Financial Services Unplugged with Tom McPhail

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Tom is one of the industry‘s leading experts on pensions and retirement for over 20 years and former Head of Policy for the FTSE100 firm Hargreaves Lansdown. You can also find him on Twitter as @pensionsmonkey.

the lang cat


    • Dec 17, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 38m AVG DURATION
    • 94 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Financial Services Unplugged with Tom McPhail

    Platforms, with Nick Raine of Soderberg

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2024 28:42


    Nick drops in to talk about the platform sector, technology, Soderberg and doing things differently and about the new Platform Association

    The investment episode with Ben Kumar

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 51:06


    7IM's Ben Kumar talks with me about geopolitics, investment risk management, regulatory change and lots more

    How the government is reshaping the UK's pension system

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 46:51


    The Government has BIG PLANS for pensions, after the Chancellor's Mansion House speech we got to see a clearer picture of where they want to take us. Redington's brilliant Russell Wright joins me to reflect on the Value for Money framework and how it intersects with this next round of consultations...

    The model portfolio episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2024 39:15


    Alex Funk of Portfoliometrix and I discuss the world of DFMs and MPS, and the implications of the Budget and the US Trumpquake

    News round up and an interview with IFA Nicola Ellis

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 38:53


    A quick round up of all the many current retail financial services policy initiatives and a chat with IFA and cash-flow modelling aficionado Nicola Ellis of Wellington Wealth 

    A cornucopia of pension news

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2024 47:56


    Nathan Long of HL joins me for a rich feast of pension news: party conferences, the Value for Money framework, the government pensions review, the latest FCA data and a look ahead to the Budget.

    The Behavioural Economics episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024 39:10


    Ryan Murphy of Morningstar talks through with me behavioural theory and some of the practical insights that can lead to better investing outcomes

    Financial Advice in a Consumer Duty world

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 34:36


    ...in which Catriona McInally of M&G Wealth and I discuss Consumer Duty, Lifestyle planning, vulnerable customers, segmentation, ponies and the Scottish Highlands

    Will pensions be Dashboard ready? Data quality, member ID and false passports

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2024 31:09


    James Slevin of Target (targetprofessional.co.uk) joins me to discuss the challenges of pension scheme data management, the pension dashboard, member identification and...how to get a false passport...  

    Adequacy and resilience - what are we aiming for?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2024 50:32


    The excellent Nathan Long of Hargreaves Lansdown talks through with me the Government's pension review, retirement adequacy and its complexities, financial resilience and the work they've done tracking it and we finish with a look ahead to the Budget on 30th October.  HL Savings and Resilience Barometer | July 2024 | HL

    The Pensions Bill, the new government and insights from Australia

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 62:00


    Mike Ambery from Standard Life joins me to talk about what the new government is up to and what he learned on his recent research trip to Australia

    The Advice Gap 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2024 36:33


    The 2024 Advice Gap report is the definitive guide to the advice market, the dynamics of the sector and the impact of the FCA's Consumer Duty. Co-author and colleague Mike Barrett is here to explain all. You can download a copy of the report here The Advice Gap 2024 - The Lang Cat

    A blueprint to fix the UK's pension system

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2024 82:36


    Michael Johnson sets out a radical and thought-provoking vision for reform of the UK's state, workplace and individual pensions, with a view to simplicity and long-term sustainability. Pensions: a vision for the future - Social Market Foundation. (smf.co.uk)

    What's the next government got planned for our income and savings

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 32:35


    My colleague Alison Gay and I review the party manifestos published to date and consider the key personal finance promises

    Letters of Authority, the worst pension admin problem that isn't being fixed

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2024 23:21


    Scott Phillips of the Pension Lab joins me to talk about Dashboards, the surprisingly dysfunctional LOA system and what some in the industry are trying to do about it

    Election pensions

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2024 42:18


    Rachel Vahey of AJ Bell talks with me about the Triple Lock, the LTA, Pension Freedoms and the advice/guidance boundary review

    Financial advice firms, recruitment, AI, DEI

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2024 36:02


    FT Adviser editor Simoney Kyriakou and the future for financial advice firms

    Everything you ever wanted to know about getting rid of the Lifetime Allowance but were afraid to ask

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2024 53:41


    What should have been simple has proved to be anything but; HMRC has created a new way to inflict misery on unsuspecting pension savers. Jon Greer from Quilter gently explains everything we need to know. We also discuss what a new Labour government might do with the rules.

    Collective Defined Contribution schemes are going to save pensions

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2024 47:39


    Adrian Boulding makes a compelling case, not just why CDC schemes are a good idea but also, crucially how they are actually going to happen

    Having fun on Budget Day

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 32:48


    Tom Selby and I unpick the political, fiscal and personal finance fun and games of the Budget

    Bridging the financial guidance gap

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2024 44:59


    In which Robert and Charlie from Money Guided talk about how to help people manage their money better

    A long-term savings commission

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2024 33:01


    Andrew Tully from Nucleus on why we need a long-term savings commission

    How do we fix pension transfers?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2024 19:25


    ...in Which Dave Henderson of Penny https://pennypension.com and I offer a couple of suggestions for how to make pension transfers work better

    The Gregg McClymont episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2024 32:33


    ...in which Gregg talks to me about pension investments in infrastructure and politics from the viewpoint of an ex-shadow pensions minister.

    Everything you ever wanted to know about the Advice Guidance Boundary Review...

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2023 57:29


    The FCA's proposed solutions and consultation questions analysed with expert help from Nathan Long of Hargreaves Lansdown and Michael Lawrence of Bovill. You can also read Michael's thoughts here Advice Guidance Boundary Review puts transformative change on horizon - Bovill

    The expert view on pension dashboards

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2023 50:48


    Richard Smith gives the expert's view on where we're at with the development of pension dashboards, drawing on years of experience in the UK and fresh insights from across Europe. 

    How confident are we about retirement?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2023 21:59


    Andy Tully joins me to talk through the Nucleus research on retirement confidence; who's confident, who isn't and the factors that affect confidence. Clue: it's really important to have a plan...

    The Autumn Statement

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2023 31:07


    Another big week for pensions policy, James Dowling helps me pick out the highlights.

    The Rishuffle and a look ahead to the Autumn Statement

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2023 29:35


    Tom Selby of AJ Bell helps me try and make sense of the mother of all reshuffles and we make some moderately well-informed predictions about the forthcoming Autumn Statement

    The FCA's Advice Guidance Boundary Review

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2023 43:35


    What's happening with the FCA's review of advice and guidance and where might it take us? We're expecting an announcement in the near future; in the meantime, expert insight is provided by Michael Lawrence of Bovill | financial services regulatory consultancy in UK, Asia & Americas and Nathan Long of Hargreaves Lansdown | ISAs, pensions, funds and shares (hl.co.uk).

    What's eating the platform sector?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2023 33:16


    '...the most bruising quarter we've ever seen for advised platforms', was how my colleague Rich described the latest update on platforms. So here we talk through what's going on...

    How Pot for Life could change auto-enrolment

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2023 25:36


    As part of the solution to the small pots problem, the DWP is interested in Pot for Life. This has worked well in Australia and could lead to Auto-enrolment 2.0. This episode looks at what it is, how it could work and some of the challenges that would need to be dealt with.

    The Mansion House Reforms

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2023 19:28


    A quick review of some of the highlights from the multiple policy papers on pension reform published by the government this week.

    Impending pension announcements, the FCA retirement advice review and pension transfers

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2023 22:18


    A quick roundup of expected pensions policy announcements, a run through of the FCA's retirement advice review and the ongoing problems with pension transfers Investing in the Future: Boosting Savings and Prosperity for the UK (institute.global) https://open.substack.com/pub/craigberry/p/is-it-time-to-let-the-pension-investment?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web https://open.substack.com/pub/craigberry/p/is-it-time-to-let-the-pension-investment-1f4?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web 

    Labour, pensions, party conferences

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2023 26:03


    What are Labour's plans for pensions and are we going to see a big bang scheme consolidation initiative? Tom Frackowiak from Cicero joins me to discuss these questions and also to talk about the alternative reality of political party conferences.

    Radical simplification of ISAs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2023 26:02


    AJ Bell are lobbying for a radical simplification of ISAs. Tom Selby explains why, and how it could work. You can also read more about it here AJ Bell calls for ISA overhaul in radical simplification of UK savings system | AJ Bell  

    Life expectancy, Covid and what they mean for pensions

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2023 36:03


    Stuart McDonald of LCP takes us on a brilliant canter through what's happening with life expectancy and longevity and the implications for pension provision. Link to Stuart's report, referenced in the podcast: https://www.lcp.uk.com/pensions-benefits/publications/longevity-report-2023-a-new-era-for-longevity-insights-to-tailor-your-journey/

    The Advice Gap

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2023 34:02


    Mike Barrett and I explore the barriers to people getting more financial advice and we look at hybrid advice with Chet Velani of EV. You can download Mike's report here ADVICE GAP REPORT - the lang cat (langcatfinancial.co.uk)

    Making the most of Equity Release

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2023 32:32


    The FCA is looking at Equity Release advice this year, as part of its retirement advice review. Jon Dunckley has written an independent review of the Equity Release market, looking at how the sector can evolve from here…

    FCA consultations on SMCR and product disclosures

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2023 15:11


    ...in which my colleague Alison Gay explains why the FCA is consulting on SMCR; she also reveals a handy hack for consultation responses and we discuss PIMFAs recent suggestions for rethinking the disclosures regime.

    How to make workplace pensions work better

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2023 52:48


    Not one but two really knowledgeable and thoughtful individuals join me to reflect on workplace pension reforms: Philip Brown of the People's Pension and Nathan Long of Hargreaves Lansdown. 

    Dashboards and small pots

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2023 27:57


    Pension Dashboards are delayed, the government still doesn't know what to do about small pots and people aren't engaging with their pensions. Fintech and pensions expert Dave Henderson of Penny pensions and I discuss whether or not everything is fine…

    Financial planning through the Budget pension changes

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2023 19:46


    A follow up Budget episode, digging into some of the financial planning questions thrown up by Jeremy Hunt's changes with the help of Alice Guy from Interactive Investor

    Budget pensions bombshell

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2023 32:18


    Unpicking the Budget pensions announcements with Tom Selby from AJ Bell

    Pension tax wars and retirement income reviews

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2023 42:41


    Andrew Tully of Canada Life joins me to discuss the FCA's retirement income thematic review; the forthcoming Budget and what it might mean for pensions; and a bit of a reflection on what a Labour government could mean.

    The UK Pensions Framework

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2023 43:52


    The Pensions Policy Institute has produced a brilliant analysis of the UK's pensions system, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of dozens of underlying components, and the trade-offs across the competing high-level objectives.

    Drawdown, risk adjusted returns and the FCA review

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2023 38:23


    One of the few real product innovations post pension freedom is Just's Secure Lifetime Income. Peter Ellis talks to me about how it works and about the FCA's latest post-pension freedom regulatory review

    Equity Release

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2023 50:11


    Right at the end of 2022, I recorded this conversation with Jim Boyd, the CEO of the Equity Release Council. We talk about the role of housing wealth in later life, regulation, the state of the market and what needs to change.

    Pension scams, fraud and transfer delays

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2023 33:49


    Everyone in the industry wants to stamp out scams and fraud, however the delays in transferring customers' money are themselves costing everyone a lot of time and money. Phil Warner from Hargreaves Lansdown talks through the issues (NB apologies for the sub-optimal sound quality on this episode)

    The John Greenwood episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2023 52:26


    Corporate Adviser editor and award-winning journalist John Greenwood and I talk about some of the highlights of 2022, including the problem with net-zero; price caps and illiquid investments and consolidation. We also take a look at 2023, decumulation and whether early access to pensions is a good idea.

    john greenwood
    Financial advice in 2030: The disruption game plan

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2022 40:27


    Futurologist Eleanor Winton talks about how businesses can plan for future disruption and uncertainties. We also talk about the work we did with Parmenion to anticipate the world of financial advice in 2030.

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