t4 Marketing Innovations Blog

1. VAT will increase from 17.5% to 20% with effect from 4 January 2011.

The consequences of this have already been widely discussed in the media last night and today.

VAT will become more and more of an issue for financial adviser businesses post RDR and for anyone making a transition between taking commissions and charging fees in the interim period as VAT is chargeable on fees but not on commissions.  Advisers should consider how this will affect their remuneration models.

2. Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is to increase for Higher … Continue Reading

The new Chancellor George Osborne, and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Laws, have made it clear this week that the need to get the budget deficit under control ‘overshadows everything’.

Some spending cuts have already been announced (all ministers are taking a 5% pay cut) but the scale of the national debt means much tougher measures are needed to balance the books.

We’ve been told capital gains tax will rise. An emergency Budget is scheduled for 22 June when further tax rises could be announced. Here’s what we know so far.

Capital … Continue Reading

As the nation continues to be outraged by MPs’ expenses, we’re missing that the real free ride MPs are getting is their pensions.

Remarkably little comment has been made about the generosity of the MPs’ pension scheme, but then duckhouses and moats make for better copy.

We’re told the annual cost to UK taxpayers of an MP’s pension is £13,000, but the real cost is more like £30,000, according to pensions economist, John Ralfe – who is a regular contributor on the economics of company pensions and reform of pension regulation to the … Continue Reading

British Budget

The Budget -
What does it mean for Financial Advisers?

A big increase in ISA limits, a dramatic hike in income tax for the highest earners and and a radical revision of macro-economic forecasts are probably the key points from today’s budget.

The Chancellor is billing it as targeted support for the economy while continuing sustained fiscal consolidation from 2010-11 when the government forecast the economy will be recovering and able to support a reduction in borrowing.

Here are the main points and some first thoughts:

ISA limits increased
An increase in the annual investment … Continue Reading

2009 Budget

What will be in the Budget
for financial advisers?

This is the first of a series of posts about this year’s Budget. What might happen? What does happen? What it means for financial adviser businesses and how you might market your services to support clients afterwards.

The Chancellor’s budget takes place on Wednesday 22 April in what are unprecedented times for the UK economy. It is always hard to second guess what a Chancellor will do but we have been trawling the internet and here are some … Continue Reading

Budget Pig

The world economy is under the spotlight again this week with the G20 meeting in London. Many economists say we need a Bretton Woods agreement for the 21st century although few expect to get one. Clients have never been more cautious, and many financial advisers I come across are a little at a loss as to how to develop business in the current market. Trust in old investment paradigms is shaken and people are spooked.

I read about the rather strangely named Oechsli Institute in the … Continue Reading

Lead Generation

There are basic parts to any lead generation programme, and if you get any one of these wrong it could cause your programme to fail.

To get a lead generation programme working effectively all of these components must work together seamlessly.

The main 5 reasons that get in the way of lead generation campaigns working as well as they could – or fail altogether are these:

The lead generator (sales consultant or sales agent) isn’t right.

The sales agent and how they come over on the phone will make … Continue Reading

21st Century marketing

How to step up your marketing in a recession

There is a 21st century shift in marketing that is affecting small and medium sized businesses – and it is affecting financial adviser businesses as much as  other industries.

What are the traditional methods of marketing your services?

• Networking – referrals, golf club, business club, round table…
• Direct mail
• Telemarketing – phoning up prospects and potential prospects
• Local press advertising – national press and trade press as well for larger IFAs.
• Seminars

These methods are still valid but in the modern world … Continue Reading

Hhhmmm.... recession?

Change creates opportunities

A lot of businesses will tell you they are making big changes to get through this recession …cutting back, changing processes, off-loading stock… . But more than anything, whenever a business is facing big changes in their market – good or bad – it is time for lots of sales activity. Sales opportunities are always created as a result of change and the challenges that creates. Challenge and change are the greatest sales lead generators of all.

Here are 5 things you can do as … Continue Reading

One Million Pounds

Proteced Rights and SIPP – a £100 billion opportunity for 2009

As you know, you’ve been able to help your clients transfer their existing protected rights pension pots into SIPPs since last October. – For clients this means:

• Consolidating investments in one place
• Invest money where clients want rather than being confined to limited range of investment choices
• Reduce charges especially where protected rights are in older contracts, or where the addition of protected rights gives a larger fund discount
• Reduce paperwork, time and hassle
• Easier to … Continue Reading

Twitter.com

Twitter is becoming more and more popular. The Twiterati – as one wag called them – are making a lot of noise. Stephen Fry and Richard Branson are heavily into this tool. The first news and pictures of the plane crash landing on the Hudson came out through Twitter and the news of the Mumbai hotel siege was coming faster and more comprehensively through Twitterers than it was from the big news networks.

So what. So it’s all the rage with all the Facebook and Bebo junkies. But what … Continue Reading

IFAs risk missing out on the upturn through a lack of marketing planning

Marketing Planning

· Financial advisers should be building up their profile now to be ready for the upturn.
· There are several ways they can build trust with clients and prospects.

When the recovery comes, many financial advisers will be unprepared and will miss out on the renewed energy in the marketplace because they have failed to prepare and build up their marketing activities.

Financial adviser businesses need to think beyond the mechanics of giving advice towards … Continue Reading

Asking for feedback from clients is really important, especially in tough times. Here are 7 reasons why it is worthwhile:

Client feedback is important

1. A client receiving unprompted but timely contact from their financial adviser when times are difficult sends a very positive signal that you know your responsibility in the relationship. Your clients will remember how you treated them when times were tough, when they needed a break, when a little support meant everything. No one in particular will remember how you acted during the … Continue Reading