The show must go on | IFAM97/GBI26 | April edition is live now

by | Mar 30, 2021

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Take a look at the latest combination of IFA Magazine and GBI Magazine where we’re sure you’ll find plenty of insight, opinion, updates designed to get you thinking.

Ed’s Welcome

‘Empty spaces, what are we living for? Abandoned places, I guess we know the score’

 
 

There can be fewer more poignant songs than this, the final track on Queen’s album “Innuendo” released back in 1991, shortly before the tragic early death of their irreplaceable, flamboyant and hugely talented singer, Freddie Mercury.

The song’s lyrics particularly resonate at the moment, as people across England prepare to follow Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown and the other home nations follow similar paths too.

The scene is set for the various Covid restrictions, which have impacted our lives and livelihoods for so long, to start to ease. With the one year anniversary of the UK’s first lockdown just past, it reminds us of the terrible sadness which so many have endured through loss of loved ones or having faced mammoth personal survival battles after the dreaded virus struck.

 
 

However, our thoughts and plans must inevitably turn to the future and how the world of business may change as a result of everything we’ve been through this past year.

PLANNING AHEAD

Nationwide Building Society is the latest to reveal its new ‘work anywhere’ plan allowing its 13,000 employees the flexibility to work from home, office or a mix between the two. Their CEO Joe Garner, told the BBC “The last year has taught many of us that ‘how’ we do our jobs is much more important than ‘where’ we do them from”. Interesting!

 
 

So, how will the financial planning profession emerge from this year of lock-down? Will we all go rushing back to office life? Will home working and virtual meetings become the new ‘norm’? Or will it be a hybrid of the two?

One thing is for sure, financial planners have transformed the way that they do business over this past year. Many of the lessons learned, such as the greater use of technology, will be incorporated into general business practice for years to come regardless of whether workers are based at home or the office.

ON WITH THE SHOW

In this combined edition, Michelle Hoskin takes a deep dive into the subject of excellence in IFA Magazine, with practical tips to give your business proposition a proper spring clean. Faith Liversedge shares her insight into smarter working with introducers and Edward Grant delivers a sound evaluation of how you can support clients in vulnerable circumstances. There’s also a special section from M&G Investments on sustainable and impact investing We also talk ‘intergenerational planning’ with Prudential’s Head of Technical, Les Cameron, following their influential ‘Family Wealth Unlocked’ research report.

TAX YEAR-END PLANNING

With the end of tax year coinciding with the Easter weekend, it’ll be a busy time for planners – especially with regard to use of EIS, SEIS and VCT investments. GBI Magazine has plenty of pointers including questions to ask providers and some of the important things to look out for in different propositions which are available across the market.

As always, our thanks go to all our contributors for sharing their views with us this month. We hope you find it to be an interesting read. On behalf of the IFA Magazine and GBI Magazine teams, it remains for us to wish you and yours a happy Easter. Let’s hope the sun shines!

Sue Whitbread
Editor
IFA Magazine

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