What's on my mind

Buyers and sellers adapt to changing times

16th April 2019

Buying or selling an IFA business? Here’s what to consider Over the past five years there has been significant consolidation within the IFA sector. Hardly a day has passed without another deal being announced involving firms across the spectrum. Based on data from merger-and-acquisition advisers, funds spent on larger M&As in
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Five challenges to adviser remuneration arrangements

28th February 2019

Successfully implementing change is often the biggest issue for advice firms. Adviser remuneration – in particular, how to successfully implement change – continues to be a challenge for intermediary firms. This article highlights some of the current issues and suggests approaches to address them. 1. Will IR35 affect firms with self-employed
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Five minutes with… Roderic Rennison

24th January 2019

Leading consultant Roderic Rennison talks through his keys to winning new clients and learning to listen ahead of his appearance at the flagship Money Marketing Interactive Conference. What are the keys to winning over more consumers to start seeking advice? Relevance, clarity and accessibility. Financial planners need to demonstrate the relevance of
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10 steps to selling up successfully

5th December 2018

With all the noise around consolidation, advisers would be forgiven for thinking it is easy. It is not. Here are 10 steps to success. There has been no let-up in the pace of consolidation within the intermediary sector this year. Hardly a day goes by without the announcement of a deal.
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Weighing up the merits of employed and self-employed advisers

1st October 2018

The choice between employment or self-employment needs careful consideration by advisers and the firms employing them. A lot of debate has taken place over the years regarding the relative merits of advisers being self-employed versus employed. This article highlights some of the issues that I think need to be considered and
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Enabling your advisers to buy your business

23rd July 2018

Planning and training are key if you want your advisers to buy your business when the time comes to stand back. The past few years have seen an increase in the number of advice firm owners who, when the time comes, want to consider a sale to their employees as an
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10 steps to a solid strategic plan

2nd May 2018

A well-written, well-executed strategic plan is key to enhancing the value of an advice firm. It is easy to have thoughts, aims and aspirations but a significant challenge to translate them into a document your colleagues can buy into. Harder still to make them a reality. In many instances ideas remain just
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Adviser charging from the client’s perspective

2nd March 2018

Follow these five rules to get communication of this tricky issue right. I can hear you already: “Oh no, not another article on adviser charging…” But bear with me. Many advisers have (perhaps subconsciously) hitherto approached the matter from the perspective of what they are required to say based on regulatory
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How to get adviser remuneration right

15th January 2018

Too many business owners base remuneration structures on assumptions, missing the chance to make them work better for all involved. Remuneration, which encompasses salaries, bonuses and other variable pay such as incentives, is usually the largest expense item for advice firms. Yet many directors spend relatively little time on the design and
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Ten steps to acquisition success

21st December 2017

Integration is rarely easy but getting it right is key. There is a widely held view that the majority of acquisitions do not deliver long-term value to the acquirer. The Institute of Directors reckons this figure could be as high as 70 per cent, though it varies between market sectors. Here,
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Writing & Speaking

To read the various articles and papers I've written in the recent past, please click here