Who’s been IFA Talk-ing? A roundup of our February episodes

Continuing where we left off last month, February saw another full schedule of podcasts here in the IFA Talk studio, including our four regular special editions, along with our regular weekly series. IFA Magazine’s Content Editor Matt Williams reviews what wonderful guests we had join us in February, as well as giving a taste of who and what is coming up next month.

IFA Magazine’s regular podcast, IFA Talk, continues to be an essential resource for financial professionals. Whether you want to refine your expertise, explore innovative solutions, or just get some inspiration from leading voices in financial services, IFA Talk offers short, snappy episodes perfect for on-the-go learning and professional development. We really love recording them, and we hope you find them just as useful!

Along with our regular weekly series, which you can check out every Wednesday, we also brought you a full house of our special editions of IFA Talk in November. Our Tax-Efficient Investment (TEI), New Insurance & Protection (NI&P) and Mortgage and Property Investment (M&PI) specials, along with our special Wealth DFM Talk series on sister-site Wealth DFM, allow us to provide our valued listeners with a wider range of content.

Let’s look back at what we brought you in February, along with a sneak preview of what to expect in March.

The new CII President

We started February off a little different to normal, welcoming the new President of the Chartered Insurance Institute, Callum Beaton, to the studio. He joined us to chat about his journey to the role, his appointment, and his vision for the future of the profession.

Paraplanners under the spotlight

Next, we were joined by Steve Nelson, Insight Director at ‘the lang cat’, to chat through the latest State of the Advice Nation research. We looked at paraplanning as a career in its own right, how visible and understood the role really is, and what the research tells us about the challenges paraplanners still face behind the scenes.

Unifying adviser technology

After that, Defaqto’s CEO John Milliken talked about how advice businesses can move from integrating multiple tech platforms to a more unified operating model. This came after the company launched Defaqto Unity, to tackle the frustration of trying to manage different technology platforms that just don’t speak to each other.

Shaping the future of advice

Our final regular episode of IFA Talk this month featured Rowan Whittington, Chief Product Officer at Dynamic Planner. Rowan joined us to discuss data, unpacking what good data looks like inside a modern advice business, and how client behaviour is changing with real-time digital access.

Specials

Along with our regular series of IFA Talk podcasts, we also brought you a full house of specials, starting off with Foresight’s Lucy Clarke. Joining us for a Tax-Efficient Investment (TEI) special, we explored how the VCT landscape is evolving in response to shifting market conditions, new technologies and changing investor expectations.

Then on our special Mortgage & Property Investment edition, Phillip Wickenden, founder and CEO of Ad Lucem, shared his insights on the changing landscape of adviser-client conversations. He answered why later-life lending and ‘home-in-the-plan’ discussions are becoming increasingly central to financial planning.

Also, in protection terms, is whole of life the only solution for long term IHT?  Ken Maxwell, of John Lamb Hill Oldridge, explained how term assurance can play a useful part in the process too.

Lastly, we also brought you the latest instalment of Wealth DFM Talk, a sister podcast of IFA Talk. Nitesh Shah, Head of Commodities and Macroeconomic Research at WisdomTree, joined us to talk all things Gold. With the metal delivering its strongest run-in decades, Nitesh explains what’s driving the rally, along with sharing the outlook for gold and silver, and the catalysts that could shape markets in the months ahead.

Next month

Looking ahead, next month we’ll be opening the door to new ways of thinking about advice, technology and client engagement, with insights from Collidr, Raise Your EI and Octopus, alongside other standout voices from across the market. Expect practical ideas, forward-looking perspectives and conversations designed to spark fresh thinking for ambitious advice firms.

Check out our IFA Talk podcasts here!

Written by Matt Williams, IFA Magazine’s Content Editor