manager, Thomas Moore.

For more information on the speakers’ talking points, and schedule for the day, please click the link below to visit the dedicated event microsite.

Attendance of this event will qualify you for 90 minutes unstructured CPD.

28 July 2017

The Value of Advice - report

This is one of the hot topics of the time. There are many ways to consider “Value” but we think the simplest way is to look at what are you getting for your money. In other words Value = Benefit / Price.

Here we have two approaches. A report by the ILC sponsored by Royal London. This report compares those who have had advice versus those who haven’t and has fascinating findings showing a clear financial advantage for the “advised” group.

We also have our own research – covered and this report The Adviser Home Value of Advice. The method here was to ask advisers what they think their clients value most in the service they offer. So this is about the value of advice from the perspective of practicing advisers.

More on the Adviser Home Report on The Value of Advice

The immediate trigger for this piece of work was the FCA comment questioning the value of adviser’s investment advice. The report looks at this in some detail but also explores the dimensions on which advisers gain and attract clients. Price does seem to play only a small part and few market their price prior to the first meeting. We think this makes complete sense – only when you have full appreciation of a clients requirements can you set a price.

It’s clear from this research that advisers consider that clients place most value on the whole picture – both the peace of mind that comes from knowing your finances are being looked after and the value clients place on having the process looked after for them.

As always the value in the research we do is two-fold – firstly the gathering together of collective adviser views and secondly the chance it offers for you to consider your business and how you might develop it. We hope that our report gives pause for thought. There is no doubt that the regulator will continue to explore how all participants in the industry compete for business and it makes sense to consider this question for your own practice.

We also look at the question of whether an adviser can offer value to all clients or whether newer ways of meeting their needs might be required. Large numbers of advisers acknowledge that providing a full face to face service for all advisers is a challenge and are open to solutions with greater degrees of automation.

If you’d like to discuss any aspect of The Value of Advice please get in touch with is us at [email protected]

26 June 2017

Prudential Toolkit - Retirement is a journey, not an event

This message is true for both advisers and their customers. When advising retiring clients today, you may be taking into account Brexit, Pension Freedoms, Defined Benefit transfer and the outcome of the election. Yet tomorrow, it could be other events taking place elsewhere in the world . A complex arena with many things to consider and who knows what the future will have in store.

However, through it all, Prudential will continue to be at your side supporting you through these and other challenges you may face. To help, Prudential have put together a range of material covering a number of Retirement Planning topics.

What’s in the toolkit?

A guide written by Billy Burrows, Retirement Specialist, exploring the challenges an adviser may face in the years ahead. Hear helpful insight around DB transfers: facts, evidence and insight, cash flow modelling, due diligence, all from Rory Percival (ex FCA). Use Prudential’s practical Transfer Toolkit to help you with consolidation, DC to DC transfers, DB to DC transfers or your client’s first or subsequent moves to drawdown. Top up on CPD and learn from useful Technical articles helping you with Retirement Planning queries and angles.

For more information about Retirement Plans, visit Prudential’s dedicated microsite.

17 June 2017

You are invited to join Pictet Asset Management for breakfast or lunch

Pictet would like to invite you for breakfast or lunch (see full venue details below) to meet with their Multi Asset Investment team.

Meet the lead managers

Andrew Cole and Shaniel Ramjee, lead fund managers of the FP Pictet Multi Asset Portfolio, will outline their macroeconomic outlook and the implication for various asset classes and markets.

Taking no more than 1½ hours, this is an opportunity to meet the team and to gain an insight into their views and current portfolio positioning.

There’s a choice of 6 venues over three days ( 11th, 12th and 14th of July ) and we do hope you can attend.

Book your place

Please email [email protected]/* */ to confirm which venue and event you would like to attend.

Event details

Tuesday 11th July 2017

LUNCH 12.30-14:00
Hotel du Vin, Harrogate

Wednesday 12th July 2017

BREAKFAST - 08.30-10.00
Opus Restaurant, Birmingham
LUNCH - 13:00-14:30
Malmaison, Cheltenham
 

Friday 14th July 2017

BREAKFAST - 08.30-10.00
Hotel du Vin, Exeter
LUNCH - 12.30-14:00
Hotel du Vin, Bristol

 

14 June 2017

Prudentials improved Trust and Application Form Tool

Prudential know that trust business can be time consuming and complicated, particularly when completing documentation. They’ve made things easier for you by improving their popular Trust and Application Form tool.  
As well as adding the Probate Trust to the tool, they’ve also enhanced it by giving more:
 
·       Guidance on dating the trusts and applications
·       Information about who can be beneficiaries  of the various types of trusts
·       Information on when advisers should tick the box to cancel the loan on death for loan trusts
 
The inclusion of the Probate Trust complements their already extensive trust proposition, including the unique Prudence Inheritance Bond.
Check out the updated tool online.
 
Don’t forget about Prudential’s Estate planning core kit which has a host of support material available to help with estate planning conversations with your clients.

07 June 2017

Access technical expertise

Access Prudentials technical expertise and earn consistent CPD 

In 2016, Prudential’s Technical helpline – manned by experts with more than 250 years’ experience between them – answered around 15,000 calls from advisers.
 
Technical expertise, honed by such large scale input from advisers, generates really valuable market insight. This in turn, helps shape the CPD support Prudential provides. And this support is available to you at no cost in the Adviser Home CPD centre.
 
If you’ve not already checked it out, do it now and add it to a personalised CPD plan. You’ll find: 

A series of on-demand video box sets covering topics such as corporate investing, bonds taxation and pension death benefits The latest versions of the Prudential’s Oracle publications which include a number of technical and business development articles Access to recordings of the Oracle live WebEx programme

 
Even better news is that Prudential regularly adds content, so you’ve always got up to date material available to help meet your CPD requirements.
 
You can register or log in here>>