Amanda Newman Smith

London

Features Writer at Money Marketing

Tweets from Money Marketing feature writer Amanda Newman Smith

Featured in: Favicon

moneymarketing.co.uk Favicon

webwriterspotlight.com Favicon

technologyreview.com Favicon

mondaq.com Favicon

platinummediagroup.co.uk Favicon

cnet.com

flipboard.com

Articles

Do we need the second phase of the pensions review?

3 weeks ago | moneymarketing.co.uk | Amanda Newman Smith

Spring has sprung, so we should soon see the final report on the first phase of the government’s recent pensions review. However, as Money Marketing went to press, it was still a case of, ‘Watch this space’ for details of the second phase. This phase — looking into pensions adequacy — was expected to commence at the end of last year but was put on hold.
FA2B: Shaping the profession through reverse mentoring

3 weeks ago | moneymarketing.co.uk | Amanda Newman Smith

New entrants to the profession are often told how important it is to acquire a mentor. That way, they can learn from an experienced colleague. But mentoring does not have to be a one-way street. Whether newcomers to the advice sector are recent graduates or second careerists, they will have something to teach more experienced or senior colleagues too.
Cover story: Hidden vulnerabilities: How should advisers approach them?

1 month ago | moneymarketing.co.uk | Amanda Newman Smith

Picture this scenario. You’re an adviser and, suddenly every time you see a particular client, she asks for more money from her investments. This client can easily afford her increased expenditure but her spending has almost doubled in the past couple of years. As far as you are aware, her circumstances have not changed. There are no new hobbies or interests that can account for the increased spending.
Financial Adviser 2B: Sowing the seeds of a career in advice among school leavers

1 month ago | moneymarketing.co.uk | Amanda Newman Smith

Imagine if people had access only to careers with which they had a personal connection. It sounds absurd but the way in which young people come across careers in financial advice is perhaps not so different. Unless a parent or someone else they know is an adviser, financial advice rarely features on a young person’s radar as a potential career. You don’t see teachers talking about financial advice as a career.
In Focus: Do advisers need more training around vulnerability?

1 month ago | moneymarketing.co.uk | Amanda Newman Smith

Having awareness of clients in vulnerable circumstances and giving them the support they need are part and parcel of being an adviser, due to regulatory requirements. The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent review found that, although there were many positives — such as firms offering flexible and tailored support to clients in vulnerable circumstances — improvements still needed to be made.
Is the way advisers communicate with clients hitting the mark?

1 month ago | moneymarketing.co.uk | Amanda Newman Smith

One of the talking points within the financial advice profession is the ‘great wealth transfer’, whereby a huge amount of wealth is starting to pass from older to younger generations. It means advisers increasingly have to cater for clients of different generations, whose expectations may vary greatly. This is perhaps why different strands of the financial services industry are moving — or needing a slight nudge — in seemingly opposite directions.
What do changing perceptions of wealth mean for financial advice?

1 month ago | moneymarketing.co.uk | Amanda Newman Smith

Most of us would describe people who earn an annual six-figure sum as ‘wealthy’, given that the average salary in the UK is just under £35,000 a year. But HSBC’s recent report, ‘Your Money’s Worth: Defining Wealth in 2025’, shows that just one in 10 people earning £100,000 or more would see themselves as wealthy.
In Focus: Are the days of the annual review numbered?

2 months ago | moneymarketing.co.uk | Amanda Newman Smith

One of the things advisers need to do for their clients is provide them with annual reviews. This requirement was introduced by the Retail Distribution Review at the end of 2012, which created a contractual obligation for advisers to provide an ongoing service in return for the fee they charged. An annual review of investment portfolios is also a requirement under Mifid II, which came into effect in 2018.
Should wealthy clients act now ahead of the IHT pension changes?

2 months ago | moneymarketing.co.uk | Amanda Newman Smith

Pensions are an excellent estate-planning tool for high-net-worth (HNW) clients because they usually fall outside someone’s estate for inheritance tax (IHT) purposes. This has meant wealthy clients have been able to save into pensions with the intention of passing their pots to loved ones free of IHT when they die. But this is set to change in April 2027, when pensions will form part of a deceased’s taxable estate.
Should female-run advice firms remain in female hands?

2 months ago | moneymarketing.co.uk | Amanda Newman Smith

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is to ‘accelerate action’ around gender equality. But to what extent are female-run advice firms responsible for developing female talent? Is it important to keep their business in female hands, or does succession have to prioritise the right fit for clients regardless of gender?