According to the article from FT Adviser linked below, which is based on research by Scottish Widows, nearly half of IFAs are recommending clients move money out of pensions now as part of an IHT-planning strategy. My (genuine) question is ... why? If a client died between now and 6th April 2027 the fund value is likely to be tax-free if under 75 (I know that's a generalisation, but you hopefully get the point). If their adviser has recommended they withdraw funds that are surplus to requirements, be that PCLS or additional income that isn't spent (i.e. not gifted), then surely they could be liable to challenge by the family. I get the argument that you start the '7-year clock' earlier if it's gifted, but that's still a big risk. Or am I missing something? https://www.ftadviser.com/content/741ed722-180a-4b1a-8994-a838f1e62f93

FTAdviser published an article today highlighting research which showed how often ChatGPT wrongly categorised brokers as 'safe' when they're not. For 'brokers' see any other profession, in particular advisers and planners. I appreciate the technology will improve with time (and quickly), but the challenge the industry / profession has at the moment is how to get the message across to the general public that they shouldn't rely on AI search results and, importantly, how they can get good, reliable information on who they can trust. Is this something the likes of CII/PFS, CISI, etc. should be doing more on, is it something Government/FCA should be doing, or something else? https://www.ftadviser.com/content/390636f2-0b40-4731-867b-8a238331bf5f

‘I'd rather stay on the influencer side than the regulated side’ I'm pretty sure we will be seeing a lot more people like Olamide. Great read...

A lot of financial advisers and planners genuinely believe AI can’t do their job. What’s interesting is that when advisers talk to each other, the picture becomes far more nuanced... I’ve just finished a short report based on a real discussion inside the LifeTalk community, capturing what experienced advisers are actually saying about AI – not publicly, but honestly. It explores: * where advisers are confident * where doubts start to creep in * which roles feel most exposed ...and why re-evaluating adviser business models may be a smart move. Free copy attached. Bonus prompt in the comments.

Some interesting data from Neil Patel. How do you compare?