All matters business

Is Financial Services like gun crime?

Here in the UK we have some gun crime, its horrible, but it is still thankfully rare. In North America the obession with guns is perplexing, the rising death toll and increasing militarisation of police forces is alarming. We have seen further mishandling and stereotyping lead to deaths in police custody and now further riots in some American cities. I’m not anti-police, I am anti-stupidity and I don’t think I’m telling you anything you don’t already know. America has almost no gun control, you can wander into a gun store or general department store (heck, sometimes they even give them away for opening a bank account -see Bowling for Columbine) and buy a firearm and ammunition. No real checks. We tend to think this is insane.

Yet here in the UK we have an equally perplexing situation which has collectively blind-sided most people. Its in the form of pension advice. Yes that rather dull topic (believe me I know how dull). Anyway it seems that your neighbour – the one that’s tempted by all those offers of too good to be true (because it isn’t true) high investment returns is wreaking havoc with the rest of us, like a loaded gun.

Garbage in, garbage out..

Despite warnings from the regulator, or there being a regulator, believe it or not, there are some “advisers” out there peddling all sorts of… well…”junk”. These always promise high returns, but actually pay high commission (something that is meant to be banned). So I can only assume that the person that does this is greedy, gullable or vulnerable. If the latter, then they have my sympathy and support, but those that are gullable, well it may sound harsh, but at some point in life you have to take some responsibility for your actions. As for the greedy… why should the rest of us pay for your gambling habit? eh?

Back to the gun analogy. Say I am a shop keeper, I don’t sell guns, in fact I sell books, but the guy nextdoor does. Guess what? his customer went on a rampage in the mall and shot 60 people. Being a shopkeeper I am sent a bill for compensation because I am a shop keeper.

What do I mean? Well pensions are regulated products and in theory should be arranged by regulated advisers. However in some products (SIPPs – Self Invested Personal Pensions) you can hold “uncoventional” funds… or what I might call “stuff you shouldn’t ever touch”. The regulator (FCA) would call this “non-mainstream funds” and in fact categorise them as “unregulated” in other words not regulated and therefore not actually protected by compensation. However because they were bought through a SIPP (regulated) and arranged by an adviser (regulated) therefore when it predictably goes wrong (it will) anyone that is an adviser gets to pay for the compensation. Now I don’t know about you, but I thought being an adult involved taking responsibility for your actions, so being one, I don’t sue people every time decisions I take don’t work out right.

Yes inflation is 0% but fees increase 75%

I tell you this because on top of a £20million levy a few days ago in March, the new annual levy has been set, increased from last years £57million to £100million for those that arrange pensions (shop keepers). This levy always comes with 30 days to pay (thanks). This is only a fraction of the full regulatory fees that I and other adviser firms have to pay.

Nobody to blame… but the good guys can pay up right?

The pension companies that allowed these investments in their pensions claim “not guilty – the adviser did it”, the regulator claims “We can’t use our product intervention powers on unregulated investments”… so cannot stop the funds being sold (or bought).

Those that sold these things have scuttled off elsewhere, probably to re-emerge in a different guise, leaving the dwindling number of firms (now about 5,300) and advisers (now around 24,000 from about 250,000 20 years ago) to pay the bill. The bill is paid by the firm and is enough to wipeout some firms, meaning that next year….the numbers reduce, so the share of the bill increases. There is only so much “cost” that a small firm can manage before needing to pass this on to their clients. I therefore predict that as a consequence, many advisers will be “forced” to put up their fees… which means you are also coughing up for the greed of your neighbour, because they cannot be bothered to take any responsibility for believing in fairytales…

Sorry to moan, but seriously… this isn’t fair is it? Of course people that have been ripped off need compensating, but seriously, you didnt think investing in a timeshare via your pension was normal did you? Your comments would be very welcome…. perhaps I am missing something, perhaps my entire profession is… in which case I’d like to know so that I have a snowballs chance of improving it.

Dominic Thomas

Is Financial Services like gun crime?Dominic2023-12-01T12:40:08+00:00

Are You Safely Connected?

You are online and connected, so in the interests of providing you with some useful information about the online world, I thought I’d share a podcast (and video) that I listened to recently. This is taken from a really useful free resource website called “I Love Marketing” which is run by Joe Polish and Dean Jackson. I know that marketing isn’t everyone’s thing… but don’t forget that I run a small business and also work with many clients that run small (and large) businesses… and these guys have some really good ways of helping understand marketing, so that we all waste less time wasting each other’s time and get to what we all actually want (or need). As someone that did a Business Studies Degree with a specialism in Marketing, albeit many years ago, I can genuinely say that these guys provide information that can be implemented – its practical and it works.

Anyway, episode 189 of the I Love Marketing podcast or the video (here) is really worth spending your time. I tend to listen to podcasts at 1.5x speed, which saves some time and remains clear. Joe interviews Marc Goodman, a guy with a new book (yes ok, something to promote) all about the near future of technology. We think we’ve seen an explosion of things to save time, learn and so on… online, but he argues its nothing to what is coming… and with it there is a price – the need for much better understanding of security and the possible flaws in your own technology at home or work, which are exposing you to possible crime. The podcast or video is a reasonable length, but well worth your time.

Of course if you run a business or are in a marketing role, then I’d certainly suggest you check out Joe and Dean’s website and podcasts. They are an engaging pair with a wealth of great ideas and invaluable experience. The podcast can be found on itunes here. I’ve been listening to I Love Marketing for some time and hope that by sharing this you, if you are a marketeer or business owner, also get some really useful ideas from it. You can check out Joe’s bio page here and Dean Jackson here.

Dominic Thomas

Are You Safely Connected?Dominic2023-12-01T12:40:06+00:00

Pension Timebomb

Ok its April 1st, but this isn’t an April Fools Day joke…. this is data from the Policy Exchange, founded in 2002 to help contribute the national thinking about society. I don’t know if it is the case, but it would appear that the Coalition Government had a look at this before deciding to introduce the pension rules that come into effect next week. However if you are someone still saving for a pension or an employer, the findings are not great reading, with both needng to contribute rather more to pensions. Clicking on the graphic should make it larger.

by policyexchange.

Dominic Thomas

Pension TimebombDominic2023-12-01T12:40:03+00:00

Weekend Papers Impressions of Persistence

It has been another busy week, quite a bit of last minute end of tax year planning and some horrific stories. The markets have had another set of wobbles.. perhaps a sell-off in response to high valuations, or problems in

[fill in the gap!] or of course people doing their end of year capital gains tax planning. If you are invested, then it probably doesn’t really matter, unless you planned to withdraw from markets this week, last would have been better… such is life. The truth is that most people are long-term (life-long) investors, so current trouble (which is ever present) is simply something that we live with and plan for. My job is to keep you focused on what is actually important and not get distracted by the noise that fills our daily experiences.

Persistence is a key aspect of a good investment experience. Something that I was reminded of by the art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, who was a long-term advocate or champion of impressionist artists like Monet, Pissarro, Degas, Manet and Renoir. The National Gallery put forward the argument that we wouldn’t have the impressionist art that we now know without Durand-Ruel, who was a very persistent advocate, his quotes are a great compliement to the works. Its a really good, well curated show, tucked away off Trafalgar Square in the National Gallery – called “Inventing Impressionism – The Man Who Sold A Thousand Monets” and lasts until the end of May – well worth a trip.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=6FqgsfVCF44%3Ffeature%3Dplayer_embeddedframeborder%3D0allowfullscreen

So I will persist, much like Mr Durand-Ruel and keep pushing the idea that markets rise and fall, attempting to time the market is a loosers game and a long term plan that is reviewed regularly is vital. We, like Mr Durand-Ruel, curate the content of a portfolio and the things that are of true value. If this is something you think someone else may need to hear or experience, then do pass on my details or perhaps point them to this weekend’s Sunday Telegraph where we will apparently feature as one of the UK’s top advisers… hopefully it will be good coverage, but if not, my belief in our approach isn’t about to change. So do look out for the 8-page supplement from VouchedFor in the Sunday Telegraph.

Dominic Thomas

Weekend Papers Impressions of PersistenceDominic2023-12-01T12:40:01+00:00

Professional Adviser Awards 2015

Last week I attended the Professional Adviser Awards held in London a stone’s throw from the Barbican. We had been short-listed, for the second time in succession for “Firm of the Year” for London. Given our size it is highly unlikely that we will ever win when competing with much larger firms in the financial capital, frankly it is a a bit of a coup that we get short-listed. However on the back of our submitted work and the judges having a look at the firm I’m delighted to say that whilst we didn’t win, we were a close second with a “highly commended”.

Those that know me will appreciate that I am constantly seeking ways to improve what we do for our clients. I am all too aware of short-comings and work hard to reduce or remove them wherever possible. So not winning, in this instance, feels absolutely right and yet still highly satisfying.

As it is awards season, it is customary to thank various people. So I would like to thank our clients, the staff, those within the industry that have assisted us to provide a great service, various peers that inspire and encourage me, friends and family that have been hugely supportive over the years and my wife and daughters for their support and understanding.

So in the spirit of improvement…. I’m more than willing to listen to ways that we can convey concepts to clients, produce easy to understand high quality material and promote independent financial advice within a proper financial planning context. Please get in touch if you have suggestions about how we may improve.

Dominic Thomas

Professional Adviser Awards 2015Dominic2023-12-01T12:39:59+00:00

Auto Enrolment Fines – Workplace Pensions

As expected, the pensions regulator is taking auto enrolment (workplace pensions) rather more seriously than it took stakeholder pensions. Employers were warned about the prospect of fines and as the number of firms that should have started their pensions has multiplied, so have the fines. This is unlikely to alter as the momentum increases. This year medium sized and some small firms will be expected to comply with the rules. 166 penalty notices were issued in the last quarter of 2014 and over 1,100 compliance warning notices sent to firms.

Avoid the Fines

Employers need to get on with their auto enrolment compliance. In practice this is a project management exercise rather than about finding a good pension. As a result I advise employers and Accountants to use the very low cost software from AE in a Box. It enables you to fully comply in time and avoid fines. Importantly it is an ongoing project – much like PAYE is an ongoing project, so data and processes need to be adhered to strictly.

AE in a Box

AE in a Box is very inexpensive, £79+VAT to set up and then £29+VAT a month thereafter. The monthly subscription will only begin 6 months prior to your staging date. I would urge you to consider this bit of kit. It isn’t a financial product, its a tool to help you do the job yourself, cost-effectively rather than getting a more expensive planner like myself involved.

Dominic Thomas

Auto Enrolment Fines – Workplace PensionsDominic2023-12-01T12:39:55+00:00

How Was Your Last Quarter?

You may have seen the news that the Apple corporation have just posted the largest profits for Q4 in history. Apple is an enormous company, worth around $640 billion. At the end of 2013 Apple had a market capitalisation value (the value of the company based on the price of issued shares) of £302 billion…which at the time was about 2.2% of the total US market (£13,304 billion)… or to put it another way 14.6% of the UK market (then worth £2,057 billion)…. to give this some context the market capitalisation of Greece was £20 billion…. so back in 2013 Apple was worth 15 times more than Greece.

The results of Apple for the last quarter of 2014 saw profit of £11.8 billion. That’s profit. So one has to ask, what does Apple do that others don’t either as corporations or nations?…. and hence the obsession that many have with Steve Jobs. Much of the profit was due to the sales of the iphone – all 74.5million of them sold in the last quarter!… good to feel unique eh?

Many businesses will look at Apple with considerable envy, the more thoughtful will reflect on what they do to create such loyal customers…. perhaps a few lessons for the politicians too.

Dominic Thomas

How Was Your Last Quarter?Dominic2023-12-01T12:39:55+00:00

Commission – I Don’t Understand it either!

Commission – I don’t understand it either!

If you know anything about me and the firm, you will know that from inception (1999) we removed commission from all financial products that we arranged. This was due to wanting to remove bias between financial products and provide better arrangements for our clients. Admittedly ahead of our time and it wasn’t until January 2013 that commission had to be removed from investments as a result of the regulator’s review of the market.

Yet only this month (January 2015) I am wrestling to understand commission on a tiny life assurance policy that I have arranged for a client. Long story short we asked to remove the commission as usual (reducing the monthly premiums by about 30%). However it appears that in this instance, the insurer only removed “initial commission” and when the terms came through, the renewal commission of £1.06 per month would be paid to us from month 49… until the policy matures in 10 years time. In short we would potentially receive commission of £1.06 a month for 95 months…. not exactly a lot of money, but not what we promised! So I request that this commission be removed, only to find that the monthly premium is reduced by just one pennny a month… rather than passed directly onto the client as I had assumed. In this scenario, the insurer merely keeps £1.05 a month extra as pure profit. Bonkers! OK I know its not a massive sum, but then that’s just because this was a small policy, the cheapest from the market, but multiply it by millions of customers…

So, it would seem to me that I should take this extra commission (not payable for 4 years) and either pass it all to the client or offset it against his fees, but to my mind this merely demonstrates how behind the times some product providers are and why I believe that so few of them have the remotest chance of surviving another thirty years. As for the regulator, in their infinite wisdom, the commission ban only applies to retail investment products… not insurance… no, I dont understand it either!

Dominic Thomas

Commission – I Don’t Understand it either!Dominic2023-12-01T12:39:53+00:00

Has War Just Changed?

As is often the case, out of something that seemed trivial, we may have witnessed a “significant moment” in history without grasping the implications. In short, we are asked to wonder if war has just changed. It seems to me that war is invariably about an inability to cope with or live with difference. Often this is expressed as a conflict of ideology but of course theology too. Some regard war as a battle over land, which perhaps is the case, but I’d suggest that this is merely the physically binding frame of reference used to galvanise support along lines of difference and to physically represent the boundaries of control. This week we learned that the boundaries shifted. The vast majority of the media missed the story, selecting to reflect the inane rather than the insane.

The story? this is about a executives at a film company bad-mouthing movie stars and being caught. The real story is that national boundaries have just been obliterated by hackers, who acted to squash something they didn’t like… but not just squash, threaten. Of course, some countries operate on the basis of a few bullies oppressing the masses – this is sadly nothing new and will probably never cease. I found myself looking at an image in a magazine recently, wondering how on earth so few, odd looking irrelevant men can control an entire nation, yet it happens all over the world.

The sadness is that film-makers and journalists are meant to be the ones that keep our focus on the truth, revealing darkness and oppression, helping to inform and change. Sadly many in Hollywood shirked this responsibility for fear of reprisal and financial cost. George Clooney couldn’t get anyone to sign his petition – ANYONE. So why should we be concerned if others aren’t? – after all haven’t Sony executives themselves to blame for expressing personal opinion and hitting that send button? Well, certainly some wisdom is needed in expressing opinion in a digital age, but the truth is that I doubt anyone has not said something about someone at some point in their life of which they are now not terribly proud. However, this isn’t really the point – the point is where does this lead? Can hackers now be hired by anyone, any nation to bully another into compliance? How does this impact our free speech? and surely this isn’t simply the domaine of terrified, narrow-minded tyrants, but also enters the arena of corporations who don’t like stories about their leadership or activities. Surely this has the potential to influence how we perceive and from a financial services perspective, appearance can be everything – just ask Tesco or BP.

This story has implications for you and I, our use of social media and the freedoms we enjoy. Obviously it isn’t wise to hurl insults and the adage, if you wouldn’t say it to their face, don’t say it at all seems pretty pertinent. But we surely cannot live in a world where we are terrified of legal action or reprisal. This is a “tipping point” for the double-edged sword of the internet, offering the prospect of genuine freedom of information to all (which we take rather for granted in the comfort of the West). As for me, I have never liked bullies, whether they come in the guise of a big kid in the playground, a teacher, boss, an investment bank, politician, pseudo military general, bigot, racist, rabid fundamentalist or of course my own tendency to think lazily and turn to petulant expression in frustration, which certainly in my “madder moments” it is a very good thing that weapons are not within easy reach…and sadly my own temper is easily fuelled driving, cycling or walking these very streets all too easily… which is of course the advantage of a society that doesn’t permit liberal gun ownership, encourages thought, education, tolerance and self-reflection, but unfortunately often seems more obsessed with narcissistic reflection in the eye of… well the media.

Dominic Thomas

Has War Just Changed?Dominic2023-12-01T12:39:48+00:00

Professional Adviser Awards 2015

I have to admit to being pleased that we have been short-listed to the last 7 firms in the “Best financial adviser in London” category again – for the second year in a row! The award ceremony isn’t until mid February next year which is when we find out who won. If you are interested, the entry involved selecting one of three case studies and outlining how we do what we do for our clients, though in this instance, it was obviously a fictitious one.

I know some of the firms and I am very pleased to be on the short-list, whatever the outcome it is not bad for a very small financial planning firm to be down to the last 7 in London. Its a good way to sign off the year and I’m pleased for the whole team and of course our clients.

Dominic Thomas

Professional Adviser Awards 2015Dominic2023-12-01T12:39:43+00:00

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