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.

IFA Magazine’s weekly podcast, IFA Talk, is back with another insightful episode aimed squarely at busy financial advisers with a passion for what they do.

This week, we’re joined by Martin Lockyer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Westminster Wealth Management, to find out from his years of experience as an adviser and running an advice business, what it takes to build and run a successful firm. Martin’s insight into succession planning is particularly thought provoking, and reinforces the idea that it should never be a one-size fits all approach.

In this episode, Meg Bratley and Sue Whitbread talk to Martin about the practical challenges and opportunities facing advice firms, from maintaining long-term client relationships to protecting independence in a landscape dominated by consolidation and regulation.

Martin shares his expertise based on years of experience, and offers practical insights and strategies that can help advisers create sustainable businesses while delivering excellent outcomes for clients.

Highlights include:

Whether you’re a business owner, manager, or adviser seeking actionable best practice ideas and real-world perspectives, this episode is sure to get you thinking.

Now live: The latest Mortgage & Property Investment special edition of IFA Talk explores what the 2026 mortgage market could look like for brokers, and where opportunities and challenges may lie as we head into the New Year.

In this episode, hosts Meg and Sue are joined by Jonathan Stinton, Head of Intermediary Relationship Management at Coventry Building Society. Jonathan discusses the outlook for the 2026 mortgage market, including broker confidence, remortgaging activity and affordability pressures. He also shares how lenders can best support brokers during a busy remortgage cycle, and explores the opportunities and challenges shaping the Buy-to-Let market in the year ahead.

Key discussion points also include:

This episode provides valuable insight for mortgage brokers looking ahead to the near future, examining the key trends shaping the mortgage market and highlighting how advisers can continue to add value and support their clients in the long term.

In this episode of IFA Talk, Sue and Matt are joined by Alex Sumner from Thrive, Blackfinch Group’s dedicated workplace pensions and benefits platform.

Thrive is designed to simplify pension management for businesses while giving employees access to a financial wellbeing app that provides clear insights into pensions, benefits, and financial futures. It can be a key tool for advisers to use also.

The discussion dives into some of the most pressing topics for advisers today:

Whether you’re looking to add to your advice business’ strategy for 2026 or exploring effective new ways to support your business clients, this episode offers practical insights and actionable ideas that can help you deliver. 

This month's latest New Insurance & Protection special edition of IFA Talk explores an issue that affects clients across the UK but is still often misunderstood: economic abuse.

In this episode, hosts Meg Bratley and Jenny Hunter are joined by Shelley Read, Senior Technical Manager at Royal London. Shelley sheds light on what economic abuse really means, how it differs from financial abuse, and the impact it can have on financial wellbeing, protection, and even access to mortgages.

Highlights from this week’s episode

What economic abuse is, and who it affects

How it shows up in financial services

The role of protection

Spotting the signs

Now live: The latest Mortgage & Property Investment special edition of IFA Talk, and the final episode of the year turns its attention to later life lending, a topic that has taken on increased importance following the October and November Budget announcements.

In this episode, Sue and Meg are joined by two brilliant guests. Tony Wickenden, Founder and Managing Director of Technical Connection, and Will Hale, CEO of Key and Air. Together, they discuss the evolving role of later life lending and what advisers need to consider as they support clients through an increasingly complex planning landscape.

Highlights from the episode

This episode offers timely insight and practical perspective for advisers navigating post-Budget planning conversations and provides a fitting close to IFA Talk for the year. With the festive season upon us, we’d like to thank our listeners for their support throughout the year and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

On this week’s episode of IFA Talk, Sue and Matt focus on one of the most talked-about topics in the advice sector right now, the Advice Guidance Boundary Review, and more specifically, the arrival of Targeted Support.

Ben Hampton, CEO of Wealth Wizards joins us to share his expert insights. Wealth Wizards has been at the forefront of digital advice and guidance technology, making Ben the ideal guest for this discussion.

Together, they discuss the main drivers behind the push for Targeted Support, and how it reflects the changes needs of UK consumers. Ben also reveals how Targeted Support can help to bridge the advice gap, and how the consumer experience of financial advice and guidance could change, especially in relation to retirement preparation.

Lastly, Ben outlines which hurdles and opportunities he foresees for advice firms, in areas such as regulation, technology and customer trust.

This episode was recorded on 17th November, therefore prior to the FCA’s announcement on Targeted Support.

This week on IFA Talk, Deputy Editor Jenny Hunter and Editor Sue Whitbread are joined once again by James Giblin, Fund Manager at L&G, and someone who’s had a front-row seat to one of the most unpredictable market years we’ve seen in a while.

With 2025 almost behind us, the timing couldn’t be better. James shares his take on what’s really been driving markets this year, how investors can keep a cool head when the headlines get loud, and what advisers should be thinking about as we head into 2026. If you’re looking for a clear, calm voice amid the noise, this episode is definitely one to queue up.

James also gives us a peek behind the scenes at L&G, chatting about how the team navigates conflicting signals in markets, draws on the firm’s research expertise, and makes the kind of decisions that matter when things are changing fast. It’s an honest and accessible look at how multi-asset teams stay grounded when the world around them feels anything but.

And, of course, we look ahead. With a new year on the horizon, James talks through the themes on his radar, from shifting economic conditions to the areas where he sees risk, opportunity and potential surprises. Advisers will find plenty here to help shape client conversations and set expectations for the year to come.

The latest New Insurance & Protection special edition of IFA Talk explores how insurers are reshaping protection in 2025, and what this means for advisers and their clients.

In this episode, hosts Meg Bratley and Sue Whitbread are joined by Paul Roberts, Propositions and Distribution Director at CIExpert. Paul shares his expert insights into how the industry is developing more comprehensive cover and how advisers can translate this into meaningful client conversations.

Highlights from the latest episode:

· A look at what insurers have done during 2025 to offer more comprehensive cover

· How understanding Additional Payments, Enhanced Payments, Accelerated Payments, and Severity Payments adds real value to modern protection conversations

· How Children’s Critical Illness cover should be positioned as part of holistic financial planning moving forward

This episode makes for a fascinating and practical discussion, giving advisers valuable guidance on how to embrace the latest developments in protection and deliver even better outcomes for their clients