Hello.
AJ Bell has a new advert out. In it, cartoonish versions of the sort of people the public may think are investors are tormented by a massive bell chasing them around the place. The message: investing is for everyone.
I imagine it will be part of a bigger push in the industry, egged on by the government, to get people doing more with their money. Accountant “finfluencer” Abi Rose-Foster has been doing the media rounds talking about idle savings and what have you.
Certainly, there is a desire to engage with finances, even from young people. Just by mentioning I work in financial services got people asking me over Christmas about just what is it they are supposed to do with their money.
This update has so far been charting a normal and logical course, so it’s now time to change direction and start talking about Anthony Bourdain, the American chef and author, and his role in all of this.
Well, one of the books I am reading at the moment is his A Cook’s Tour. There is a TV series with the same name shot by the Food Network which produced a pretty anaemic show.
You get the feeling from the book that Bourdain is quite disillusioned with TV. But he would arguably go onto become more notable with his Parts Unknown series, which comes across quite like the books he was writing.
Once he found a network that was able to relate, push and elevate his ideas, the TV he was producing became seriously dynamic and original. I am still unaware of a travel show like it – one that really interrogates the heart, uniqueness and the ordinary of the places he was visiting. This meant people could relate easier to the content.
This tells us something about messaging. The most notable narratives are rooted in something that give them meaning (place etc) and the most effective ways to tell those narratives is through stuff people can relate to and understand.
I think the AJ Bell advert is beginning to do this. Ordinary (non-finance, not super wealthy) people need to see themselves as the sort of people who can invest. That’ll probably take more on the ground messaging and education. People need to be able to relate to what investing can do for them (affluence), their community (the economy) and know what to do (education). That’s my 50p’s worth. Over to you guys.
The news:
LANG CAT & CLIENT MENTIONS
Platform service improvement: Why the industry needs a collective voice
“If the numbers in wave three of our service impact study tell us anything, it’s that platform service is improving, technically, but only in the thinnest possible increments,” writes oor Steve, who takes aim at service data transparency.
Source: Professional Adviser
7IM secures top five position in advised platform sector following Q3 net sales | Money Marketing
7IM delivered record net sales of £540m in Q3 2025, marking a 79.4% uplift year-on-year.
Source: Money Marketing
Hayley Rabbets: Spinning the flywheel of advice | Money Marketing
The Pilot NED (and New Blood 2 speaker) talks about the changes needed to get the advice gap flywheel spinning.
Source: Money Marketing
Mobius CEO James Finch: Platform for innovation – Corporate Adviser
Profile on the Mobius CEO.
Source: Corporate Adviser
Platforms have claimed their place at the core of investing
Mark Sanderson of Morningstar Wealth fame pens his thoughts on platforms.
Source: Professional Adviser
ADVISERS
Chris Budd: The two simple words to boost engagement | Money Marketing
Spoiler alert: It’s “well done”.
Source: Money Marketing
Majority of advisers have no plans to offer simplified advice
Up to 72% have no plans to offer simplified advice, a new survey by TFAS Compliance Services has found.
Source: Money Marketing
Advisers expect investment markets to be ‘more volatile’ in 2026 – Money Age
The majority (92%) of advisers polled believe investment markets will be more volatile in 2026, research by Wesleyan Financial Services has found.
Source: Money Age
Juggling advice and winning gold medals: one adviser’s story – FT Adviser
“World champion Sally Read-Cayton has not only conquered the running track but also the equity release and later life solutions side of financial planning.”
Source: FT Adviser
Starting Out: Is age an obstacle for young advisers? | Money Marketing
Tips from one young adviser to others.
Source: Money Marketing
Number of aborted or delayed adviser firm deals likely to rise – FTAdviser
Some predictions of a bumpy road ahead.
Source: FT Adviser
PROTECTION
Chris Samuel: Breaking the ‘fear of being first’ | Money Marketing
Or FOBOF for short. I would argue fear of being first actually works better as a whole phrase because the ‘f’ alliteration works harder, but that’s just me. Looks at gaps in the protection market.
Source: Money Marketing
INVESTING & WEALTH MANAGERS
UK equity outflows in 2025 the highest since Brexit referendum
Active funds witnessed £18.9bn of outflows in 2025 while passive strategies saw inflows of £12.2bn across all equity funds.
Source: Investment Week
Retail investors add £530m to funds in November – Money Age
According to Investment Association data, November’s inflows were a marked improvement on the previous year’s Budget month figures, which saw outflows of £5.7bn in October 2024.
Source: Money Age
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter
Some nice work here by Alphaville.
Source: FT
FTSE 100 touches 10,000 — now what? – FTAdviser
Some interesting mulling on the direction of the UK market.
Source: FT Adviser
UK is more confused about investing than a decade ago | Money Marketing
Just under two-thirds (61%) of consumers in the UK said investing is confusing and difficult to understand, up from 44% in 2015, according to Columbia Threadneedle.
Source: Money Marketing
Katie Martin talks bubble anxiety, optimism and knowing when it’s likely to strike. “Humility is an underrated quality in finance.” What? Really?
Source: FT
Why Tatton, RBC and Timeline lead the way among Top 100 firms
What Citywire rated top 100 firms are using for their DFM needs.
Source: Citywire NMA
Top private equity groups capture largest fundraising share in a decade
The biggest PE Cookie Monsters finding most of the cookies.
Source: FT
REGULATION & POLICY
Why well-run advice firms still shoulder an unfair FSCS burden – and what needs to change
Tom Hegarty of Simply Biz gets polemic about the FSCS levy.
Source: Professional Adviser
FSCS sets out priorities for 2026 – FTAdviser
That was good timing.
Source: FT Adviser
Six advice firms actively preparing for targeted support
A Freedom of Information Act request from Sicsic Advisory has revealed that 19 firms are using the FCA’s pre-application support service, set up to support firms seeking permission to provide targeted support services.
Source: Professional Adviser
TECHNOLOGY
Technology firms can help advisers deal with regulatory burdens – FTAdviser
Tech firms say they can soothe those Consumer Duty woes.
Source: FT Adviser
AI
Alistair Cunningham: When it comes to AI, I’m dreaming of holistic solutions | Money Marketing
Discussion on how he would like AI to operate within his firm.
Source: Money Marketing
PENSIONS & RETIREMENT
L&G reveal retirement income concerns among later-life divorcees | Money Marketing
Research published by Legal & General has found more than 200,000 adults who divorce after age 50 (15%) are forced to delay their retirement as a result.
Source: Money Marketing
Fund managers prepare for ‘reckoning’ in US tech sector
Cue a profound sense of dread.
Source: FT
Can the Pensions Commission survive govt tinkering? – FTAdviser
Not sure anything parliamentary of any government of the last 30 years has been safe from tinkering.
Source: FT Adviser
Narrative of funding level improvements ‘masking’ problems for charity schemes
Most charity plans will not generate sufficient returns to meet ongoing expenses, according to First Actuarial.
Source: Professional Pensions
Pensions not a ‘plaything’ in domestic investment drive, governments warned
Seems using pensions funds for domestic assets is the new vogue.
Source: FT
Pension schemes must explain their value to 16m savers
Regulators are to require DC pension schemes to publish “clear data” on performance in a colour-coded format under proposals announced by the FCA, Department for Work and Pensions and The Pensions Regulator. With the FCA providing – as Mike Barrett puts it – a “funky new RAGG status”.
Crypto, IHT and scheme returns: what’s in store for Sipps and Ssas? – FTAdviser
Whitehall Group director Richard Mattison talks to FT Adviser about what’s in store for Sipps ad Ssas over the year ahead. Guess what – five days into 2026 and there’s complaining about IHT on unspent pensions.
Source: FT Adviser
Happy birthday to the contributory old-age pension!
The Economist gets teary eyed.
Source: The Economist
TRADE & ECONOMY
UK to exclude financial services from push for closer EU alignment
City of London firms have been lobbying against a return to Brussels rules.
Source: FT
The real reasons Gen Z think they will never be able to buy a house – FTAdviser
Wealth inequality and supply issues.
Source: FT Adviser
Interesting.
Source: FT
Rachel Reeves backtracks on business rates to rescue pubs
Labour insists it is not a U-turn but a rethink.
Source: The Times
5.6m yet to file tax returns as deadline looms
Yikes.
Source: Financial Planning Today
Shell eyes return to Venezuela to claim gas billions
Some *interesting* takes on foreign and domestic policy in the Telegraph’s comment section. A more sober look at things, The Economist point out that Rysted Energy estimates that “$110bn in capital expenditure on exploration and production alone would be required to bring the country’s output back to where it was 15 years ago—twice the amount America’s oil majors combined invested worldwide in 2024.”
Source: The Telegraph; The Economist
Microsoft and McKinsey pay up to $1mn each to back Donald Trump’s Davos hub
I think I would be combing through the costings for that one. Don’t think it’s all going on mini chocolates.
Source: FT
CRAZY CAT STORIES
National Cat Lady Day 2026: Is It a Real Holiday? – Catster
Hope all those who celebrated had a nice day.
Source: Catser
OUTSIDE THE TRADE
Spore of the moment: mushrooms are the latest wellness-food trend
Mushrooms: Good. Coffee: Good. Mushroom coffee: ???
Source: The Economist
Why So Many Control Rooms Were Seafoam Green
Fascinating. A look at colour theory in the workplace.
Source: From the office of Beth Matthews
Quite right.
Source: FT
Scotland to get public holiday to celebrate World Cup return – BBC News
Probably to circumvent a lot of phoning in sick in some ways. Possibly with an eye towards Holyrood elections in others.
Source: BBC News
Sean McKinven is PR account executive at the lang cat
