Who’s been IFA TALKing this month? A roundup of August’s podcasts

August was another busy month for us in the IFA Talk studio, providing a diverse mix of insights, expert guests and discussions.

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!

We also brought you the latest edition of Wealth DFM Talk, a new monthly podcast series from our sister site Wealth DFM, which focuses on the big ideas shaping the world of wealth management.

Without further ado, let’s take a look back at what we brought you in August, along with a sneak preview of what to expect in September.

From Farmer to Partner

We kicked August off by welcoming Stuart Coombe to the IFA Talk studio to discuss his unique journey from farmer to paraplanner to partner. Stuart, who is now a partner and rural specialist at Old Mill, joined the firm as a paraplanner back in 2008, and he joined us to outline his path, revealing what first drew him to financial services and how he tackled the shift from paraplanning to advising.

Making the most of your first client meeting

Next up, we were delighted to be joined by Melissa Kidd to discuss an ever-important topic: your first client meeting. Melissa, who works as a Director, Speaker and Soft Skills expert, is on a mission to help advisers make the most of that all-important first hour with a potential client.

Succession planning under new IHT rules

The new IHT rules have raised a number of concerns, with recent changes and potential further tightening of the rules meaning some families could face extremely high tax burdens. Fortunately, we were joined by Bishop Fleming’s Tax Partner, Peter Ball, who shared his expert insights and may have alleviated some concerns.

Can AI create better workplaces?

In our final regular IFA Talk episode of the month, we welcomed not one, but two guests to the studio to discuss an ever-present topic: Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. But one benefit of AI, which perhaps doesn’t get brought up often, is the potential improvements to workplace culture. Jenny Segal and Annabel Gillard joined us to reveal how AI can transform workplace culture.

New Insurance & Protection special

In August, we also brought you the latest episode in our monthly New Insurance and Protection series here on IFA Talk. This time, we welcomed Mike Pritchard, Programme Manager (Distribution Quality Management), Retail Protection at Legal & General, who discussed the vital role financial advisers play in delivering better protection outcomes for clients.

Wealth DFM Talk

As I mentioned earlier, this month also saw the return of our new Wealth DFM Talk series. This time, we were joined by Aberdeen’s Gabriel Sacks to explore the relatively untapped opportunities across Asian and emerging market equities.

What to expect in September

Next month looks set to be even busier for us in the IFA Talk studio, with a host of new editions in our regular IFA Talk series, along with the latest instalments in our New Insurance & Protection, Tax-Efficient Investment, and Wealth DFM Talk specials.

We are excited to bring you an episode with L&G’s Francis Chua, who joins us to outline how advisers can build successful partnerships with MPS providers.

Also, we’ll have an episode with Barerock’s Lee Robertson, where he reveals Barerock’s mission to reward quality advice.

On three occasions in September, we will welcome two guests at a time to share their collective insight on a range of topics. Two of which come from our regular IFA Talk series, with the first being with Pilot’s Nick Ryan and David Mills. Nick and David cut through the chaos to streamline advice tech, sharing why now is the time for advisers to take back control of their tech.

After that, we welcome two Steves to the studio, which I’m sure will cause no confusion whatsoever! Steve Owen and Steve Coleman from Morningstar Wealth reveal what advisers and paraplanners want and need from retirement planning.

Next month’s New Insurance & Protection special also sees two guests share their expert insights, with Lifesearch’s Debbie Kennedy and Homeowners Alliance’s Paula Higgins talking about the need to protect clients effectively.

Meanwhile, our latest Tax-Efficient Investment special welcomes Triple Point’s Diana French to discuss how to navigate tax-efficient planning in the era of rising taxes.

We’ll also bring you the latest in our series of Wealth DFM Talk and Mortgage & Property Investment specials, so watch this space on those!

Be sure to check out all episodes of IFA Talk on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon!

You can also listen to all episodes of our all-new Wealth DFM Talk podcast series on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon!