Conversations
On Advice
Citywire in association with PIMCO have been virtually travelling the UK to bring together financial advisers and fund managers to explore what it means to talk to clients today. We listen to their stories and how they navigate the crisis, the stronger role of technology when it comes to engaging with old and new client and whether there is a solution to the advice gap. One conclusion of this journey is clear: financial advice is not and will never be just about business and planning ahead.
Discover how advice and investment professionals nurture their relationships with their clients and how the future of their work might look like.
Midlands
On changing perspective on advice and keeping trust as a fundament of clients’ relationships
Scotland
On keeping up communication in difficult times and learning how to talk about money
South East
On building financial advice relationships as friendships and how Zoom is not that bad after all
South West
On the need for financial education and advice reaching the professional status
North
On first impressions, retaining clients and the impact of their investments
Our final stop is the North
The Article
Courting clients
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of relationships – not just with our own families and colleagues but also our clients.
The Video
‘A leap of faith’: Advisers in the North open up about clients retention
Finding the key to keeping a strong client relationship starts all with maintaining trust, as IFAs in the North reveal in this video
Northern class
For the final part of our NMA regional Top 20s, we selected 20 firms in the North of England that we think are doing great work building bonds with clients and driving the advice profession forward, both in terms of growth and best practice during these challenging times.
The Panellists
Joseph McCurdy
VICE PRESIDENT & ACCOUNT MANAGER, PIMCO
Mr. McCurdy is a vice president in UK global wealth management based in the London office. He is responsible for overseeing the development of PIMCO’s business across the northern UK, focusing on wealth managers, multi-managers and financial advisers. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2018, he was an investment director at Standard Life Investments. He has 18 years of investment and financial services experience and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Dundee.
Olivia Bowen
PARTNER AND CO-OWNER AT CASTLEFIELD
A graduate of Manchester University, Olivia was attracted to working for Castlefield. Since then, as a Partner in their financial advice arm, she has helped to channel many millions of pounds into responsible and sustainable investments whilst assisting clients to meet their financial and personal objectives. As a Chartered Financial Planner, she advises on a wide range of aspects of financial planning. She has advanced qualifications in taxation & trusts, investment & risk and the financial planning process and won the Personal Finance Society’s Investment Specialist of the Year Award 2017. She has appeared on Channel 4’s award winning investigative current affairs programme Dispatches, BBC’s Rip off Britain and have also been an expert guest on Radio 4’s Moneybox. She is a Steering Group member of The Philanthropy Network; Chair of the Real Farming Trust from 2013–2017; and on the LV= Member Panel 2014-2018.
David McKendrick
PARTNER AND CHARTERED FINANCIAL PLANNER AT EQUILIBRIUM
David McKendrick has been in the advice industry since 1996 and joined
Equilibrium in 2013. Recently named as the fifth best small company to work for by The Sunday Times in 2017, Equilibrium was the highest-ranking wealth management company in the UK-wide list and the only North West based firm in the top 20. Most of David’s time is centred on pensions and inheritance tax planning. David believes that the real enjoyment of being a financial planner is providing clients with bespoke, holistic advice that allows them to enjoy their lives, instead of worrying about what is going on in the world financially.
Paul Kelly
ACQUISITIONS DIRECTOR AT ASTUTE PRIVATE WEALTH
Paul has over 30 years’ experience working within the Financial Services industry. He has held positions with leading Life & Pension offices, successfully working alongside independent financial advisers (IFA’s) for many years. Paul then moved into the asset management sector with Schroders, again working on a consultative basis with IFA’s, Life Companies and Discretionary Fund Managers in the North of England. During this time, he became a sought-after presenter at local and national seminars working with national networks and industry bodies. After a period working with boutique discretionary fund manager, Bordier AM and Miton Asset Management he fulfilled his career ambition by becoming an Independent Financial Adviser with Astute Private Wealth.
Robert Morse
SENIOR PARTNER AND CHARTERED FINANCIAL PLANNER AT THE PRIVATE OFFICE
Robert Morse is a chartered financial planner with 30 years of experience. He advises private clients and trustees across a range of planning areas including investment management, retirement planning, personal financial planning, and tax efficient structures. Robert’s work includes advising families, entrepreneurs, property owners, landowners, and business owners on financial and legacy planning matters, such as Lifetime Company Planning and the death of a key stakeholder. He also acts as an Expert Witness in disputed investment cases. Robert and his immediate team look after fewer than 70 families with advised investment assets in excess of £245 million. His approach to financial planning is one that seeks to demystify and explain complex financial problems, strategies and solutions in a financial language that can be comprehensively understood by all his clients.