2024 Programme
Information and timings below are currently provisional and subject to change
Browse the exhibition with coffee and pastry in hand.
A warm welcome and look at the day ahead.
The longer a trend continues, the more structural it seems. But long cycles are still cycles, and just because something has happened for years does not mean it will persist forever.
Nearly 15 years of low inflation and interest rates have left investors concentrated in the biggest beneficiaries of that regime. With valuations where they are, that presents risks. As the market and valuation cycle unfolds amid less predictable inflation, tomorrow’s winners could look very different to the winners of the last decade.
In this presentation, we lay out a simple framework for the market and valuation cycle. We then look at history to help judge where we are in the current cycle, what the next era might look like, and what investors can do about it.
By the end of this session, delegates will be able to:
- Understand the drivers of the market and valuation cycle
- Articulate the concentrations that have emerged in investor portfolios
- Explain the long-term forces contributing to higher inflation
As the "painful" Autumn Budget approaches, we explore the possible changes the government may consider and the impact these will have on financial planning.
Learning objectives:
- Update clients on The Pensions Review and Pensions Schemes Bill
- Develop action points that will help clients understand implications of the Value for Money framework
-
Explain different measures the Government could take in the upcoming budget
Refresh and re-caffeinate whilst you meet and catch up on the latest news and updates from our exhibitors.
Consumer Duty has been at top of mind and top of the agenda for anyone working in financial services so, post implementation, what’s working, what isn’t, and what are people doing differently now? With the help from data from our Schroders annual adviser survey, we look at the impact that Consumer Duty is having on running an adviser business and the best practices around measurement and benchmarking.
After attending this session, delegates will be able to:
- Explain how Consumer Duty is transforming the advice industry
- Demonstrate how to address some of the required outcomes based on practical examples
- Summarise some ‘hints and tips’ to support client understanding and improve your client communication
It is 2034, and time to look back at all that has changed in the advice profession since the epic PA360 event of 2024. Remember when Consumer Duty had just been introduced, the FCA's retirement review was hot off the press, and the SDR was in its infancy? Can you believe that advisers were still using multiple systems with separate data sets? AI was the latest tech development that people didn’t really understand, the future of the platform market seemed up for grabs, and the supply chain of solutions being used by advisers was developing rapidly.
Let’s look back and see how far the advice market has come – in terms of tech, regulation, service offerings, and, of course, delivery against the expectations of end consumers of the UK.
Recent FCA guidance on retirement income advice puts a lot of emphasis on creating a robust plan, showing how to achieve the client’s objectives based on all the information on file. But it’s not just about the hard data - it’s also about knowing the traits of the client, their need for flexibility and various retirement goals. And it doesn’t stop after the initial plan has been implemented.
In this session, we’ll explore some ideas as well as industry guidance to show the breadth of issues to review throughout retirement and into later life.
Learning Objectives:
- Examine the key factors in a review process
- Discuss key industry guidance on good practice relating to pension reviews
- Recognise the impact of health, ageing and other client characteristics
The 2020s have gotten off to a choppy start: a global pandemic and a major war between Russia and Ukraine have caused significant disruption in the global economy and financial markets. Looking forward, it seems that we are now embarking on a period of increased uncertainty compared to the relatively benign period following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Policymakers and investors face a series of challenges that will need tackled, including energy security, ageing populations, a reconfiguration of global trade and commerce, and greater geopolitical risk. It promises to be a difficult market environment. In this presentation, Adrian Lowcock from Evelyn Partners will attempt to shed some light on these themes, and provide some ideas for how investors might navigate them.
By the end of the session you will be able to
- Describe how global mega trends are shaping the investment landscape
- Explain to clients about where these assets may be invested and why
- Understand how Evelyn Partners is managing portfolios
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become the major investment theme of the last 12 months. Stocks like Nvidia have grabbed the headlines, but how do investors capture the long-term opportunity and not the hype?
Sagar will explain how they apply discipline to investing in AI with their four key tenets:
- Growth drives long-term returns
- Quality reflects an effective business
- Valuation helps to avoid overpaying
- Conviction means a concentrated, low-turnover portfolio
Learning objectives:
- Explain to clients how they can capture long term investment opportunities in AI
- Describe the four tenets of Guinness Global Investors fund philosophy
-
Summarise the important investment fundamentals to consider
- A review of the latest Spring Budget proposals that relate directly or indirectly to financial planning together with a review of the current and potential future tax context for investment of capital .
- How the current tax context impacts on investment wrapper choice .
- The increased role of the UK investment bond in tax effective planning for Accumulation , Decumulation and Wealth transfer.
- Break down the latest intelligence on what the Spring Budget delivered and what the tax landscape looks like for financial planning leading up to and possibly after the Budget on 30th October
- Evaluate the implications of frozen / reduced tax allowances, exemptions and thresholds on investment wrapper choice and how to incorporate this understanding into financial plans to deliver Advice and Tax Alpha and to achieve good Consumer Duty Outcomes
- Illustrate the key choices (and their tax implications) in relation to tax efficient Accumulation Decumulation and wealth transfer on an “all asset “ basis
- Explain how an onshore investment bond can deliver tax efficient solutions in Accumulation, Decumulation and Wealth Transfer
Discuss the highlights and lessons from the morning sessions over lunch, and connect with exhibitors to discover how they can support you and your business challenges.
By the end of this session attendees will be able to:
- Recognise how the retirement income landscape has changed
- List the biggest challenges for retirees during these turbulent times
- Outline the prospects for future growth
- Define the opportunity for innovation in the market
Discussing the positive impact a rules-based and data-driven fund selection system can have on –
- The consistency of client outcomes over time.
- The confidence of the adviser in the decisions made over time.
- The confidence of both in the service more broadly.
Can you be sure that your Managed Portfolio Service (MPS) provider has what it takes to meet the ever-evolving regulatory criteria? The FCA’s Consumer Duty directive, which came into effect in July 2023, is causing advisers to appraise and realign their processes and propositions. In the following five questions, we outline what to look out for to ensure that your clients are getting the best outcomes from your chosen Managed Portfolio Service (MPS).
At Quilter Cheviot, our innovative ‘Building Blocks’ approach to portfolio construction provides key benefits for advisers and their clients. The structure gives our fund managers greater flexibility at a lower cost, so they have complete freedom to base investment decisions on the quality of investments, rather than the cost of the investments.
Now is the time to review your MPS providers to make sure they have the right answers to the following five questions.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Define the characteristics of a 'typical' MPS, the challenges that these can present and the potential advantages of truly active management in terms of flexibility, returns and risk management.
- Articulate what a dynamic, responsive investment process looks like and the benefits that it brings your clients.
-
Evaluate the complexities managing multiple mandates across a range of platforms can present in terms of operational efficiency and consistency of both costs and holdings.
The use of risk profilers and risk ratings have grown in popularity and influence over recent years. But what does that risk number actually mean?
By the end of this session attendees will be able to:
- Explain why a risk rating is different from risk targeting
- Demonstrate how a risk target can help support the advice process.
- Summarise how a risk target can result in positive client outcomes.
Albemarle Street Partners’ Charlie Parker will discuss how to help your clients understand fundamental investment concepts, the powerful impact anxiety levels have on long-term outcomes for investors and some of the tools we can use to make a difference.
By the end of the session you will be able to:
- Understand the role of anxiety in driving long-term investment outcomes
- Explain how to distinguish between risk aversion and anxiety
- Develop ways of communicating with clients to help reduce the behaviours associated with anxiety which can lead to worse long-term retirement outcomes
- Build a tool-box of favourite simple graphs to have better conversations about markets
Do you have a plan to tackle the great wealth transfer?
Our new research shows that 69% of advisers don’t.
So how do you get started? What are steps should you take? And how can you put in place a plan for spouses as well as beneficiaries?
This research-led presentation from Octopus Investments will give you practical tips to support you clients and their families, and to help you retain assets when they pass to the next generation.
This session will cover:
- Identify insights from our survey of financial advisers and advised investors.
- Define the size of the opportunity the Great Wealth Transfer represents.
- Illustrate practical steps you can take to support clients and retain assets under advice.