In this week’s episode, Matt and Sue are looking into one of the most consistent challenges faced by advice firms: technology complexity.

They are joined by John Milliken, CEO of Defaqto, to talk about how advice businesses can move from integrating multiple tech platforms to a more unified operating model. Advisers regularly face the frustration of juggling many different software platforms that don’t talk to each other, creating inefficiencies and compliance risks too.

In this episode, Matt, Sue, and John discuss:

• Integration vs. unification: What this shift means for advisers and why it matters.
• Adviser pain points: Where current tech stacks fall short and how firms are feeling about being weighed down by complexity.
• Day-to-day changes: How a unified operating model can simplify workflows, strengthen compliance, and give advisers more confidence.
• Managing change: How firms can adopt new technology at a pace that works for their business.
• Key takeaways: John’s top insights for advisers navigating technology challenges.

Listen now to hear how things are changing in the adviser tech world that look set to transform the efficiency and effectiveness of many advice businesses in future.

In this episode of IFA Talk, we’re talking all things paraplanning and why the role continues to grow in importance across the advice profession.

Jenny and Matt are joined by Steve Nelson, Insight Director at the lang cat, to chat through the latest State of the Advice Nation research. This is the third year paraplanners have had a focused pathway in the study, which means we’re finally starting to see some clear themes emerge around career paths, day to day realities and where firms are getting it right, or not.

During the conversation, we look at paraplanning as a career in its own right, how visible and understood the role really is, and what the research tells us about the challenges paraplanners still face behind the scenes. From workload pressures to systems and support, it’s an honest discussion grounded in real data and real experience.

As ever, Steve does a brilliant job of bringing the numbers to life and connecting the findings to what’s actually happening in advice firms across the UK.

Now live: The latest Mortgage & Property Investment special edition of IFA Talk looks ahead to 2026 and beyond, exploring how shifting household behaviour, retirement sequencing, and property wealth are shaping modern financial planning.

In this episode, hosts Meg and Jenny are joined by Phillip Wickenden, founder and CEO of Ad Lucem. Phil shares his insights on the changing landscape of adviser-client conversations, including the growing importance of retirement sequencing, the evolving role of property wealth, and why later-life lending and “home-in-the-plan” discussions are becoming increasingly central to financial planning.

Key discussion points also include:

• Household behavioural shifts heading into 2026 and what they mean for advisers

• How inheritance tax changes are affecting retirement sequencing and client decision-making

• Practical challenges advisers are facing more often, including managing client intent and tax implications

• The role of property wealth and later-life lending in modern, client-centred conversations

• How intergenerational advice creates both business opportunities and long-term client retention

This episode provides valuable insight for advisers looking to navigate the changing financial planning landscape, offering practical guidance and highlighting the opportunities for advisers to add value for clients in the year ahead.

Be sure to check out the episode and all other episodes of IFA Talk on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon!

Podcast # Meet the new CII President: Callum Beaton on the year ahead

In this episode of IFA Talk, Matt and Sue are joined by the new President of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), Callum Beaton, to talk about his journey to the role, his appointment (which he describes as ‘surreal’) and also his vision for the future of the profession.

Callum is clearly very passionate about this profession, which he joined almost 50 years ago, after failing an eye test to join the Royal Navy. He talks eloquently through his Presidential theme, EQUIP, how he hopes to support members during his year in office, and the key issues he believes will shape the sector in the months ahead, with the wealth of experience he’s amassed over the years.

It’s a really human conversation, thoughtful and forward-looking for anyone working in insurance or financial planning who wants to stay connected to the bigger picture.

Listen now to hear Callum’s plans for leading and supporting the profession.

In this latest episode of the Tax-Efficient Investment podcast from IFA Magazine, we turn our focus to Venture Capital Trusts and what advisers need to be thinking about as the busy tax year-end approaches.

Hosted by Editor Sue Whitbread and Deputy Editor Jenny Hunter, this special edition of IFA Talk is produced in partnership with Foresight Group and explores how the VCT landscape is evolving in response to shifting market conditions, new technologies and changing investor expectations.

Joining the conversation is Lucy Clarke, Investment Manager at Foresight Group, who shares an investment manager’s perspective on how to identify genuinely sustainable competitive advantage in today’s VCT-backed companies. Drawing on her background as both a venture investor and a former founder, Lucy discusses how traditional indicators of competitive advantage are changing, how the VCT investment process is adapting, and what this means in practice when assessing early-stage opportunities.

The episode also looks at the sectors and themes Lucy finds particularly compelling right now, offering advisers timely insight as they prepare for what is expected to be a busy period for VCT planning.

With more than 50 years in financial planning, Patrick Murphy has seen the profession evolve. Although he’s recently stepped back from advising clients, he’s challenging conventional thinking about what really drives client outcomes.

In this episode of IFA Talk, hosts Matt and Sue sit down with Patrick to explore his latest insights on Targeted Support, consumer behaviour and the future of advice. With Targeted Support kicking off from April, will this be the game-changer it’s often set out to be? The answer is probably yes but, as we’ll explore today, maybe not for the reasons that most people are thinking about.

Patrick’s recent paper, Financial Planning in Transition: Beyond Targeted Support (2025–2030), builds on his work in hybrid advice and argues that the way advisers support client behaviour could transform outcomes at scale. Today, we discuss what that means in practice and why understanding behaviour may be more important than simply providing knowledge or information.

We talk with Patrick about why good advice often fails, not because it’s wrong, but because it isn’t acted upon, how regulators and firms can misread the advice process, and why compliance alone doesn’t guarantee good outcomes, the shift from one-off recommendations to ongoing behavioural support and how advisers can adapt day-to-day, how Targeted Support could succeed or fail depending on whether it’s treated as content/compliance or as behaviour design, and the practical takeaways for advisers looking to improve client outcomes in a rapidly evolving profession.

The FCA’s plans to introduce Targeted Support from April 2026 represent one of the most significant regulatory developments which advisers need to be aware of at the moment.

In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, Matt and Sue welcomed Chet Velani, Managing Director at EV, to chat through some of the key issues around what Targeted Support is really designed to achieve, how it might work in practice, and what advisers can be doing now to stay ahead of the curve. Chet was a great guest and had plenty of practical ideas to share.

EV is a financial services technology provider working with millions of consumers and a significant proportion of the UK advice market, giving Chet a unique perspective on how regulation, technology and advice intersect.

As Chet explains on the podcast, Targeted Support isn’t about eroding the value of advice. Instead, it’s about creating clearer, scalable pathways that use data and technology to support more people, while enabling firms to deliver demonstrably better outcomes for consumers.

However, for advisers, understanding the bigger picture, how this framework is likely work in practice and how it could complement existing advice models will be really important.

In this month’s special Tax-Efficient Investment (TEI) edition of IFA Talk, IFA Magazine's Content Editor Matt Williams and Deputy Editor Jenny Hunter take a look back at the 2025 Budget and the changes to VCTs.

Joining us to unpack all of this are not one, but two great guests. First, returning to the IFA Talk studio is Toyin Oyeneyin, Tax Product Specialist at Octopus Investments. Toyin joined us back in November ahead of the 2025 Budget to discuss the major changes in the 2024 Budget, along with the topic of pensions and the complex IHT landscape.

This time, Toyin is also joined by Tim Dickens, Head of Investment Specialists at Octopus Ventures. Together, they reflect on the key takeaways from this year’s Budget, the changes to VCTs and what they mean for financial advisers, and why private markets are becoming increasingly popular.