Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Friday 15 August 2025. To get this in your inbox every morning click here.
Aegon upgrades adviser reporting tool
Aegon has marked the first anniversary of its client reporting tool, ‘Product reporting’, with a series of strategic enhancements designed to further bolster adviser capabilities and client engagement.
The upgrades, applied to the Aegon Retirement Choices (ARC) and One Retirement platforms, coincide with the findings of the recent “Organic growth for financial advice firms: A practical guide” report, which Aegon produced in partnership with NextWealth.
The report found that while over three-quarters of advisers are seeking to grow their assets under advice, only a small number have a defined strategy. It also highlighted that high-performing firms are increasingly using data to refine operations, empower teams, and build scalable value.
Melissa Kidd: Five challenges advisers face in first meetings
In May 2025, I spoke to over 100 financial advisers about their first meetings. Given the average lifetime value of a client, this is often the most profitable hour you as an adviser can spend.
And yet, many aren’t converting as often as they wanted or hoped. Here are the five most common challenges shared with me.
TISA launches new toolkit to aid teachers with financial education
The Investing and Saving Alliance’s (TISA) Financial Education Council (FEC) has unveiled a new, free Financial Education Toolkit designed to help teachers deliver financial education in primary and secondary schools.
The launch, which coincided with National Financial Awareness Day, aims to address the challenges teachers face in identifying high-quality financial education resources. A recent mapping exercise by the Money and Pension Service found that teachers were struggling to find suitable materials.
Quote Of The Day
It is politically simpler to change the structure of inheritance tax than to touch headline rates, but such changes can have a profound impact on people who have worked for decades to build up assets to pass on. The consequences will be significant.
-Nigel Green, deVere Group CEO, commented on Chancellor Reeves’ consideration of cutting thresholds and tightening rules on lifetime gifts.
Stat Attack
Research highlights flexible working’s crucial role for over-55s. Many would quit or take a pay cut if flexibility was restricted. This impacts the UK economy significantly, with experienced older workers leaving key sectors annually, costing billions. Expanded flexible work options are vital to retain this valuable demographic and reduce economic inactivity. The stats reveal:
37%
of workers aged over 55 would consider leaving their job if their flexible working options were restricted.
25%
of workers aged over 55 would take a pay cut for more flexible working options.
440,000
Workers aged over 50 leave the UK’s industrial strategy key sectors each year.
30%
of workers over 55 would consider quitting if their employer limited the ability to work from home.
48%
of all workers would consider quitting if their employer limited the ability to work from home.
More than 3.4 million
workers aged 50 and over are currently employed in these strategic sectors.
Source: Standard Life
In Other News
Access Financial Services has appointed Rob Jarvis as its new Business Development Manager to spearhead the company’s recruitment strategy. Reporting to mortgage sales and marketing director Nick Jones, Jarvis brings extensive experience from his previous roles at Together, Envelop Finance, and Roma Finance. His appointment is central to Access FS’s ambitious expansion plans, which see him tasked with onboarding new advisers and attracting top talent. Jarvis said he is “incredibly excited” to leverage his background in relationship building to strengthen the firm’s position in the mortgage and protection market.
Financial advisers Laura Duncan and Chris Pickering have joined national advice firm Continuum as independent financial advisers to strengthen the company’s presence in the North West. The duo, who previously worked for financial services mutual Wesleyan, bring experience to their new roles. Based in Clitheroe, Chris Pickering began his career as a mortgage adviser in 2008, later working in Spain before returning to the UK in 2020. Laura Duncan, based near Blackpool, started her career at Skipton Building Society and was a top performer during her five years at Wesleyan.
Chris Pickering said the move was motivated by a desire for greater independence and whole-of-market access, stating: “Having previously worked as a tied adviser, I recognised the limitations of restricted panels and sought the freedom that comes with being fully independent.”
From Elsewhere
Citigroup considers custody and payment services for stablecoins, crypto ETFs (Reuters)
Evelyn Partners to target NatWest and RBC with sales pitch (Financial Times)
HSBC plots ‘Big Brother’ surveillance crackdown on staff (The Telegraph)
Did You See?
The shortlist for the Young Financial Planner Awards 2025 has been revealed, with the winners set to be announced at the CPD-accredited MMI London conference on Thursday, 9 October.
The conference agenda is packed with panels, sessions, and updates on topics including retirement planning, tax reform, the Advice Guidance Boundary Review, and the impact of AI.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a speed networking session and interactive workshops, and will receive five hours of CPD. To read the full details, click here: Revealed: The shortlist for the Young Financial Planner Awards 2025!
