Intergenerational planning in practice | IFAM 147 | April 2026

The future of family wealth today

This month’s issue brings together a strong mix of themes around how advice is evolving in response to both markets and changing client needs.

Building stronger portfolios

We start with our latest IFA Magazine reader survey research, carried out in conjunction with Schroders.

The results show just how embedded multi-asset solutions have become within adviser propositions, not just tactically, but as part of long-term portfolio construction. We also hear from James Tothill at Wesleyan, who takes a behavioural lens on investing. His piece is a reminder that client behaviour matters just as much as performance when it comes to long-term outcomes.

Intergenerational planning in focus

From there, the main theme of this month’s issue comes into focus: intergenerational planning.

It’s a topic that feels more relevant than ever, and the response we had was so strong we couldn’t include everything we wanted to, which says a lot about where advice is heading. First up, Robert Caplan of First Wealth, who makes the case that winning the next generation starts long before wealth changes hands. Then Elaine Cruickshank at Aegon sets out practical steps advisers can take now to prepare for the 2027 inheritance tax changes and the inclusion of pensions within the taxable estate.

That’s followed by David Batchelor of Wills & Trusts Partnership Ltd, who argues that intergenerational planning needs to move beyond a narrow focus on inheritance tax and consider the wider goals of the family. We then bring in a legal perspective from Tamasin Perkins at Charles Russell Speechlys, who examines the Barclay case and the risks that can arise when family and finance intersect.

From there, Richard Montague at BDO explores the 70% succession gap, highlighting how many families believe they have a plan in place when they don’t. Neil Jones at Standard Life also looks at the role of trusts in the Great Wealth Transfer and why they remain an important planning tool.

We then round off this focused section with my own feature, I look at the rise of the sandwich generation client, those supporting both parents and children, and the growing complexity this creates for advisers. 

Smarter communication and new ideas

After that, Matt Williams rounds up another busy month on IFA Talk, while Rowan Whittington at Dynamic Planner looks at how smarter communication can help firms improve engagement and reduce admin.

Brian McLaughlin of Pillar Client Services takes a closer look at the real cost of annual reviews, highlighting how much adviser time is often spent on activities that don’t require regulated advice, with a knock-on impact on both capacity and profitability.

We also have Chloe Gronow’s first feature this month, bringing together insights from our recent ‘In Focus’ February series on AI, focusing on where firms are already finding real value. Finally, we include an economy feature from our Editor Sue Whitbread, looking at the Middle East conflict and what it means for markets and clients.

Protection and planning

At the back of the magazine, instead of our usual mortgage and property section, we’ve included a dedicated New Insurance and Protection supplement. Cathering Stagg from Stagg Mortgage Service looks at protection’s role in estate planning, Alan Lakey from CIExpert explores its place in the IHT conversation, and Jack Southcott from The Exeter highlights what really matters when it comes to protection products.

As always, we hope this issue gives you plenty of useful ideas and conversations to take back to your clients.

Jenny Hunter
Deputy Editor, IFA Magazine