Author: Aisha Mahmood

Financial advice firm consolidation dominated debate at the Money Marketing Interactive conference, held on 6 October 2026 at County Hall, London, where panellists argued that the size of a practice tells investors remarkably little about the quality of counsel they will receive. Victoria Hicks, chief executive of Melo, opened the discussion bluntly: both the best and the worst financial advice she has encountered has come from small businesses. Greg Moss, who runs Eleven.2 Financial Planning, broadly agreed, acknowledging that ‘big can be good or bad’ before admitting, with some candour, that he ‘hated a lot of’ small firms despite owning…

The Scottish Friendly Fidelity acquisition of pension and annuity in-payment books of business completed on 7 October, with the financial mutual confirming it has taken on £2.3bn in assets and around 35,000 policyholders from Fidelity International. The deal lifts Scottish Friendly’s total assets under management to approximately £6.8bn, a material step-change for a mutual that reported £4.4bn in assets under management at the end of 2025, up from £4.3bn a year earlier, according to Money Marketing. What the Scottish Friendly Fidelity acquisition means for transferring policyholders For the 35,000 customers moving across, the practical question is continuity. Scottish Friendly has…

UK equity fund outflows extended their run in September, with investors withdrawing a net £858m from equity funds while adding more than £1bn to bonds and cash, according to data published by CB Insights on Calastone. Rising yields have made lower-risk assets increasingly attractive, and the shift now looks less like a tactical adjustment and more like a structural reappraisal of portfolio positioning. UK equity fund outflows deepen as the trend enters its second year Calastone’s Fund Flow Index showed equity funds recorded their 15th month of outflows in the last 16, taking year-to-date net withdrawals to £5.45bn. Looked at…

Low-risk portfolio construction is overdue a fundamental review, investment experts told delegates at the Money Marketing Interactive conference, arguing that the assumptions underpinning cautious strategies for much of the post-financial-crisis era may no longer hold in an environment shaped by persistent inflation, elevated interest rates and deepening geopolitical uncertainty.For those managing SIPPs or advising clients approaching retirement, the warning carries particular weight. The cautious, bond-heavy portfolio that preserved capital and generated income reliably for a generation is, according to panellists, no longer the straightforward safe harbour it once appeared.Low-Risk Portfolio Construction Under ScrutinyThe critique centres on duration risk and the…

The financial advice profession’s diversity problem runs deeper than a simple pipeline shortage, Hayley Rabbets, head of evergreen at Calton, told delegates at MMI London 2026 on 6 October. Speaking from her own experience, Rabbets argued that structural barriers, not a lack of willing candidates, are the central obstacle to building a sustainable advisory workforce.Rabbets began with her own entry into the profession: she found a role as a receptionist at an advice firm after scanning local newspaper job listings. She had no relevant experience, but the firm gave her a chance. ‘I was lucky they opened that door,’ she…

The finfluencer regulation debate and the widening advice gap were placed squarely before a room of UK financial planners at MMI London 2026 on 6 October, where a panel of international advisers argued that the profession must do far more to assert its credibility in a world where TikTok and artificial intelligence have become default financial guides for millions of consumers. Michael Yuille, a certified financial planner at Hoxton Wealth, opened bluntly. He argued that the sheer volume of consumers falling victim to financial scams, including cases he described witnessing in South Africa, underlined the urgency for regulated advisers to…

An All-Party Parliamentary Group has called for an independent APPG FCA whistleblower probe following the death of former banker Simon Andriesz, whose 35 years in the securities industry ended with him raising concerns about financial wrongdoing and, according to the parliamentary group, facing alleged retaliation for doing so.The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Investment Fraud and Fairer Financial Services said Andriesz’s case, considered alongside testimony from other whistleblowers, raised serious questions about how the Financial Conduct Authority treats individuals who come forward to report misconduct. The APPG did not limit its concern to a single case; it framed Andriesz’s experience as…

Simon Andriesz, the whistleblower whose death has thrown a harsh light on the treatment of those who come forward with concerns in financial services, died by suicide at a trauma treatment centre in Thailand, where he had been receiving treatment. Andriesz, aged 57, had spent more than 35 years in financial services and had become a prominent campaigner after raising allegations linked to US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.His death was confirmed by his friend and adviser, John Robertson, who told Money Marketing that Andriesz had died a week before Robertson spoke publicly about…

The Capel Asset Management launch marks the formal arrival of a new boutique in the UK alternatives space, following a management buyout from Downing that transfers more than £405m of assets under management to the independent firm from day one. The business has been carved out of Downing’s liquid alternatives team, with two existing funds and an external mandate forming its opening portfolio. What Capel Asset Management brings to market Capel’s leadership team comprises chief executive Russell Catley, chief investment officer Paul Adams, head of multi-asset Jon Gumpel, and non-executive chairman Richard Watts. According to Downing, Catley brings over 35…