DISCUSS

So much emphasis on ensuring people don’t take on too much investment risk could be creating a different problem, argues David Coombs, head of multi-asset investments at Rathbones. Case study: dear old dad It’s my dad’s 80th birthday this week. He retired back in 1981...

No doubt you have seen column inches devoted to the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) decision to consult on a ban on contingent charging for Defined Benefit transfer advice. Here we explore the implications of a contingent charging ban and question whether we'll...

Unsustainable human activities have generated threats including climate change, associated with rising sea levels, extreme weather and flooding [1],[2]. Carbon emissions play a significant role in global warming, with current efforts focused on encouraging companies...

If you regularly read our content you will know that our friends at AKG provide Financial Strength ratings, which we believe should form an integral part of your research and due diligence processes. This week the team at AKG are celebrating three years since the...

It's official: today is the UK's hottest July day on record! Just an hour ago temperatures reached 36.9C at Heathrow in west London and to mark the occasion we've compiled a list of the 7 hottest articles on our site (so far) this year. These articles have attracted...

Over almost 30 years UK house price gains have outperformed the best of British businesses. What next? What’s your biggest financial asset? For most Britons, it’s their home. Around 2.5 million Britons have doubled down on property and become buy-to-let landlords....

Boutique investment firms have become increasingly more attractive in the wealth management marketplace in recent years because their managers, who often have left larger, more- traditional work environments, tend to have a great passion for markets and investing....

We have all heard about Centralised Investment Propositions (CIPs), here at DISCUS we've been helping advisers build them for many years. A hot topic right now, which many of the advice firms we speak with are seeking to address, is the creation of a CRP (Centralised...

Every now and then I come across an initiative I can't wait to share with our readers, and this time it's the GAM Investment Academy. It addresses a need incredibly close to my heart - that of financial education for investors - not just here in the UK, but in other...

In conversations with advisers and providers alike, it's clear that the biggest challenge they've had to overcome in recent years has been 'the implementation of MiFID II'. That's why I was interested to read recent research from our friends at AKG, capturing the...

In response to adviser and client demand we have two 'ethical' managers on our site (I'm using quote marks, because I'm not sure if this label is out of date, given recent innovations in this area. Perhaps I should use 'values-based investment managers'?). One of...

With unsustainable business practices in the public eye, environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are becoming ever more important to companies, says Jessica Craven, Head of Responsible Investment at commodity trade finance specialists Kimura Capital...

It is often written that “uncertainty creates opportunity”. While this sounds trite, it is nevertheless true. Uncertainty can create opportunity through low prices. All investors know that Brexit has effected the UK equity market negatively; this is not however a one...

Financial professionals are familiar with regulatory compliance requirements, including policies on treating customers fairly, anti-money laundering, data protection and anti-bribery. Professional bodies also have codes of conduct. However, following past financial...

We recently posted this article Why Aren't Women Investing? to share new research presented by Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management. Since then, I've had a number of conversations with people right across our profession to explore how we can address this important...

As investment managers we are an inherently risky business. We need to understand the risks we’re taking and, where possible, try to hedge against risks we’re concerned about. Going down this rabbit hole can take you into the realms of the known knowns, known unknowns...

Once upon a time, the world looked simple. As long as economies were undisturbed by the whims of politicians, people thought the pie would grow to everyone’s benefit. Politicians, for their part, used to go along with this. The hands-off approach to managing the...

If you were given a blank sheet of paper to design an investment management business that works solely with financial advisers, you might come up with something pretty close to Alpha Beta Partners’ model. A relatively new entrant to the discretionary fund management...