The Paraplanners' Assembly Podcast

What knowledge, experience and skills will help you get hired? And, once you are hired, how will you know you’ve actually made the right choice?

Whether you want to get into paraplanning, are just starting out, or know someone who would love to get their break, this online Assembly – recorded on 9 July 2025 – is jam-packed with insights on making your move into paraplanning.

Host Caroline Stuart is joined by paraplanning guests Chris Wormwell, Ceetal Katechia and Kez Condy, plus personal development expert Sarah Purves of Aegon.

Over the course of one podcast, you’ll discover how each of our paraplanners took very different routes into the profession.

Among the topics covered are

• The multiple pathways into paraplanning (because there's never a ‘right’ route is there?)
• Tried and tested strategies for overcoming obstacles when starting out (or just started)
• Building a career plan that works for you
• Creating your support network
• Tackling imposter syndrome head-on
• Vital conversations to have with current or potential employers

Once you’ve listened to this Assembly, you can request a certificate for 1½ hours CPD. Just follow the link below.

This online Assembly would not be possible without the generous support of Aegon. Thank you to the team at Aegon for supporting next week’s Assembly – and for backing the development of paraplanners and paraplanning in the UK through their support of the Paraplanners’ Assembly.

There are loads of links following this Assembly. First of all, once you’ve listened to this episode, make sure you tap the link to receive your CPD certificate: https://paraplannersassembly.typeform.com/to/ocHx6IFO

You can also watch the Replay of this Assembly at Crowdcast (includes Chat): https://www.crowdcast.io/c/5xznwgskdxz9

Or view it on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1100103967

Sarah mentioned the fantastic idea of picking people for your ‘personal boardroom’. Here’s a link that tells you more: https://www.personalboardroom.com/for-individuals/

Caroline recommended downloading the PFS’s booklet ‘Getting you started in paraplanning’ (opens a PDF)

Chris mentioned The Chimp Paradox – a ‘mind management model grounded in neuroscience’ by Prof Steve Peters.

Kez talked about her experience of a paraplanning apprenticeship. To find out more, visit the Skills England Apprenticeship finder, which tells you more about the new combined Financial Planning and Paraplanning apprenticeship. There is currently one provider – Skills Edge Training – but we understand there may be more entering.

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As paraplanners, we have the power to directly influence financial outcomes that are better for women – whether we’re reviewing fact finds, drafting recommendations, or creating financial plans.

But are we truly creating plans for the individuals in front of us? Or are we unwittingly relying on conventional thinking and assumptions which are actually more likely to be rooted in men’s experiences rather than women’s?

It matters because, more often than not, women’s financial lives are very different to men’s. So to deliver genuinely effective financial planning, it’s important to understand the differences and how to adapt our approach.

In the recording of this online Assembly, host Sam Tonks invited Sam Secomb of Women’s Wealth and Susan Hope of Scottish Widows to explore how paraplanners can better understand and address the unique financial planning needs of women. During the session Sam, Susan and Sam discuss

– what makes women’s financial experience so different from men’s

– the real-world impact of the ‘parenthood penalty’ on long-term financial planning

– our assumptions about vulnerabilities, risk profiles and investment preferences

– practical strategies paraplanners can implement to better serve female clients

There are loads of links following this Assembly. First of all, once you’ve listened to this episode, make sure you tap the link to receive your CPD certificate: https://emails.scottishwidows.co.uk/womens-finances-webinar-CPD

You can also watch the Replay of this Assembly at Crowdcast: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/sk0o36kcb5fn or on Vimeo instead: https://vimeo.com/1096332315

There are a number of items of research referred to during this Assembly or which offer valuable background reading including:

Sam Secomb: Women’s career progression in the UK financial planning sector: https://bit.ly/4lckHFZ

Research from TISA that includes language around risk warnings: https://bit.ly/45qwoUU

Download Sam Secomb’s ‘Million Pound Difference’ case study here: https://bit.ly/4nfrwIy (opens PDF)

Plus there are some excellent stats and insights from Scottish Widows’s ‘Women & Retirement Report 2024’: https://bit.ly/449mKDZ

You’ll also find lots of valuable tools at Scottish Widows site including:

Beat the Gap tool: https://bit.ly/4n00oNE

The Pension Mirror: https://bit.ly/4ejrnju

Meet your future self: https://bit.ly/3HLSUhj

Plus Caroline Criado Perez’s fantastic Invisible Women was a must-read mention in the Chat.

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Remember our Assembly on annuity essentials back in March?

Over the course of one lunch-hour, Andy Powell from Standard Life walked us through the basics of annuities – how they work, the differences between pension and purchased life annuities, and the kinds of options available like inflation protection and guarantee periods.

Now annuity expert Andy is back and he’s taking things a little bit further.

In the second of his two-part guide to annuities essentials for paraplanners he talks to host, Richard Allum, about how annuities can feature as part of your clients’ retirement income strategies. For instance, among the practical planning tips that go beyond the basics, are things like:

– annuities can actually boost the value of the legacy client’s leave for loved ones

– annuities can be used as an asset class within broader portfolios

– and much more

After years of being out of fashion, annuities have been enjoying a bit of a renaissance lately. So what better time to refresh your annuities knowledge and - who knows? - maybe challenge your thinking about how they can contribute to a client's retirement strategy these days?

Fancy topping up your annuities knowledge? Then tune in now.

Useful links

Grab your CPD certificate for watching or listening to this Assembly by visiting the link below. There were plenty of useful links shared in the chat during the Assembly. Thanks to Rob Collins, Heather Fosker and Jon Young for sharing your links. If you want to speak to someone at Standard Life about their guaranteed life income annuity you can email [email protected]

CPD: Grab your record of CPD 

Watch the Replay at Crowdcast (includes Chat)

Watch the video on Vimeo (doesn’t include Chat)

Visit the event page

Standard Life’s guaranteed lifetime income annuity webpage

Map of healthy life expectancy

The Lang Cat’s ‘State of the Platform Nation 2025’ report

Steve Webb on pensioner spending research by LCP/Uni of Bath

Retirement Living Standard’s ‘Picture your future’ tool

Inheritance Tax guaranteed annuity calculator

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When it comes to the idea of innovation are you more likely to radiate Ted Lasso energy rather than Roy Kent? More Bandit than Bluey? Or put another way (that doesn’t rely on eclectic TV viewing habits): does the prospect of change make you feel more ‘Yeah!’ than ‘Meh!’? 

The reason we ask is that we were inspired by paraplanner Zara Okoro’s recent thought-provoking article in Professional Paraplanner all about innovation. So we invited Zara from Abacus Associates, who’s also a PFS Paraplanner Panel member, to share her thoughts on how paraplanners can adapt rather than risk getting left behind.

Alongside Zara, we were joined by PSA Financial Services’ head of paraplanning, Ceetal Katechia, to join in the conversation. Ceetal has bags of practical experience in creating team environments in which new ideas flourish.

Together with host Richard Allum, this Assembly asked what innovation actually looks like, whether it’s always a good thing, what fuels it, and how can you influence it when you’re not the decision-maker?

It’s an Assembly that’s all about how you can embrace innovation and shape our profession rather than be subject to changes happening around you.

You’ll come away with practical ideas to try out, whether you’re looking to improve your processes and workflow, make better use of existing tools and tech, or create space for bigger changes in your work.

Most of all, this is a chance to step back from day-to-day demands and take a few moments for yourself to think about how even small changes can shape your role and influence the direction of your career in paraplanning.

Once you’ve listened, make sure you tap the link to receive your CPD certificate: https://paraplannersassembly.typeform.com/to/hR6mIizq

Here’s Zara’s article at Professional Paraplanner: https://bit.ly/4jA9WwQ

Watch the Replay at Crowdcast: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/6x1q91lqsgut (includes the Chat)

Or watch on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1080253419?share=copy (doesn’t include the Chat)

The University of Helsinki's foundational online courses on AI cropped up as a recommendation during the discussion

So did the book The Art of Quiet Influence - subtitled 'Timeless wisdom for leading without authority'

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How often do you recommend investment bonds compared to ISAs or GIAs for non-pension money these days?

If it’s rarely or not at all, that’s not so surprising.

Because bonds seem to have become a bit neglected planning option in recent years haven’t they?

It’s a trend which means that paraplanners can be forgiven for being a bit rusty when it comes to the latest investment bond knowledge.

Yet they’re an option which offers plenty of planning potential. So we thought it was about time we hosted an online Assembly where you can rekindle your bond with bonds.

To guide us, we’re joined by investment bond expert Barrie Dawson from M&G. During this Assembly Barrie covers:

– What bonds actually are

– Common jargon (that’s often misunderstood)

– How bonds are taxed internally – and why the ‘20% tax rate’ misunderstanding persists

– When bonds make sense: practical comparisons with other investment options

Whether bonds are something you’re just getting to grips with, or you just need a refresher, this Assembly offers clarity about when and how bonds can feature in your planning recommendations.

Once you’ve listened, make sure you complete the quick quiz to receive your CPD certificate: CPD: Request your certificate

Here’s a link to download Barrie’s slides: Barrie’s slides on Bonds and OEICS (opens PDF)

Richard mentions Les Cameron’s Assembly on pensions, death and taxes. Here’s the event page which has lots of links. You can also listen to the episode on Acast or search for ‘Paraplanners’ Assembly’ on your favourite podcast app.

You’ll find the M&G Bonds School over here: M&G Bonds School

And there’s a trove of tools and calculators at M&G’s site: Tools and calculators

If you’d like to watch the Replay of this Assembly you can find it at its Crowdcast page.

You can also watch video of this event by visiting its Vimeo page. (Unlike the Replay, this version doesn’t include the contents of the live Chat. Here’s the link: A guide to investment bond essentials.) 

If you’d like to watch the Replay of this Assembly you can find it at its Crowdcast page.

You can also watch video of this event by visiting its Vimeo page. (Unlike the Replay, this version doesn’t include the contents of the live Chat. Here’s the link: A guide to investment bond essentials.)

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In the second of two specially recorded bite-sized Assemblies, Barnett Waddingham’s James Jones-Tinsley returns to tackle six items of new pension terminology including:

• CDC (collective defined contribution schemes)
• PAA (pensions advice allowance) 
• OTA (overseas transfer allowance)
• Crystallised and uncrystyallised pensions funds
• FP2016 or FP16 (fixed protection 2016)
• IP2016 or IP16 (individual protection 2016)

For each item, expect an easy-to-understand definition that also offers a bit of background per term. 

In a world that’s awash with word soups and acronyms, James’s jargon buster offers a welcome source of straightforward explanations of often quite complex ideas.

You can also watch the video of this episode on Vimeo or the event page at our website.

Then watch or listen to part one, where James will tackle more modern pension terms.

Listen: A plain English guide to new pensions jargon: part one

Watch: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part one

And if that's not enough and you want OLD pensions jargon, here are links to James's trio of episodes:

Listen to part one: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part one

Listen to part two: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part two

Listen to part three: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part three

Watch part one: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part one

Watch part two: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part two

Watch part three: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part three

Event details for part one: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part one

Event details for part two: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part two

Event details for part three: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part three

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Following his popular Assembly debut in February, Jon Hall returns to finish his exploration of protection essentials.

And this time it’s the essentials of business protection that the Scottish Widows’ protection expert will be focusing on.

The chances are you’ll have business owners among your clients. And plenty of you run your own businesses as outsourced and freelance paraplanners.

So what happens when someone running a business becomes critically ill or dies? What steps can you take to address the risk? How do you start a conversation about business protection?

Tune in to hear Jon as he shares his expertise on:

• The business protection gap and what this means for SMEs
• How to start meaningful conversations with business owners about their protection needs
• Technically, what’s essential for robust business continuity planning
• The range of solutions available – from key person and loan protection to shareholder protection and relevant life cover
• The difference between shareholder and option agreements
• The role of trusts as part of business protection arrangements
• Tax and efficiencies for businesses and individuals

Whether you want to develop your knowledge or make sure clients with business have the right plans in place, you’ll find this Assembly really valuable.

Jon has shared a number of links and downloads – some of which he mentioned during his talk.

CPD: request your certificate

Jon's slides: Paraplanners Assembly - Business Protection Essentials (PDF)

Vimeo: watch this Assembly

Adviser guide to business protection

Protection tools and calculators

Conversation starters for clients with businesses

Visit the event page

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After his popular ‘Plain English guide to old pensions jargon’ Barnett Waddingham’s James Jones-Tinsley has returned to record two specials on new pension terminology called - and we bet you’ll never guess this - ‘A plain English guide to new pensions jargon’ (parts one and two).

In part one, James’s conversation covers five essential terms:

• PCLS (pension commencement lump sum)
• LSA (lump sum allowance) LSDBA (lump sum death benefit allowance) that replaced the lifetime allowance, highlighting that the standard allowance isn't scheduled for automatic increases.
• TTFAC (transitional tax-free amount certificate)
• MPAA (money purchase annual allowance)

For each item, expect an easy-to-understand definition that also offers a bit of background per term. 

In a world that’s awash with word soups and acronyms, James’s jargon buster offers a welcome source of straightforward explanations of often quite complex ideas.

You can also watch the video of this episode on Vimeo or the event page at our website.

Then look out for part two, where James will tackle more modern pension terms.

In the meantime, why not tune into James’s trio of old pensions jargon guides here in podcast or video formats? (Or visit the event pages for each episode at our website.)

Listen to part one: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part one

Listen to part two: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part two

Listen to part three: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part three

Watch part one: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part one

Watch part two: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part two

Watch part three: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part three

Event details for part one: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part one

Event details for part two: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part two

Event details for part three: A plain English guide to old pensions jargon: part three

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If you don’t feel all that confident about annuities, you’re not alone.

Once the default choice of guaranteed income in retirement for generations of UK pension savers, for a whole bunch of reasons, annuities had been falling out of favour for year and years.

Higher interest rates and inflation have led to a revival of interest in securing certainty of income in retirement. 

The trouble is that an emerging generation of paraplanners – and a sizeable chunk of the more established paraplanning population – had barely any recent experience of annuities.

So we invited Andy Powell from Standard Life to join us to explain:

• How annuities work 
• What drives annuity rates
• The practical differences between pension annuities and purchased life annuities
• Why different providers offer different rates for similar circumstances

During this Assembly, Andy explores the different ways annuities can be designed to meet sifferent requirements. For instance:

• Rising payments: increasing the amount clients receive each year in retirement 
• Safety nets: making sure payments continue for at least 5 or 10 years, even if you die
• Family protection: keeping payments going for your partner or someone else after you die
• Money-back features

Andy also covers newer developments like fixed-term annuities and platform-based solutions that let clients combine secure income with investment flexibility without splitting pension assets across different providers.

For paraplanners, perhaps one of the most valuable takeaways is understanding enhanced terms where, in contrast to other insurance products, health conditions actually increase and not decrease income.

This practical session will give you paraplanners useful knowledge to help clients weigh up their retirement income options. So why not watch now?

Grab your CPD certificate for watching or listening to this Assembly by visiting the link below.

Plus there were some great links shared in the chat during the Assembly. This included the ‘Retirement Health and Lifestyle form’, which helps you prepare for the questions clients may be asked when purchasing an annuity (via Sarah Compton-Hall); and annuity rates chart, and IHT guaranteed annuity calculator (via Rob Collins).

CPD: Request your certificate

Retirement health and lifestyle form

Annuity rates chart

Inheritance tax guaranteed annuity calculator

Listen to the podcast episode

Watch the Replay at Crowdcast (includes Chat)

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The way pensions are treated for inheritance tax (IHT) is set for a big shake up in April 2027 when unused pension funds will count as part of a client’s estate and become liable to IHT.

In preparation for the change, the government announced a consultation on the liability, reporting and payment of IHT at last October’s Budget.

That consultation ended in January 2025. But what are its conclusions likely to be? And what do paraplanners need to know now so you, your firm and its clients are ready when the reforms go live

Well that's where technical specialist Les Cameron from M&G comes in. Because Les joined host, Richard Allum, to explore what the changes could mean for paraplanners and clients.

Les shares his thoughts on how the new IHT framework will affect pension death benefits after 2027 and, in a wide-ranging talk, covered things like:

• Whether it makes sense to think about taking money out of pensions earlier than planned
• Why bypass trusts might be making a comeback
• How the pension reforms could affect red-amber-green assessment
• Practical steps paraplanners can take now to prepare for the changes
• There will be plenty of time for questions so, whether you’re wondering about specific client situations or broader planning strategies, this is a great chance to gain expert insight into a big change for pension planning.

Interested? Then tune in now. And don't forget to grab one hour’s CPD by following the link below.

Here are useful links and downloads from this event. M&G Wealth have created a dedicated page for this event where you can take a quiz to receive a record for your CPD. Just follow the link to grab your certificate.

Grab your CPD: take the quiz at M&G's site

Watch this Assembly at Vimeo (without Chat)

Watch the Replay on Crowdcast (with Chat)

Slides: download Les's presentation

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