Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Monday 18 August 2025. To get this in your inbox every morning click here.
Targeted support will lead to a higher amount of advised clients, says Nutmeg
Targeted support will do more to close the advice gap and will lead to a higher amount of advised clients.
This is what Nutmeg head of financial advice and guidance Claire Exley told Money Marketing.
In May, the Financial Conduct Authority revealed only 8.6% of the UK population received financial advice in 2024.
Dr Tom Mathar: Why we need a new kind of financial adviser
The landscape of financial advice is changing, writes Dr Tom Mathar, head of Money:Mindshift at Aegon.
For too long, the financial adviser has been defined by investment performance, asset allocation, tax optimisation and retirement strategy.
These are, of course, essential reasons for people to go to an adviser. However, they only address half of the financial challenges people need help with.
Today’s reality is different. People’s lives are no longer neatly divided into education, work and retirement.
Protection and pensions series: Building investor resilience with Royal London
When markets get rocky, how can financial advisers help their clients stay the course Join Kimberley Dondo and Ilana Miller, investment development director at Royal London, as they discuss the art of guiding clients through market volatility.
In this episode, they explore the importance of addressing the emotional side of investing, proactive strategies to build long-term resilience, and the value of multi-asset solutions and active management in challenging times.
Quote Of The Day
The FTSE 100 looks set for a small dose of Monday motivation, helping to erase some of Friday’s losses as investors take a glass half-full approach to the global economic outlook
– Hargreaves Lansdown head of money and markets Susannah Streeter on the FTSE 100 benefitting from fresh records being breached in Asian indices
Stat Attack
Data gathered by the Office for National Statistics for July has found that fears around the cost-of-living continue to be front of mind for households across the UK.
85%
said the cost of living is the most important issue facing the UK today.
81%
said the NHS.
67%
said the economy.
59%
reported that their cost of living has increased in the last month.
95%
said there have been increases in the price of food shopping, 57% in energy bills and 45% in fuel.
Source: ONS
In Other News
LGT Wealth Management has appointed financial adviser Kirsty Thomson as a wealth planner in its Edinburgh office.
Thomson brings over 15 years of experience supporting high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) since beginning her career as a solicitor in 2009, with particular expertise in retirement and pension planning, inheritance tax and wealth structuring.
Most recently, she was divisional director at RBC Brewin Dolphin’s Edinburgh office, and before that held roles at PwC and Turcan Connell.
LGT Wealth Management said Thomson’s appointment “comes at a pivotal time for clients across Scotland and the wider UK as policy changes affecting pensions, inheritance tax and business property relief are prompting many families and business owners to reassess how they pass on wealth”.
In her new role, she will work closely with clients to develop and deliver financial strategies that reflect their long-term goals, helping them navigate a complex planning landscape with more clarity.
LGT Wealth Management expanded into new offices in Edinburgh’s Capital Square in May 2024 and now has over 50 specialists advising clients throughout Scotland.
Shares scale fresh peaks in Asia, oil eyes Ukraine talks (Reuters)
Citi raid on JPMorgan investment bankers reaches double digits (Financial Times)
Pressure on UK living standards poses new danger for Starmer (Bloomberg)
Did You See?
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 (14 August), 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.
The unbranded toolkit, developed by TISA’s financial services members, acts as a signposting resource, directing teachers to a range of free, quality materials. It includes planning frameworks, videos and teacher training guides to support effective delivery of financial education.
