Latest Editions

• 

  MARCH 2020

  THIS ISSUE

  VIEW YOUR MAGAZINE ONLINE HERE

  OR AS A PDF HERE: PP_March_2020

  What you’ll find  inside this issue:

  Paraplanner profile

  Luan Mahoney tells Rob Kingsbury how she progressed her career from mortgage administrator to head of operations and a partner with Chadney Bulgin

  SPECIAL REPORT

  Insights from the recent Professional Paraplanner Team Leader Seminar

  TAX SPECIAL: End-of-year tax planning

  Preparing for Tax Year End
  Paraplanners talk about the increased workload, how they tackle last minute demands and share their top tips for staying in control.

  Business Property Relief
  Business Property Relief is helping advice firms to unlock estate planning opportunities, says Paul Latham, Octopus Investments

  Pension tax planning
  Which clients do you need to focus on at this busy time running up to the end of the tax year?

  TECHNICAL & PRACTICAL

  Pensions
  Denton’s Stephen McPhillips, looks at unauthorised payments from registered pensions schemes that are SIPPs or SSAS

  Trusts
  Trust registration deadlines are changing and paraplanners need to know about them

  Portfolio performance evaluation
  Use of money-weighted and time-weighted rate of return measurements when evaluating performance of an investment portfolio

  Business Protection
  Ensuring business owners have the right insurance protection in place not just for their personal circumstances, but also for their business, can be a valuable part of their financial planning, says Scottish Widows’ Chris Dunne

  Viewpoint
  Natalie Bell, co-founder & director of The Art of Finance, on finding and keeping good people

  Para-meters
  This issue we asked you about pension tax relief

  Recruitment rights and wrongs
  How do you ensure you employ the right paraplanner for the role? Michelle Hoskin looks at where firms get it right – and wrong

  Professional comment
  What are goals’, ‘objectives’, ‘strategy’ and ‘tactics’ and how do you use them? Robert Harper, PFS Paraplanner Panel member considers this question in relation to client portfolios

  THE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

  Average performance
  When is average better than average? Simon Evan-Cook, senior investment manager, Premier Miton Investors, uses the body size of 1940s US Airforce pilots to explain.

  Markets
  Are US equities still worth the risk? Darius McDermott, managing director, FundCalibre looks at the pressures on the US economy and markets

   

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• 

  FEBRUARY 2020

  THIS ISSUE

  VIEW THE MAGAZINE ONLINE HERE

  OR DOWNLOAD IT AS A PDF HERE:  PP FEB 2020 issue

  IN THIS ISSUE

  Paraplanner Profile

  Benjamin Fabi talked to Rob Kingsbury about the first two years of running his outsourced paraplanning firm Principled Paraplanning, his ethos and why he has specialised

  In this month’s Viewpoint paraplanner Damian Zhang contemplates whether cashflow modelling is king.

  PFS comment

  As well as setting up her firm Unity Paraplanning, in late 2019 Kat Mock joined the PFS Paraplanner Panel. Here, she talks about why and her goals for 2020

  SIPPS

  How can a SIPP make a loan to an unconnected party? Using a case study to illustrate, Stephen McPhillips, technical sales director, Dentons Pension Management, explains

  TDQ (Training Development Qualifications)

  We look at Discounted Gift Trusts, useful IHT planning schemes and are often tested in the CII AF1 Personal Tax and Trust paper

  Protecting a client’s home

  Scottish Widow’s Chris Dunne looks at insurance necessary to protect a client’s family home

  In our 5 minutes with… article, Rebecca Lucas talks to Rob Kingsbury about her decision to launch her App, WrapCompare

  What happens when a client dies?

  Advice firms should make supporting a client’s executors their New Year’s resolution, says Octopus’s Ben Charrington

  The Investment Committee

  Outlook for 2020

  David Jane and the Premier Miton Multi Asset team give their collective assessment of themes and trends to consider in 2020 and beyond

  Infrastructure investing

  Darius McDermott, managing director of FundCalibre looks at the evolution and growth opportunities of infrastructure investing

  Guide to…

  This issue we look at Investment trusts. The AIC’s Elmley de la Cour provides insight into investment companies and how they can be used in client portfolios

  CISI comment

  F.I.R.E. Could this be a new strategy for a new decade? Maybe, says Jacqueline Lockie, head of Financial Planning, CISI

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• 

  DECEMBER 2019

  THIS ISSUE

  VIEW THE MAGAZINE HERE

  Where are they now?
  For this issue’s Paraplanner Profile Rob Kingsbury revisited three of our cover stars to see how their careers had progressed since last we spoke with them.

  Viewpoint: Suitability report writing
  When engaging with clients it’s all about ‘you’, says Dan Atkinson, head of Technical at EQ Investors

  Vulnerability and capability
  Does being vulnerable mean a client isn’t capable of making financial decisions? Jacqueline Lockie, head of Financial Planning at the CISI, uses a case study to delve deeper into this question

  Millionaire ISAs and Tax
  We might all like to be an ISA millionaire but with it can come a range of financial planning headaches, says John Humphreys, Inheritance Tax Specialist, WAY Investment Services

  Protection
  Obtaining insurance for clients with diabetes is being made easier by improvements in underwriting, explains Helen Dick, senior manager Underwriting and Claims Strategy, Scottish Widows

  Guide to…
  Curtis Banks’ Greg Kingston looks at key considerations when considering property purchase within a SIPP

  TDQ: Tax
  Self-assessment dates and fines imposed may seem like a fairly straightforward piece of knowledge but that is why they are often forgotten and exam marks are lost. Exams include the CII’s R03 and AF1

  5 minutes with…
  Rob Kingsbury talked to Andy Schleider, director and paraplanner at Tunbridge Wells-located Haven Paraplanning Ltd

  Pensions and divorce
  Obtaining a fair capital value of pension assets to assess a future income stream is crucial in achieving a fair outcome for clients in divorce. But often this is easier said than done

  Research focus
  Rob Kingsbury spoke with Zahid Bilgrami, CEO of Defaqto, about the company’s ethos and what the company offers paraplanners to help provide better outcomes for clienta

  THE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

  Emerging markets
  The nature of emerging markets is changing, says Darius McDermott, managing director, FundCalibre. So is now the time to be looking at the sector, with a long-term view?

  Fund manager interview
  Rob Kingsbury talked to Jamie Ward, fund manager of the FP CRUX UK Fund, about the fund’s focus on risk to capital and why his investment approach means he tends not to meet company management

  Trends in sustainable investing
  Mike Fox, head of UK sustainable investments at  Royal London Asset Management, outlines how sustainable investing might develop over the next decade

  Top 5 VCT tips
  There are five core things to remember when investing in a VCT, says Luke Barnett, analyst at MJ Hudson Allenbridge

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• 

  NOVEMBER 2019

  THIS ISSUE

  VIEW THE MAGAZINE HERE

  Paraplanner profile

  Rob Kingsbury talked to Siân Davies Cole, head of paraplanning at Aspirations, about what she believes it takes to run a paraplanning team and how she had to adapt her plans to get her dream role when it arose

  NEW SERIES

  5 minutes with…

  We kick off a new series with a quick fire interview with Chris Sandfield, CEO of digital investment platform Coinvestor

  NEW SERIES

  Guide to….

  In the first article in another new series, providing insight for paraplanners new to the industry, Paul Darvill, Administration and Technical director, Talbot and Muir, looks at the structure and use of a SSAS and the effective way to establish the vehicle for a business

  Outsourcing/freelance: Challenges of going it alone

  The promise and excitement around setting up your own outsourced paraplanning firm is not always matched by the reality. Fiona Bond talked to two experienced paraplanners about the challenges they faced and how they overcame them

  TDQ: Tax planning

  Confused by EISs, VCTs and SEISs? Catriona Standingford, managing director of Brand Financial Training, takes a look at these tax efficient investing products

  Protection

  Chris Dunne, proposition manager Scottish Widows highlights key points for paraplanners required under the EU’s Insurance Distribution Directive

  Pensions: Tax case study

  Stephen McPhillips, technical sales director, Dentons Pension Management uses a case study to spotlight how using a SSAS in pension planning can help to mitigate inheritance tax

  Tax: Estate planning

  Overcoming clients’ reluctance to relinquish control of their assets can be the first step on the road to effective estate planning

  Parameters

  This issue’s survey looks at longevity assumptions

  The Investment Committee

  Unloved Japan

  Japan could be worthy of long-term investments, particularly with the low valuations of Japanese companies and the yen also at a low price, says Darius McDermott, managing director, FundCalibre

  Ethical investing: bonds

  Martin Foden, head of Credit Research at Royal London Asset Management, explains how ESG and credit analysis must be integrated to achieve superior investment returns

  Funding under threat

  The sources of funding for new and smaller companies are being challenged and we should be worried about the longer term ramifications

  Markets

  Europe is a misunderstood market but you need to look for quality, says Kurt Cruickshank, investment director European equities, Aberdeen Standard Investments

  Sector considerations

  This issue we look at capital protection and absolute return funds vs bonds

  Professional body

  Jackie Lockie head of Financial Planning at the CISI considers the impact of advancing technology on vulnerable clients

  Plus our regular Test your knowledge Q&A, CPD and Data Download pages.

   

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• 

  OCTOBER 2019

  THIS ISSUE

  OCTOBER 2019

  VIEW THE MAGAZINE HERE

  IN THIS ISSUE

  Paraplanner Profile

  Rob Kingsbury talks to Ashley Wiltshire, owner of Wiltshire Paraplanning, about how she set up and runs her outsourced paraplanning firm and her imminent move to the United States

  Viewpoint

  Dan Atkinson considers retirement planning and asks: Do we really know what our clients want?

  Comment

  Jacqueline Lockie, head of Financial Planning, CISI, considers how our identity changes when we retire and what this means for paraplanners putting together a financial plan

  Tax

  While the answer to the question ‘would you rather all your money was taxed or just the growth?’ is a simple one, often clients take the opposite action, says Les Cameron, head of Technical, Prudentia

  Pensions head-to-head

  Given increased regulation, governance and the potential repercussions of court cases to deal with, we asked two industry practitioners: Can smaller SIPP providers survive?

  Buy-to-let tax traps

  The government is making life increasingly complicated for private landlords. Paraplanners now need to be wary of a number of potential tax traps when working with clients with second properties

  Post-death planning

  Catriona Brand considers the use of deeds of variation vs disclaimers in post-death planning

  Powwow 2019

  We highlight some of the discussion points from this year’s Paraplanners’ Powwow

  NEW SECTION: The Investment Committee

  Paraplanner viewpoint

  Rob Kingsbury speaks with Martin Green, paraplanning manager at Chadney Bulgin, about being a member of the firm’s Investment Committee and what it entails.

  Absolute Returns

  Darius McDermott, managing director, FundCalibre looks at the Absolute Returns sector and asks whether these funds can finally prove their worth.

  Sustainable investing
  Mike Fox, head of Sustainable Investments at Royal London Asset Management, describes the sustainable investing landscape and demystifies the terminology

  Globalisation

  Globalisation today is profoundly different to the past, argues Govinda Finn, Japan and developed Asia economist, Aberdeen Standard Investments

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• 

  SEPTEMBER 2019

  THIS ISSUE

  Welcome to the first of our autumn magazines in which we introduce a new dedicated section.

  View the magazine here

  Paraplanner profile
  This issue we talk to Samantha Gratton, senior paraplanner at Old Mill, about how recent structural changes at the firm have improved her role and the benefits when paraplanners are empowered to be self-driven

  Viewpoint
  With the ability to freelance and better control your work/life balance, there has probably never been a better time to be a paraplanner, says Jonathan Dawson, 1to1 Paraplanning. But going it alone can be daunting

  Training Development and Qualifications (TDQ)
  This issue’s article covers the CII Business Financial Planning exam and focusses on using a SIPP to buy commercial property

  Setting the Standard
  Reece Edwards, the first person to pass The Paraplanner Standard^TM talks about the experience and why firms need to throw their support behind paraplanners

  Pensions
  In two pensions articles we cover use of SSAS as a finance source and as a structure to facilitate the passing of wealth down through the generations

  Tax
  Understanding different income streams and their tax treatment opens up tax planning opportunities that paraplanners can use for clients.

  NEW SECTION
  We also introduce a new dedicated section The Investment Committee. In this we provide insight for paraplanners engaged in research into investments and those contributing to Investment Committee decisions.

  Alongside regulars features, such as from Darius McDermott MD of research and ratings agency FundCalibre, we kick off the series with two fund manager interviews, first with Gary Potter and Rob Burdett of the BMO multi-manager team, who have been managing funds together for 23 years, and also with David Harrison, manager of the Rathbone Global Sustainability Fund, who talks about the correlation between high-quality, profitable businesses and ethical and environmental sustainability.

  Professional body comment
  Also this issue, Jacqueline Lockie, head of Financial Planning, CISI, tells how she was inspired by how the Mercedes F1 team worked together at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix and the lessons to be taken from their performance.

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• 

  July/Aug 2019

  THIS ISSUE

  Welcome to the AWARDS 2019 issue of Professional Paraplanner

  15-pages of Awards coverage including interviews with the winners of the six Paraplanner Awards

  View the magazine here.

  For our Paraplanner Profile, Rob Kingsbury talked to New Paraplanner of the Year 2019 award winner Alana Quinn, who tells how since joining Murphy Wealth, alongside paraplanning, she has been encouraged to use her initiative and take responsibility for key projects within the firm.

  Also in this issue:

  Time management
  Good paraplanners can find they become swamped with additional tasks. If this is you, then it’s time get things back in order

  Viewpoint
  Sometimes we need to step back from the job we do and take in the bigger picture, says Dan Atkinson, head of Technical, EQ Investors

  TDQ: Taxation of Trusts
  A look at taxation of Bare Trusts, Interest in Possession (IIP) Trusts and Discretionary Trusts.

  Estate planning
  Business relief can be a powerful estate planning tool

  Investment
  Global dividends have almost doubled in a decade, which is good news for investors seeking income

  Investment
  Gin mixers and chocolate, two good reasons to invest in small caps

  Professional body
  The Woodford fund news highlighted the need to look deeper under the bonnet when researching, says Jacqueline Lockie, head of Financial Planning, CISI

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• 

  June 2019

  THIS ISSUE

  In the June 2019 issue of Professional Paraplanner:

  Paraplanner Profile

  Scott Daniels, director of the PLUS Group, has grown his outsourced paraplanning business from one-man-band to 47 people. We talk to him about the challenges involved and where he is taking the company from here

  Lifetime allowance planning
  If your client has LTA issues, is it better to take money out of a pension pre or post age 75? Charlene Young, senior technical consultant at AJ Bell, presents a case study to illustrate the key points

  SIPP property purchase
  How may a SIPP avoid unnecessary potential tax charges when purchasing a property with commercial and residential elements? By splitting the title. Denton’s Stephen McPhillips explains

  IHT and Gifting
  Six things paraplanners need to know about gifting

  Training, Development and Qualifications
  A look at the taxation of UK life assurance policies with a case study example – of particular relevance to R03 and AF1 exams

  Fund manager Q&A
  The Gravis Infrastructure Fund combines infrastructure and income. We asked the manager William Argent about the fund’s investment strategy and what it can offer investors.

  Opinion
  Consumers deserve and need faster pension transfer times. So, what’s holding back the industry and what can be done about it?

  Investing
  Can the big brands survive in a world where disruption is ever easier to achieve?

  Your future is in your hands
  ‘When a paraplanner has achieved Chartered or Certified status, what comes next?’, asks Jacqueline Lockie, head of Financial Planning, CISI

  And much more…

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