Scotland and Northern Ireland are hotbeds for high-quality financial planning. Here, we have picked out some of the advisers and firms leading the way in delivering an effective, life-improving and personalised service for their clients.
When talking to advisers in Scotland and Northern Ireland, we have also thought about the public messages that people receive about advice. Is there more that can be done to raise awareness of the value of proper financial planning? There most certainly is, and to explore this idea we consider what innovative advice firms are doing to effectively raise awareness of what they do.
We also delve into these issues in our roundtable debate. First, we discuss what makes a client first seek financial advice, then we consider common misconceptions, as well as the positive work being done to promote good advice. Although it is important for each company to have its own strategy and approach, this debate offers up some universally relevant tips for communicating what a firm offers.
Financial planning is evolving, and so too are the needs of clients and the means of communicating with them. Thankfully, there are a plethora of firms in Scotland and Northern Ireland that are up to the task.
When it comes to connecting with clients, advisers in Scotland and Northern Ireland use a plethora of modes and methods, as we discovered when we brought together four modern-minded advisers – Richard Libberton, a financial planner at Thomson Cooper, Kerry McCaughan, a chartered financial planner at Johnston Campbell, Elaine Hamilton, director of business development at McCrea Financial Services and Jennifer Ellis, a director at Wellington Wealth – with Citywire’s Ian Horne and Pimco vice-president Joseph McCurdy.
In our roundtable debate, they shared a range of strategies on building brand awareness and growing the client bank. Although communicating the job of a financial adviser and its value is not always easy, advisers are increasingly using video and webinars to better convey their messages. The importance of building an online presence through social media and engaging websites, and of connecting with the local community, were also on the agenda.
Financial advice firms in Scotland and Northern Ireland are getting creative when it comes to growing their brands and attracting new clients. Four of them got together to outline their views and strategies – on everything from podcasts to tweets that reflect their personality – at a virtual roundtable hosted by Citywire in association with PIMCO.
The use of multimedia – hosting a regular podcast or recording video clips to educate clients and increase website traffic – was a big talking point.
What role do bonds play in the portfolios of the next generation of advisers and their clients? Regardless of the answer, you need a global bond fund manager you can depend upon.
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