-
Dec 5, 2024 | 
thelangcat.co.uk | Mike Barrett
Price is what you pay, value is what you get. This is one of the more frequently quoted Warren Buffett phrases, and it forms the basis of the Meaning of Value research we’ve recently conducted on behalf of Royal London. We’ll return to the first part of that equation later, but in the first instance, let’s focus on value. Value is subjective, and in context to the product or service you are purchasing. People will make different value judgements for different products or services on a daily basis.
-
Nov 20, 2024 | 
thelangcat.co.uk | Mike Barrett
Kia Ora. Mike here, easing you gently into another weekly Update. Yesterday we launched the second annual “Meaning of Value” report, commissioned by Royal London. You can download a free copy of the report from the Royal London website. This is one of the more in-depth studies we undertake, combining both consumer and adviser views, and as always we are eternally grateful to the advisers who gave up their time to help with the research.
-
Nov 13, 2024 | 
community.spiceworks.com | Mike Barrett
mikebarrett8293 (Mike Barrett) November 13, 2024, 2:34pm 1 We have one user in our helpdesk system that will no longer get an email sent to them on tickets they’ve created or are CC’d on. Looking back at our email logs the last email they received from Spiceworks was from the end of the April. I’ve tried deleting and recreating their user account in Spiceworks but the problem still persists.
-
Oct 31, 2024 | 
thelangcat.co.uk | Mike Barrett |Katey Pigden
By Mike Barrett and Katey PigdenThe big, tax-raising Budget has come with a deluge of supporting documents, consultations and proposals. As we pore over the detail, here are some of our initial thoughts about how the chancellor’s speech is likely to land with advisers and planners, and how it might shape and potentially change advice to clients.
-
Aug 14, 2024 | 
moneymarketing.co.uk | Simon Collins |Mike Barrett |Roderic Rennison
Recurring themes to come from the heightened level of supervisory activity recently undertaken by the Financial Conduct Authority emphasise where it gets frustrated. For example, firms not being sufficiently proactive in tackling an issue, waiting instead to see if the regulator will intervene to address it. Failure to be proactive is likely to cause firms more trouble in the long run, especially if consumer redress becomes an issue.
-
Aug 6, 2024 | 
moneymarketing.co.uk | Dan Cooper |Mike Barrett |Steve Conley
Rathbones is now live on Iress’ Xplan advice software. In a statement published today, (6 August), Rathbones said the move would help support its financial planning business. Xplan will also be the financial planning platform of choice for Rathbones’ upcoming integration with Investec Wealth & Investment. Iress’s managing director, UK wealth, Alex Hore, said: “We are thrilled to be working with an organisation such as Rathbones, which is known for its pedigree and high standards.
-
Aug 6, 2024 | 
moneymarketing.co.uk | Mike Barrett |Momodou Musa Touray
For the advice profession, Consumer Duty was always more about evolution as opposed to revolution. Equally so, as the Financial Conduct Authority has repeatedly stated, it was never going to be a one-and-done exercise. As we pass the first anniversary of implementation, both statements have proved to be correct. We’ve seen plenty of signs of positive evolution but, in some cases, more work is needed to fully embed and enforce the new rules.
-
Jul 17, 2024 | 
thelangcat.co.uk | Mike Barrett
Greetings – Mike here again. Apparently, my Update from a couple of weeks ago was so popular that our dear readers have been LITERALLY BEGGING for me to come back. Either that or Mark is still on holiday…Anyway. Lots on my mind this week. Our recent advice gap paper launch is still getting loads of nice coverage (see links below) with lots of nice people saying nice things about it all. Which is nice. No rest for this feline though as a couple of large projects are kicking off.
-
Jul 3, 2024 | 
thelangcat.co.uk | Mike Barrett
Welcome. Mike here, holding things together while the Boss does whatever he does on his time off. I trust you are all well. Big week this week. Not only is there something happening tomorrow, but far more importantly (at least in our world) we launched the 2024 edition of our Advice Gap research earlier this morning. This is the 6th time this particular study has been published, stretching all the way back to 2015 when Citizen’s Advice kicked things off.
-
Jul 3, 2024 | 
ftadviser.com | Mike Barrett
Research by the Lang Cat found the number of people paying for advice has fallen from 11 per cent to 9 per cent in the past year, despite the introduction of the FCA’s consumer duty. The survey revealed 80 per cent of advisers believed the regulation has actually made it harder for them to service clients. This has particularly impacted those with low investable assets, with 55 per cent of advisers having stopped serving them as a result.
