Changing weather around the world is affecting companies. From storms knocking out communication networks in the US, to flooding hitting supply chains in parts of the UK, businesses are having to adapt to the future.

Alex Monk, co-manager of the Schroder Global Energy Transition fund, explains what this means for investment portfolios.

We discuss the companies adapting to the new world, the economics of going green, and the businesses that are doing something to change the course of climate change.

In this episode, NMA reporter Laura Purkess speaks to Tom Selby, senior analyst at AJ Bell, about some of the biggest announcements in the 2021 Budget, including freezing the lifetime allowance and income tax thresholds, hiking corporation tax for bigger businesses to 25%, extending the stamp duty holiday and re-introducing 95% mortgages.

In this latest episode of the New Model Adviser podcast, reporter James Fitzgerald speaks with Ben Hammond, platforms director at Altus Consulting.

They speak about the inner workings of recent private equity deals for platforms, and what recent takeovers mean for platforms’ staff, advisers and clients.

Hammond tells Fitzgerald that Platforms have become attractive options for private equity firms in recent years, and that the recent acquisitions we have seen may just be the beginning of mass consolidation in the platform space.

In this episode, reporter Laura Purkess talks to 7IM’s Verona Kenny about the biggest changes she’s seen in the advice profession over the course of her career. They talk about pension freedoms and the rise of responsible investing, as well as the growth and consolidation of advice firms.

The Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to most consolidation and IFA buyouts last year. But although the vaccine means we may return to normality sooner rather than later, there are some who think the acquisition market may stay stagnant for a while yet.

In this episode of the New Model Adviser podcast, reporter James Fitzgerald speaks to the managing director of Vision Business Advisers, Peter Trotman, who gives tips to IFAs wanting to sell their business, how the market struggled last year and why it may take some large national firms a while to start buying IFA firms again. Trotman also reflects on how stricter FCA regulations has led to delays for firms seeking new owners, and why greater oversight on consolidation may make for a better market.

Episode One. Welcome to a new ongoing series The Balance looking at real stories of personal difficulty within the advice profession and financial services. In this episode James Thorneley, former global head of media relations at Standard Life, recounts how he smashed his skull during an epileptic fit. He required serious surgery and over a month off work. Laura Purkess asks what support he received from his employer and colleagues, and how important it was to take the time needed to recover. The pair talk about what employers can do to support staff going through difficulties in their personal lives.

A breakdown of communication; failure to learn the lessons of the past; policy problems; improper planning; regulatory stalemate; and, of course, denial.

A perfect storm involving all these factors and more led to what Personal Finance Society CEO Keith Richards now candidly calls a 'DB debacle'.

In this episode, James Fitzgerald sits down with Richards to hear his side of the story.

It is an honest look at how the defined benefit (DB) pension transfer scandal unfolded, from the perspective of a key industry stakeholder trying to unite an overlooked and occasionally divided profession in the face of huge regulatory and business pressures.

Notably, Richards also reflects on the FCA and Treasury's 'failed' Financial Advice Market Review, and describes how Brexit arrived at precisely the wrong moment for a multi-pronged taskforce consisting of industry representatives, lobbyists, consumer protection experts, ministers and civil servants to make any meaningful progress.

Will lobbyists like Richard make any ground? It is entirely possible, Richards argues, but the government must come back to the table first. Consider that gauntlet thoroughly thrown down.

UPDATE: This is now the correct version of this podcast.

Paul Jourdan, the Citywire AAA-rated manager of the Amati Small Companies fund, is unhappy that ESG is seen as a ‘special sauce’. Indeed, what does it say about fund managers if we are only now applying ethical criteria?

Fellow guest and futurist Mark Stevenson said the notion of adding ESG criteria to a fund is as ‘absolutely ridiculous’ as your doctor telling you: good news, I have a medical degree.

‘You think ethics is bonus extra for your profession? Get stuffed!’

Advisers are used to getting frustrated about the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), but few will be familiar with helping clients claim on it.

The process is actually mercifully simple, but as Felix Milton discovered, there is more to the FSCS than just claims.

When it comes to helping clients who have been wronged, there are a whole host of other things to consider: how to invest the compensation, if there is any, how to establish and maintain trust, and, crucially, how to spot who needs more help and who needs less.

In this episode, Felix joins Ollie Smith for a special four-part mini-series looking at financial planners' best work, kicking off with a discussion about how he is helping a number of clients either claim on the FSCS, or face down claims management companies.

The discussion lasts for around 20 minutes. If you are interested in sharing your best work on the show, get in touch with Ollie at [email protected].

Clients these days want to do good things with their money, and now that performance concerns have largely died off, ESG is enjoying its time in the sun.

But that doesn't mean the due diligence is easy. Indeed, one area you might be less familiar with in the ESG world is property.

Is it possible to insert property into clients' investments without compromising their values? Can IFAs be confident that such decisions won't be hindered by a supply chain scandal later down the line? And how should fund managers looking at this area respond to the moral imperative surrounding social housing posed by the Grenfell Tower disaster, and its long-running fallout?

In this episode, NMA special features editor Charles Walmsley quizzes Schroders fund manager Tom Walker on exactly these topics, and more.

As you'll hear, it turns out that the 'S' of 'ESG' is sometimes the hardest bit of all to get right with property. Fear not though. There is now a whole range of resources to help professional investors measure social impact, and the appropriateness of an investment.