Maria Merricks

Dec 6, 2024 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Maria Merricks

The car industry has mastered the art of offering us a personalised product at scale. Its trick is to offer us a small number of variants across multiple features to give us something that feels bespoke to us, but which is easy for it to manufacture. I wonder if this might offer us some clues of how we can build retirement plans that meet our clients’ needs but don’t overwhelm advice businesses in complexity and risk?

Nov 12, 2024 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Maria Merricks

Around this time last year, I wrote a column on how life has never been so tough for advisers. Unfortunately, this is still the case. In consideration of this, it might help to look at the wise words of that well-known business guru, Donald Rumsfeld:“As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.

Oct 17, 2024 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Maria Merricks

I have recently been spending a lot of time thinking about my business and what’s next for us. We’ve had a really good few years, from a growth perspective. We’ve integrated one acquisition and we’re looking at one or two others. We are in an objectively good shape. However, as the firm grows and more advisers join the team, we need to find a way to continue to build and for the business to be able to sustain itself.

Jul 29, 2024 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Maria Merricks |Steve Conley

The arrival of a new government, armed with a big majority but short of cash, has inevitably led to speculation about the potential for radical pension reform. Rumours abound about changes to tax-free cash, the introduction of flat rate tax relief and even means-testing the state pension. Providers and advisers are already reporting people bringing forward plans to take their tax-free lump sum now ‘just in case’ the option should be curtailed in future.

Jul 5, 2024 | moneymarketing.co.uk | Maria Merricks |Steven D. Levin

Japan has experienced plenty of false starts since the bursting of its asset price bubble in the 1990s. But this time feels different. The Nikkei 225 passed its bubble level peak in 2023 and has continued to power ahead in 2024. However, the gains have been limited to the beneficiaries of the weak yen, the domestic banks and a handful of value stocks. Are there signs this leadership could broaden out?