New initiatives, New conferences, New webinar and more....

WOMEN IN PERSONAL FINANCE SURVEY

The Women’s Wealth Alliance (WWA) is a newly formed working group, led by Alliance Board member, Vanessa Barnes. With an estimated 60% of all the UK’s private wealth in women’s hands by the end of this year, it’s vital that we reflect this as a diverse profession and support productive growth within the personal finance sector. 

Currently, the sector struggles with attracting women into certain roles, especially financial planners where only 18% are female. 

The WWA strongly believes that the first step towards meaningful change is proper data and insight, so on 2nd June, we will launch a comprehensive survey of women’s career journeys, ambitions and challenges. 

We ask all female Alliance members to please take 10 minutes to share their own experiences when the survey goes live – we will share the link on LinkedIn and our website. We also ask Alliance member firms to please share this survey within their business and networks. 

Read Vanessa’s recent article in FTAdviser for more background, ‘Calling all women in personal finance’.

UNPACKING OUTCOMES MONITORING

With the 2025 deadline for Consumer Duty annual Reports fast approaching, we're aware that assessing and reporting on the quality of client outcomes can be a key challenge for many firms.

Our next Consumer Duty Practitioners’ Forum will unpack outcomes monitoring and help you convert principles into practice, with three detailed case studies. Forum chair, Michael Lawrence, will be joined on 4th June by James Edmonds (Consultant, Morgan Ash) and Martin Grimwood (Director, FWD Consulting) and you can book your place here. 

You can help us focus the webinar’s content appropriately by completing this short survey on outcomes activity and experience.

REGIONAL CONFERENCES

In just over a week, we begin our series of unique regional conferences with the FCA, giving you the opportunity to hear directly from the regulator on key advice areas, get insight from a variety of subject matter experts and practitioners, and network with other financial professionals and our professional partners.

Although the content at each location will vary slightly, all events will include:

• Minimum of four hours’ structured CPD 
• FCA sessions on foreseeable harms in the advice process, the four outcomes of Consumer Duty and interactive session on vulnerability with a case study.
• Complementary refreshments and networking lunch 

Visit our new events page for the full agenda with timings, and information on speakers and our event partners. You can book your place on all current dates and locations here and we’ll shortly be announcing two additional venues for later in the year.

Keep up to date with all our latest announcements by following us on LinkedIn.

SCHRODERS UK PLATFORM AWARDS

If your firm uses great tech to offer top class financial planning efficiently, you should consider entering the Schroders UK Platform Awards adviser categories – Leading adviser practice (up to 10 advisers) or Leading adviser business (over 10 advisers). These are highly coveted awards and offer great recognition to share with clients, staff and other professional connections.

As chair of the independent judging panel, I can attest to every entry being judged on merit and would encourage all firms to enter, with shortlisted firms invited to attend the dinner as guests and use the winner’s logo at no cost. Find out more here.

NEW TALENT

Have you seen the recently launched New Talent Alliance website? It offers a growing library of support, guidance and inspiration for firms of all sizes who are looking to attract, develop and retain new talent. Resources include interview techniques, job advert templates, example contracts and guides to Level 4 financial advice qualifications and professional bodies. 

If you’re not an Alliance member, it’s quick, easy and free to join as an individual, a firm or both – visit this page to see how.

To be recognised as a true profession - united as an Alliance we evolve!

Very best wishes,

Keith Richards, CEO, Consumer Duty Alliance

Join the Alliance and the FCA at these unique free-to-attend regional conferences dedicated to the dynamics and needs of directly authorised firms and appointed representative firms.

You'll hear first-hand from the FCA as they set the scene for a new era of interactive regulation, proportionality and raising standards together. They'll also share practical examples of 'good practice' and good consumer outcomes in key areas of the advice process.

All the conferences include presentations and interactive sessions from practitioners and sector leaders on a variety of current topics including:

• Developments in AI and its potential in the advice process.
• Why succession planning is crucial for firms of all sizes.
• Demystifying vulnerability and the role of advisers.
• The gender wealth transfer and what it means for advice firms.
• The secret to faster, fun and sustainable growth for financial planning firms.

Spaces are limited to give delegates more opportunity to interact with the speakers.

Secure your seat here.

The 2025 Consumer Duty annual report deadline is approaching and we're aware that assessing and reporting the quality of client outcomes can be a challenge for many firms.

This Alliance Forum explores how firms can implement an effective framework for outcomes monitoring, with detailed case studies demonstrating what this looks like in practice.

Topics will include:

• FCA's expectations on MI and outcomes monitoring
• Benefits for firms from having good MI
• The fundamentals of outcomes monitoring and MI
• Case studies on Support, Understanding and Fair Value.

Book your space here.

ARE YOU DISPLAYING YOUR ALLIANCE DIGITAL BADGE?

NOT GOT YOURS YET? FIND OUT WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU