REMIND ME WHY WE’RE DOING THIS AGAIN?

There’s a theme running through the FCA’s Consultation Paper 16/12: Secondary Annuity Market proposed rules and guidance. If you’ve braved all 112 pages (or any of them really) you might have spotted it. Here are some clues! Paragraph 1.7, We believe that there is a significant risk of poor outcomes for consumers in the secondary […]

Miss Woodhouse demands (more accessible and useful disclosure documents)

In Jane Austen’s Emma, during the rather bad-tempered picnic to Box Hill, mischief-making Frank Churchill addresses the assembled party. He asserts that Miss Emma Woodhouse wishes to be entertained and so demands from each of them ‘one thing very clever! or two things moderately clever; or three things very dull indeed.’ Mr Frank Churchill’s highly […]

Miss Woodhouse demands (more accessible and useful disclosure documents)

In Jane Austen’s Emma, during the rather bad-tempered picnic to Box Hill, mischief-making Frank Churchill addresses the assembled party. He asserts that Miss Emma Woodhouse wishes to be entertained and so demands from each of them ‘one thing very clever! or two things moderately clever; or three things very dull indeed.’ Mr Frank Churchill’s highly […]

Disclosure despair: breaking the cycle

Today (13 May 2014) The FCA published the outcome of a thematic review into how fund charges are presented to customers. I encourage you to read it here. It’s only 13 pages long, including the covers and all that, and is clearly and concisely written. They had to, really! In common with the issue of […]

Disclosure despair: breaking the cycle

Today (13 May 2014) The FCA published the outcome of a thematic review into how fund charges are presented to customers. I encourage you to read it here. It’s only 13 pages long, including the covers and all that, and is clearly and concisely written. They had to, really! In common with the issue of […]

My life as a pie chart

So I came across this article today, called Retiring The Portfolio Screenshot. I opened it thinking it was something about what clients see about their investments on wrap platforms. But it isn’t. It’s about creative types doing better demos of the work they’ve done for clients. So, you know, whatever and good luck to them […]

GC12-06 – The Little Paper That Makes A Big Difference

Back in the mists of last August, I mentioned the FSA Says, We’re Rubber, You’re Glue, It Bounces Off Us And Sticks To You! here that the FSA were looking newly buffed and getting punchy with the industry, right there in print. That buffing is reaffirmed in their latest exocet, Guidance Consultation 12-06, which came […]

A low speed train crash

So it’s been ages since I last posted, most remiss of me, sorry for causing an aching void in your lives, that sort of thing. It’s been a busy old time at the lang cat; we’ve been involved in all sorts of fun stuff from TCF reviews of platform literature right through to proposition development […]

An open letter to Hargreaves Lansdown

Dear HL Unlike many others in my sector, I’m a big fan of yours. I’m such a big fan that I’m a client – there, I’ve said it. And yes, I hold L&G and HSBC passive funds in my portfolio (such as it is). I’m not daft enough to think that I’m getting something for […]

Cofunds get their transparency on

So I had the pleasure of attending the Cofunds’ relaunch / refresh / briefing today, wherein Martin, Verona and the gang told us about their plans for unbundling and changing the Cofunds proposition over the next year or so. I’ve been looking forward to this announcement as I am a bit of a fan of […]

Impact of poor service

/ White papers

The Impact of Poor Service

We provided the research for a report, in conjunction with Parmenion, which reveals how far short of expectations many adviser platforms are falling. The research found that over the last 12 months, 88% of advisers needed to apologise to at least one of their clients on behalf of a platform, and that poor service delivery from platforms impacts 91% of advisers every day.

Impact of poor service

/ White papers

The Impact of Poor Platform Service

We provided the research for a report, in conjunction with Parmenion, which reveals how far short of expectations many adviser platforms are falling. The research found that over the last 12 months, 88% of advisers needed to apologise to at least one of their clients on behalf of a platform, and that poor service delivery from platforms impacts 91% of advisers every day.

/ White papers

Answering the Call

Service means a lot of things to a lot of different people. It’s so subjective it can be hard to put your finger on. This paper aims to challenge the status quo and inertia that’s built up in the sector for many years.