Hello.
Anyone remotely interested in business should study the whisky industry. It’s a microcosm of rabbit holes and offshoots that can illuminate how to keep an industry going for thousands of years.
Single malt is actually a relatively recent phenomenon. The move towards single malt evolved the industry subtly but it also brought it back closer to reverence for the craft and fostered a good business environment.
Beyond maturation, finish and cask type, the reason there are lots of distilleries in Scotland in particular is pure geography. Beer and gin can hide behind hops and botanicals. Whisky is refined barley water stored in wood, so you’ve got to make that water good.
Then there’s peat.
Peat is inherently geographical; it is old, slightly magical earth which takes on a lot of its surroundings. Islay’s peat is full of bark, sea stuff etc giving it a very medicinal astringent taste, which convinces most new to whisky that they don’t like it. But peat in Speyside is very different and not dug as deep or used to the same quantity. On Orkney there are no trees, meaning no bark in the peat. Many who’ve disavowed peat enjoy Benromach (Speyside) and Highland Park (Orkney).
The industry itself is very in touch with this. It’s because of this inherent respect and understanding for geography, that different blenders, distillers and indy bottlers have their own line and specialties, fostering a non-adversarial and collaborative industry.
The story of single malt stuff tells of an industry that took advantage of a shift in the market and built itself around it. Keeping an understanding of its profile, it has developed tourism markets which have been beneficial for their sometimes pretty remote communities’ economies.
As I talked about in TCWU last week, we may well be at a similar point at which we can sculpt and evolve the profession as it changes, or at least recognise where it could change for the better.
In terms of pathways into the profession, understanding what goes into your company beyond the numbers, your relationship to the community around you can help appeal to dynamic young ‘uns of various talents and backgrounds.
After all that I could do with a dram. After reading that you probably could too. Why don’t you enjoy one with the news:
LANG CAT & CLIENT MENTIONS
Nat writes in The Scotsman. Small consistent efforts and all that.
Source: The Scotsman
Younger advisers feel training and support from bosses is ‘inadequate’ – FTAdviser
Some findings from the latest wave of SOTAN, published last week.
Source: FT Adviser
Give this a listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Source: The Transact Platform Podcast
Advisory businesses must ‘step up’ to attract and retain new blood
Some discussions at our New Blood event.
Source: Professional Adviser
FCA must be more proactive when it comes to AI bad actors – FTAdviser
Aberdeen’s Noel Butwell speaking on our SOTAN panel last week.
Source: FT Adviser
Justice for paraplanners.
Source: IFA Magazine
James Klempster: Why stock market crashes keep trending | Money Marketing
Liontrust’s deputy head of the multi-asset team provides his thoughts.
Source: Money Marketing
Richard Warne: Cut through the AI, energy and inflation noise – Wealthwise
A piece on sensible AI investing.
Source: Wealthwise
intelliflo and Söderberg & Partners link up in bid to drive adviser efficiency
Söderberg’s tools integrated directly into intelliflo’s system.
Source: Professional Adviser
Befriending lecturers can lead to pipeline of trainees, advisers told – FTAdviser
Some more from our event last week.
Source: FT Adviser
Guardian updates online portal for policyholder engagement
Provider aims to promote ongoing client engagement with protection.
Source: COVER Magazine
Who’s been IFA Talk-ing this month? A roundup of our January episodes – IFA Magazine
Stay tuned for Steve appearing on the podcast talking about SOTAN and paraplanning.
Source: IFA Magazine
Speaking of podcasts, checkout Mike Coop on WDFM podcast.
Source: IFA Magazine
Argentis eyes paraplanning academy offering
SOTAN cited in this one. Number at the beginning of a paragraph trigger warning.
Source: Professional Adviser
Source: Money Marketing
Clifton Wealth Partnership acquires two Scottish financial planning firms
Cairn Independent and JRW join the Clifton Wealth fold.
Source: Professional Adviser
ADVISERS
Advisers have a ‘healthy scepticism’ of private markets – FTAdviser
Always good to have a dose of healthy sceptiscim.
Source: FT Adviser
Verve Foundation expands adviser and talent support | Money Marketing
How very New Blood of them.
Source: Money Marketing
Greg Moss: A short story that says too much about advice | Money Marketing
A great read.
Source: Money Marketing
‘Supportive community’ set up to help self-employed advisers – FTAdviser
Friends of the lang cat Hayley Rabbets and Calton doing some good stuff.
Source: FT Adviser
INVESTING AND WEALTH MANAGERS
Standard Life re-enters onshore bond market after adviser interest – FTAdviser
Standard Life said its research found advisers estimate around 40 per cent of clients require a review of their existing plans with pensions being brought into scope of IHT from April 2027.
Source: FT Adviser
How Anthropic achieved AI coding breakthroughs — and rattled business
Investing and AI crossover episode.
Source: FT
Premium bonds fall short as investors miss out on thousands
Some suggestions it’s like playing the lottery with wealth.
Source: City AM
Why advisers should be cautious of the Harry Kane effect
“The truth is that even a defensive strategy needs a striker; something that can chase growth, stretch the opposition and, crucially, convert opportunities,” writes Andrew Aldridge of Deepbridge Capital.
Source: Professional Adviser
Oracle raises $25bn in bond offering despite concerns over rising debt
What could go wrong.
Source: FT
Are you earning enough? Take our new and improved sales pay survey
Source: Citywire WM
REGULATION & POLICY
FCA client categorisation shake-up faces consumer backlash
The Transparency Task Force has urged the FCA to rethink proposed changes to client categorisation and conflict of interest rules.
Source: Money Marketing
More than one million miss tax return deadline – FTAdviser
Uh oh.
Source: FT Adviser
FCA finfluencer enforcement action soars 175% in 2025
Good to see.
Source: Financial Planning Today
AI
Where is AI showing up in the productivity data?
An interesting look at how AI is helping companies.
Source: FT
PENSIONS & RETIREMENT
Bride’s final months marred by pension stress – BBC News
Consumer Duty?
Source: BBC News
More than £1bn pension tax relief under claimed by 800k higher earners – FTAdviser
Source: FT Adviser
Salary sacrifice shake-up could hit millions more workers, OBR warns | Money Marketing
Fears employers may start wrapping up their salary sacrifice arrangements altogether.
Source: Money Marketing
Scottish Widows unlock private markets for pension members
So many crossover episodes going on that I am just gonna let the headline do the talking.
Source: Money Marketing
Bell: industry must ‘celebrate but not be complacent’ with auto-enrolment – FTAdviser
The pensions minister sharing his thoughts.
Source: FT Adviser
TRADE & ECONOMY
Landlords ‘concerned’ about Renters’ Rights Act – FTAdviser
The heart bleeds.
Source: FT Adviser
Our national gloom is making us all poorer
You mean – people are poor, because they don’t spend money, because they are afraid of being poor?
Source: The Times
Bank of England holds rates steady at 3.75% in knife-edge vote
Central bank awaits stronger evidence that inflation is on track to fall to 2% target.
Source: FT
CRAZY CAT STORIES
Cats featured a disappointing amount of times.
Source: The Guardian
The cats held hostage by organised crime gangs
No – stop that.
Source: The Telegraph
OUTSIDE THE TRADE
Irn-Bru maker buys Fentimans and Frobishers in ‘adult soft drinks’ push
Is Irn-Bru not for adults?
Source: FT
Craft beer has gone stale: let’s hear it for age-old favourites | Beer | The Guardian
Hear Hear. Where’s McEwan’s export in all this though.
Source: The Guardian
How to avoid getting laid off from your digital media job
This made my blood run cold.
Source: Notebook Dump
Inside Moltbook: the social network where AI agents talk to each other
AI social media? Modelled on Reddit? Approved by Elon Musk? #screams into the void#
Source: FT
Sean McKinven is PR account executive at the lang cat
