<description>&lt;p&gt;It’s been more than a decade since auto-enrolment in workplace pensions was first introduced by the UK Government.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And it’s fair to say that the measure has transformed the level of pension saving in the workplace. Plus it’s transformed the role that businesses (and their owners) can play in the financial wellbeing of their employees.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mind you, there are plenty of paraplanners who weren’t around when auto-enrolment was rolled out. Or when the Pensions Commission was formed in 2005. Or when personal pensions were launched in 1988.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So in this bonus Assembly episode, we asked Barnett Waddingham’s DC pension and employee benefits expert, Lucy Clark, to provide paraplanners - whatever your level of expertise - with a primer on the origins of workplace pensions, auto-enrolment and where things might be going in the future.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In just 20 minutes, Lucy provides a potted history of personal pensions, stakeholder pensions, why the original Pensions Commission was formed and its legacy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What’s more, Lucy walks through the employer duties that need to happen each pay period and the common pitfalls she sees in practice (contribution deductions and certification crop up a lot). She offers a helpful explanation of the net pay anomaly that's affected lower earners in occupational schemes and – this is a new one for us – Lucy talks about 'sidecar savings': an idea that could help people build emergency funds alongside their pension in future.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Speaking of the future, Lucy also considers what it might hold. We're talking potential changes to age thresholds, removing the lower earnings limit, and the ongoing push for contribution adequacy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is a fantastic backgrounder packed with knowledge, know-how and insight from a DC pension and employee benefits expert.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Useful links&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here are the slides that Lucy ran through during her conversation with Richard.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://paraplannersassembly.co.uk/app/uploads/2025/12/AE-PP-Pres-v3.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Download: Lucy's slides&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://shows.acast.com/paraplanners-assembly/auto-enrolment-essentials-for-paraplanners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Listen to the podcast episode &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Barnett Waddingham’s Lucy Clark on auto-enrolment past, present and future

It’s been more than a decade since auto-enrolment in workplace pensions was first introduced by the UK Government.And it’s fair to say that the measure has transformed the level of pension saving in the workplace. Plus it’s transformed the role that businesses (and their owners) can play in the financial wellbeing of their employees.Mind you, there are plenty of paraplanners who weren’t around when auto-enrolment was rolled out. Or when the Pensions Commission was formed in 2005. Or when personal pensions were launched in 1988.&nbsp;So in this bonus Assembly episode, we asked Barnett Waddingham’s DC pension and employee benefits expert, Lucy Clark, to provide paraplanners - whatever your level of expertise - with a primer on the origins of workplace pensions, auto-enrolment and where things might be going in the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;In just 20 minutes, Lucy provides a potted history of personal pensions, stakeholder pensions, why the original Pensions Commission was formed and its legacy.What’s more, Lucy walks through the employer duties that need to happen each pay period and the common pitfalls she sees in practice (contribution deductions and certification crop up a lot). She offers a helpful explanation of the net pay anomaly that's affected lower earners in occupational schemes and – this is a new one for us – Lucy talks about 'sidecar savings': an idea that could help people build emergency funds alongside their pension in future.Speaking of the future, Lucy also considers what it might hold. We're talking potential changes to age thresholds, removing the lower earnings limit, and the ongoing push for contribution adequacy.This is a fantastic backgrounder packed with knowledge, know-how and insight from a DC pension and employee benefits expert.&nbsp; <h2>Useful links</h2>Here are the slides that Lucy ran through during her conversation with Richard.<a href="https://paraplannersassembly.co.uk/app/uploads/2025/12/AE-PP-Pres-v3.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Download: Lucy's slides&nbsp;</a><a href="https://shows.acast.com/paraplanners-assembly/auto-enrolment-essentials-for-paraplanners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen to the podcast episode </a> <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

A guide to auto-enrolment essentials for paraplanners

<description>&lt;p&gt;As paraplanners, many of us hold memberships with &lt;a href="https://www.cisi.org/cisiweb2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment&lt;/a&gt; (CISI), &lt;a href="https://www.thepfs.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Personal Finance Society&lt;/a&gt; (PFS), or pay for &lt;a href="https://www.thepfs.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;LIBF&lt;/a&gt; courses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;So we pay our fees, collect our CPD, and maybe sit an exam or two. But are we really getting the most from these organisations?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;What do they offer that can support us in our careers? And is one more suited to me than another? Or are all three much the same?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;That’s what this Assembly was all about. We invited Chris Morris from CISI, Nicola Mellor from the PFS, and Sally Plant from LIBF to field questions posed in advance and in the chat by paraplanners.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note: &lt;/strong&gt;Because technology didn’t work the way it’s supposed to, Sally wasn’t able to join us on screen BUT she did join us in the Chat while her colleague (and director of financial services at the LIBF) John Somerville, was able to join Richard, Chris and Nicola on screen (from about 15 minutes in).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s a great conversation from start to finish and comprehensively explored:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;What specific support does each body offer paraplanners – and what makes the difference between them&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How can paraplanners influence the work of the organisations and how to get involved&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Whether there’s a place for paraplanner-specific qualifications&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How does membership work, what are the costs involved, and why do you need to maintain a membership (for PFS and CISI)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plus plenty more.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;What can you expect to take away?&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Once you’ve listened or watched, you’ll have a much clearer understanding of what each professional body offers, which could be the right one for you, and how you can get more value from your membership.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Look out for another installment in 2026&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;There was so much to talk about that we didn’t manage to address even 50% of the questions that paraplanners had submitted so we’ll be setting up a second session featuring Chris, Nicola and - hopefully - Sally early in 2026.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Useful links&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.crowdcast.io/c/htcg8vz2shbo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Watch the Replay at Crowdcast (with Chat)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://paraplannersassembly.typeform.com/to/kqlMUuzX" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;CPD: Request your certificate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.cisi.org/cisiweb2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;CISI’s website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.thepfs.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;PFS’s website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.libf.ac.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;LIBF’s website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Guests from the CISI, LIBF and PFS join host, Richard Allum, to answer paraplanners questions about the work of their organisations

As paraplanners, many of us hold memberships with <a href="https://www.cisi.org/cisiweb2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment</a> (CISI), <a href="https://www.thepfs.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Personal Finance Society</a> (PFS), or pay for <a href="https://www.thepfs.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LIBF</a> courses. So we pay our fees, collect our CPD, and maybe sit an exam or two. But are we really getting the most from these organisations?&nbsp; What do they offer that can support us in our careers? And is one more suited to me than another? Or are all three much the same? That’s what this Assembly was all about. We invited Chris Morris from CISI, Nicola Mellor from the PFS, and Sally Plant from LIBF to field questions posed in advance and in the chat by paraplanners. Note: Because technology didn’t work the way it’s supposed to, Sally wasn’t able to join us on screen BUT she did join us in the Chat while her colleague (and director of financial services at the LIBF) John Somerville, was able to join Richard, Chris and Nicola on screen (from about 15 minutes in). It’s a great conversation from start to finish and comprehensively explored: <ul><li>What specific support does each body offer paraplanners – and what makes the difference between them</li><li>How can paraplanners influence the work of the organisations and how to get involved</li><li>Whether there’s a place for paraplanner-specific qualifications</li><li>How does membership work, what are the costs involved, and why do you need to maintain a membership (for PFS and CISI)</li></ul> Plus plenty more. <h3>What can you expect to take away?</h3>Once you’ve listened or watched, you’ll have a much clearer understanding of what each professional body offers, which could be the right one for you, and how you can get more value from your membership. <h3>Look out for another installment in 2026</h3>There was so much to talk about that we didn’t manage to address even 50% of the questions that paraplanners had submitted so we’ll be setting up a second session featuring Chris, Nicola and - hopefully - Sally early in 2026. <h3>Useful links</h3><a href="https://www.crowdcast.io/c/htcg8vz2shbo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Watch the Replay at Crowdcast (with Chat)</a><a href="https://paraplannersassembly.typeform.com/to/kqlMUuzX" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CPD: Request your certificate</a><a href="https://www.cisi.org/cisiweb2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CISI’s website</a><a href="https://www.thepfs.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PFS’s website</a><a href="https://www.libf.ac.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LIBF’s website</a><hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

What can the professional bodies do for you?

<description>&lt;p&gt;When a client dies, their will isn’t necessarily the final word on how their estate gets distributed. Deeds of variation and disclaimers give beneficiaries a valuable window – two years from death – to reshape inheritances in ways that can reduce tax bills and improve family outcomes – often both.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the latest episode in our ‘Technically speaking’ series, we invited Steve Sayer from Utmost to join host Richard Allum, to cast his expert gaze on the post-death planning issues that paraplanners need to consider.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;During the hour-long session, Steve explains:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;how deeds of variation work;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;the conditions needed for them to be effective for IHT and CGT purposes;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;practical situations where they make sense;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;related settlements;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;‘reading back’ provisions; and&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;CGT planning opportunities that variations can create.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;What’s more, the session also explores disclaimers – the simpler but more restrictive alternative to variations. Steve clarifies:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;the ‘all or nothing’ rule;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;when disclaimers work best; and&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;how they differ from deeds of variation in practice.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Throughout the episode, Steve offers examples to help illustrate concepts such as periodic charges and ten-year anniversaries.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’re working on suitability reports that cover post-death planning options, are supporting a client following a death, or would just like to give your technical knowledge a boost, this is the ideal ‘Technically speaking’ episode for you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Useful links&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://paraplannersassembly.typeform.com/to/LLmRuIsl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;CPD: Take the quiz to receive your certificate&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://paraplannersassembly.co.uk/app/uploads/2025/11/Deed-of-variations-and-disclaimers.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Slides: Deeds of variation and disclaimers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://shows.acast.com/paraplanners-assembly/technically-speaking-deeds-of-variation-disclaimers-and-tax" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Podcast: Listen on Acast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://utmostinternational.com/wealth-solutions/our-wealth-solutions/united-kingdom/utech/webinars/utmost-technical-academy-webinar-series" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Utmost Technical Academy webinar series&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://utmostinternational.com/wealth-solutions/our-wealth-solutions/united-kingdom/utech/webinars/paraplanner-assembly-events" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Utmost x Paraplanners' Assembly: all our previous sessions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Utmost's Steve Sayer examines the post-death planning issues that paraplanners need to consider 

When a client dies, their will isn’t necessarily the final word on how their estate gets distributed. Deeds of variation and disclaimers give beneficiaries a valuable window – two years from death – to reshape inheritances in ways that can reduce tax bills and improve family outcomes – often both.In the latest episode in our ‘Technically speaking’ series, we invited Steve Sayer from Utmost to join host Richard Allum, to cast his expert gaze on the post-death planning issues that paraplanners need to consider.During the hour-long session, Steve explains:<ul><li>how deeds of variation work;</li><li>the conditions needed for them to be effective for IHT and CGT purposes;</li><li>practical situations where they make sense;</li><li>related settlements;</li><li>‘reading back’ provisions; and</li><li>CGT planning opportunities that variations can create.</li></ul>What’s more, the session also explores disclaimers – the simpler but more restrictive alternative to variations. Steve clarifies:<ul><li>the ‘all or nothing’ rule;</li><li>when disclaimers work best; and</li><li>how they differ from deeds of variation in practice.</li></ul>Throughout the episode, Steve offers examples to help illustrate concepts such as periodic charges and ten-year anniversaries.If you’re working on suitability reports that cover post-death planning options, are supporting a client following a death, or would just like to give your technical knowledge a boost, this is the ideal ‘Technically speaking’ episode for you. Useful links<a href="https://paraplannersassembly.typeform.com/to/LLmRuIsl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CPD: Take the quiz to receive your certificate</a><a href="https://paraplannersassembly.co.uk/app/uploads/2025/11/Deed-of-variations-and-disclaimers.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Slides: Deeds of variation and disclaimers</a><a href="https://shows.acast.com/paraplanners-assembly/technically-speaking-deeds-of-variation-disclaimers-and-tax" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Podcast: Listen on Acast</a><a href="https://utmostinternational.com/wealth-solutions/our-wealth-solutions/united-kingdom/utech/webinars/utmost-technical-academy-webinar-series" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Utmost Technical Academy webinar series</a><a href="https://utmostinternational.com/wealth-solutions/our-wealth-solutions/united-kingdom/utech/webinars/paraplanner-assembly-events" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Utmost x Paraplanners' Assembly: all our previous sessions</a><hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Technically speaking: deeds of variation, disclaimers and tax

<description>&lt;p&gt;It's more than a year since speculation ahead of last autumn's Budget led to a surge of savers raiding their pension pots in a bid to beat rumoured changes to tax-free lump sums.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But when no changes were announced and people sought to reverse their withdrawals, they discovered that the 30-day cancellation rule didn't apply. Or did it?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That confusion over conduct of business rules led to calls for HMRC and the FCA to clarify whether or not savers could cancel – and they've now responded.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode of the Paraplanners' Assembly podcast popular Assembly expert, James Jones-Tinsley of &lt;a href="https://www.barnett-waddingham.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Barnett Waddingham&lt;/a&gt; explains how cancellations became an issue, what the clarification means for clients, what regulatory issues the statement throws up, and what paraplanners need to know from now on.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Useful links&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;During the podcast, Richard mentions James's article for FT Adviser, which you can find here:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.ftadviser.com/tax-free-cash/2025/10/9/lump-sum-cancellations-members-have-been-left-vulnerable-to-misunderstanding" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Lump sum cancellations: members have been left vulnerable to misunderstanding&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

James Jones-Tinsley of Barnett Waddingham explains how cancellations became an issue and what paraplanners need to know following the clarification

It's more than a year since speculation ahead of last autumn's Budget led to a surge of savers raiding their pension pots in a bid to beat rumoured changes to tax-free lump sums.&nbsp;But when no changes were announced and people sought to reverse their withdrawals, they discovered that the 30-day cancellation rule didn't apply. Or did it?That confusion over conduct of business rules led to calls for HMRC and the FCA to clarify whether or not savers could cancel – and they've now responded.In this episode of the Paraplanners' Assembly podcast popular Assembly expert, James Jones-Tinsley of <a href="https://www.barnett-waddingham.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnett Waddingham</a> explains how cancellations became an issue, what the clarification means for clients, what regulatory issues the statement throws up, and what paraplanners need to know from now on. <h3>Useful links</h3>During the podcast, Richard mentions James's article for FT Adviser, which you can find here:<a href="https://www.ftadviser.com/tax-free-cash/2025/10/9/lump-sum-cancellations-members-have-been-left-vulnerable-to-misunderstanding" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lump sum cancellations: members have been left vulnerable to misunderstanding</a><hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Lump sum cancellations: what does the FCA and HMRC's clarification mean for clients?

<description>&lt;p&gt;If you want to know what's on the minds of other paraplanners, then this is definitely the Assembly for you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That’s because Scottish Widows's &lt;strong&gt;Craig Spittal &lt;/strong&gt;joined host, &lt;strong&gt;Richard Allum&lt;/strong&gt;, and guest &lt;strong&gt;Alison Neale&lt;/strong&gt; of &lt;a href="https://principleparaplanning.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Principle Paraplanning&lt;/a&gt;, to exclusively reveal key findings of this year's &lt;a href="https://platform.scottishwidows.co.uk/insights-hub/paraplanner-room/?accept=advisor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Scottish Widows&lt;/a&gt;' Paraplanner Survey ahead of it's formal publication in November 2025.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Original&amp;nbsp;insights on the big issues&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;During this recording of a lunch-hour online Assembly, Craig shares findings from a sample of 200 paraplanners who completed the third annual survey of paraplanners. Topics covered include:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Job satisfaction&lt;/strong&gt; – Do your paraplanning peers feel supported in their current role? And how eager are they to gain greater recognition and influence, and clarity over possible career paths? How high is confidence in the profession overall – and is it the same for everyone at every age?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Platforms and due diligence&lt;/strong&gt; – How many platforms do paraplanners use day to day? And what are the issues that grind paraplanners gears? Tune in to hear Alison, Craig and Richard’s thoughts.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;AI and tech&lt;/strong&gt; – Is the desire for automation matched by tech adoption in paraplanners firms? Or are things moving far slower than the hype suggests? What - if anything - is holding paraplanners back from AI adoption? And how convinced is the community by the promise of AI? Does the carrot of greater efficiency dilute concerns about accuracy and data security?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;What can you expect to take away?&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Listen and you’ll hear practical insights, honest reflections, and a clear idea of where paraplanners like you think our profession is heading.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So tuck in to a helping of hot-of-the-press original research and take this chance to reflect on the attitudes and trends that are influencing paraplanning today.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Useful links&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Make sure to grab your CPD certificate for watching or listening to this Assembly by visiting the link below. You can also download the slides that Craig shared during this Assembly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://emails.scottishwidows.co.uk/Paraplanners-assembly-CPD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CPD: Request your certificate&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://expertise.scottishwidows.co.uk/paraplanner-survey/2025-report/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scottish Widows Paraplanner Survey Report 2025&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://paraplannersassembly.co.uk/app/uploads/2025/10/SWP-PPT-0047-Paraplanner-Assembly-webinar-slides-Oct-25.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Download: Craig's slides (opens PDF in new tab)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.crowdcast.io/c/5hgr7xqh2di2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Watch the Replay at Crowdcast (with Chat)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://shows.acast.com/paraplanners-assembly/scottish-widows-paraplanner-survey-2025" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Listen to the podcast episode&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Craig Spittal and Alison Neale join Richard Allum to explore what's on the minds of paraplanners in 2025

If you want to know what's on the minds of other paraplanners, then this is definitely the Assembly for you.That’s because Scottish Widows's Craig Spittal joined host, Richard Allum, and guest Alison Neale of <a href="https://principleparaplanning.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Principle Paraplanning</a>, to exclusively reveal key findings of this year's <a href="https://platform.scottishwidows.co.uk/insights-hub/paraplanner-room/?accept=advisor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scottish Widows</a>' Paraplanner Survey ahead of it's formal publication in November 2025. <h3>Original&nbsp;insights on the big issues</h3>During this recording of a lunch-hour online Assembly, Craig shares findings from a sample of 200 paraplanners who completed the third annual survey of paraplanners. Topics covered include:<ul><li>Job satisfaction – Do your paraplanning peers feel supported in their current role? And how eager are they to gain greater recognition and influence, and clarity over possible career paths? How high is confidence in the profession overall – and is it the same for everyone at every age?</li><li>Platforms and due diligence – How many platforms do paraplanners use day to day? And what are the issues that grind paraplanners gears? Tune in to hear Alison, Craig and Richard’s thoughts.</li><li>AI and tech – Is the desire for automation matched by tech adoption in paraplanners firms? Or are things moving far slower than the hype suggests? What - if anything - is holding paraplanners back from AI adoption? And how convinced is the community by the promise of AI? Does the carrot of greater efficiency dilute concerns about accuracy and data security?</li></ul> <h3>What can you expect to take away?</h3>Listen and you’ll hear practical insights, honest reflections, and a clear idea of where paraplanners like you think our profession is heading.So tuck in to a helping of hot-of-the-press original research and take this chance to reflect on the attitudes and trends that are influencing paraplanning today. <h3>Useful links</h3>Make sure to grab your CPD certificate for watching or listening to this Assembly by visiting the link below. You can also download the slides that Craig shared during this Assembly.<a href="https://emails.scottishwidows.co.uk/Paraplanners-assembly-CPD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CPD: Request your certificate</a><a href="https://expertise.scottishwidows.co.uk/paraplanner-survey/2025-report/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scottish Widows Paraplanner Survey Report 2025</a><a href="https://paraplannersassembly.co.uk/app/uploads/2025/10/SWP-PPT-0047-Paraplanner-Assembly-webinar-slides-Oct-25.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Download: Craig's slides (opens PDF in new tab)</a><a href="https://www.crowdcast.io/c/5hgr7xqh2di2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Watch the Replay at Crowdcast (with Chat)</a><a href="https://shows.acast.com/paraplanners-assembly/scottish-widows-paraplanner-survey-2025" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen to the podcast episode</a><hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Revealed: the results of Scottish Widows’ annual survey of UK paraplanners

Listen to our latest online Assembly PLUS bonus content created to help paraplanners from across the UK learn, fix and share. To join our Assemblies live, look and book for upcoming events at <a href="https://paraplannersassembly.co.uk/events/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">paraplannersassembly.co.uk/events</a><hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

The Paraplanners' Assembly Podcast

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