Business Development Updates

24 September 2014

FCA Warning Letter - The Right Questions to ask your SIPP provider

18 September 2014

Free Guide to Alternative Investments - CPD accredited

04 September 2014

Investment and Risk - Major Research

01 September 2014

Bespoke Pensions Technical Library

23 July 2014

Research Report on Specialist Investments

Acccess Research Report Here>>

We’d like to share with you the results of some adviser research we carried out into the use of specialist investment solutions. The exercise was in association with Octopus Investments and here are their comments:

 

“We were pleased to see such a high response rate to this survey – it helps us understand what advisers think about specialist investments and why they are, or aren’t, using them. Importantly, it has also given us a better idea of the role we can play in supporting and educating advisers to help them broaden their proposition add tangible value to clients and grow their businesses.

Professional connections

It was interesting to learn that 80% of advisers work with solicitors and accountants through third-party referrals. This is an area where we spend a lot of time helping advisers, giving them talking points and ideas to discuss with solicitors and accountants – finding opportunities within their client banks and growing the client book.

Octopus offers a host of materials for this sort of discussion, including tailored presentations. And our local BDMs can help advisers host seminars for accountants and solicitors. We will focus on this for Adviser Home users throughout the year.

Compliance and risk

Compliance and risk, due diligence, the regulator’s attitude and the impact of PI insurance are key themes in a lot of the feedback we receive. We have a host of supporting guidance and technical training to help mitigate and/or overcome these concerns and will look to develop additional support for advisers.

Education and technical training

This is a key theme, and we run events throughout the year to help advisers increase their technical understanding of these products, and how they can be used to help clients. In the meantime, each region has an Octopus BDM who can support advisers in one-to-one meetings and CPD training, and we’d be delighted to hear from any advisers who would find this valuable.

In summary, we’re excited to be supporting the Adviser Home community. Along with the input we get from Andy and Brendan, we will use the survey insights to develop a range of resources and events for its members over the coming months. Watch this space! "

 

For more on Tax Planning Investments visit>>

17 July 2014

We would like to hear your views on PI

We know that many advisers have strong views on PI insurance and by taking part in our research you will help us gain a deeper understanding of your requirements. This will allow us to shape the content we provide on this subject.  Your responses will also help the work we do with our PI partners to provide the products and support you need.

After you complete the survey you will be sent a full report on the findings. All feedback will be confidential and any published results will not be attributed to individual responses.

Also, if you complete the survey you will gain the opportunity to win £150 worth of Amazon vouchers.

Click here to complete the survey.

Many thanks - Adviser Home.

Survey closes - 1st August 2014

09 July 2014

Easier protection business

LifeQuote Protection Service helps you write more protection business by saving you time and money

LifeQuote boasts the best quotation technology in the UK for protection A full tele-underwriting service across all providers LifeQuote will administer your cases through to completion on your behalf

Life Quote are running webinars 16th and 17th July to help advisers understand their model and explain how LifeQuote can save you time, enabling you to write more business, spend more time servicing clients and less time completing applications and calling GP surgeries!

To register for one of the 30 minute webinars, please follow the links below for the date of your choice:
Register here>>Adviser Home members webinar – 11am Wednesday 16th July
Register here>>Adviser Home members webinar – 11am Thursday 17th July

 
If you are unable to attend the webinar, but would like to find out more, then please contact LifeQuote - call or email Luke Barber on 07810 898652 or [email protected]
 

17 June 2014

Protection - Handling objections

No. 1 - "I can’t afford it"

 One objection many people have is that they can’t afford it. In response:

Ask your client if they could imagine taking a 1% pay cut because their employer was struggling. If they answer ‘Yes,’ tell them that by putting aside just 1% of their salary they can ensure their family receives 18 full years’ salary should they die. Let your client know that protection costs as little as the price for an MP3 download every day. Ask them how much they spend on life’s little extras. Use Zurichs Treats calculator (under Adviser Tools) to show them how spending on things like coffees, magazines and cinema trips quickly mounts up.

Show your client that by making just a few small adjustments each month, they could make sure that they and their family are protected if the worst should ever happen.

Look out for more tips from Zurich. By working together, we can get protection all wrapped up. 

How can you make sure that you have done all you can to help your clients protect themselves? That's where this online resource comes in, providing everything you need to advise your clients quickly and easily. 

Check out the Zurich interactive Objection Handling Toolkit 

09 June 2014

IHT planning strategies - Structured CPD Learning

Treasury statistics show that last year, one in 20 people were affected by inheritance tax. Octopus Investments IHT business line manager, Mark Williams interviewed by Mark Colegate for Akademia, explains tax planning wrappers, helping estate planning and longer term risks. And this video comes with CPD points. 

For more information on IHT solutions you can contact Octopus Investments on 0800 316 2067 or click here>>

02 June 2014

Tony Wickenden explains BPR

02 June 2014

Who earns what in Financial Services?

BWD, our partners for Professional Qualification support have produced their second annual Census looking at salaries, total earnings and benefits in the UK financial services sector. Fascinating reading – covers earnings by region, by gender and by job function. Also looks at the impact of qualifications on earnings.

To receive your copy click here>>

24 May 2014

Professional Connection Workshop

Our research tells us that working with Professional Connections is important to the IFA market. You may already have relationships in place or you may be starting from scratch. Which ever camp you fall into - This free workshop may be of interest to you.

It has been put together by Adviser Home to help IFAs build effective strategies to help win new clients & build Professional connections.

Three different businesses will be presenting, each with great ideas on how you can develop yours.

The workshops are going to be restricted to 15 at each event to allow for productive conversation, engagement and sharing of ideas. The workshop is for IFAs – business owners/decision makers and senior advisers.

4 locations – all morning sessions:

Harrogate - 11th June
Liverpool - 12th June
London - 17th June
Leicester - 24th June

Further details and registration can be found on the above links. We hope you find them on interest.

 

16 May 2014

Adviser Home brings Peer- to- Peer Lending to the Adviser Market

Over the last few months we have been working with RateSetter, a leader in the new peer- to- peer market, to help create an Adviser Portal to assist with your management of client’s cash or near cash deposits.

We are pleased to say the Portal is now live, and can be accessed at no cost for either you or your clients.

The sector is now regulated by the FCA ( from April 2014) and offers deposit rates significantly in excess of those normally available. The amounts on deposit have grown quickly as sectors of the consumer market recognise the value in this new approach. RateSetter has also gained a rating from FE, the first peer- to peer lender to be rated anywhere in the world. Naturally, you will also look at the risks associated with the underlying company.

We have gathered together some helpful information for you to consider whether these products may be of interest – either as near cash solutions for short term purposes, or longer term portfolio holdings as low risk investments.

If you have a look at this Adviser Home link you will see details of our Adviser Research, FCA Papers on the sector and a brief video from RateSetter. From there, you can register directly with the Adviser Portal.

We are pleased to be able to bring this new Adviser Portal to your attention – it’s been designed with intense adviser input and we feel it will act as a valuable business tool to help organise your clients’ cash holdings whilst offering very attractive rates.

12 May 2014

IT Helpline

24 April 2014

The Inducements question - what's in and what's out?

The FCA paper on inducements, here for your reference continues to cause much debate. Here’s a couple of views for you.

And one from us, expressed in Professional Adviser’s Armchair Critic column

Just one essential observation – the FCA paper makes it clear that the obligation to comply applies equally to both parties, so an invite does not imply regulatory permission to attend. Each firm, distributor and providers,  must develop their own policy and practice.

Interesting times!

14 April 2014

Budget - FCA guidance