Every year, Scottish Widows survey UK paraplanners to find out how they’re feeling about their work and the changes shaping the profession. And every year, Scottish Widows give the Paraplanners’ Assembly an advance look at what they’ve discovered, before the results are published.

Harry Keating-Coyne from Scottish Widows joined us to discuss the emerging themes from this year’s survey.

It’s no surprise that the April 2027 changes bringing pensions into the IHT net are a big shift for advice firms and their clients. But the survey shows it might be a bigger shift than some first currently realise. The research looks closely at how prepared the profession is, including:

• how ready paraplanners feel for the changes
• what firms have already changed or are in the process of changing
• how client conversations and planning strategies are changing
• potential product implications and unintended consequences
• whether they could spark broader intergenerational and whole family planning

AI and the future of advice

Richard and Harry look at what paraplanners and advisers think about AI, Targeted Support and simplified advice. For AI, this covers how far firms are adopting it, how confident people feel, and whether it’s seen as an opportunity or a threat.

Richard and Harry talk about the future shape of advice businesses and the role of paraplanners within them. This includes the impact of regulation on workload (a returning theme from previous surveys), recruitment and changing client expectations.

What can you expect?

This is a chance from you to hear what peers are thinking before the full report lands. You’ll get a sense of how your own firm’s approach to IHT and AI compares with others.

The Assembly lasts one hour and CPD is available.

Useful links

Watch in Crowdcast (with chat)

Grab your CPD

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Have you ever stopped to think about the assumptions baked into a fact find? A tickbox for ‘marital status’. A question about ‘your wife’ or ‘your husband’. A box that asks for ‘gender’ with only two options to choose from. A form that only makes room for children who are biologically yours.

These assumptions, and experiences of LGBTQ+ clients raise some important considerations for financial planning and, as paraplanners, we are well placed to make sure the file and the advice reflects who the client actually is, not who they’re assumed to be.

In this Assembly, Jawaad Tanwir, of ParaplanX is joined by Esther Clemmey of Integrity365 and Jamie Lowe of True Self Wealth to explore what paraplanners may be unintentionally overlooking when working with LGBTQ+ clients, and how to build a process where those clients feel understood without ever having to justify who they are.

Together, they look at where assumptions most often creep into the advice process – about marriage, gender, children, beneficiaries and ‘chosen family’ – and the practical planning issues that follow including: Wills and intestacy for unmarried couples, pension nominations and protection underwriting.

During this Assembly we discussed:

• what paraplanners may unintentionally overlook when working with LGBTQ+ clients
• the practical planning issues that can arise
• how to build a process in which LGBTQ+ clients feel understood, without making assumptions

Sound like something you’d like to know more about? Tune in now.

Useful links

Grab your CPD

Watch in Crowdcast (with chat)

Terence Higgins Trust

Trans Support Hub

Esther mentioned Oasis Church, the inclusive faith space in Reading that she helped found. So we thought we'd link to that too:

Oasis Church Reading

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Welcome to The Self-Assembly Paraplanning Show, a monthly unscripted conversation where we invite a small group of paraplanners to compare notes on what’s actually happening in their world.

Just so you know: guests appear in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the business that employs them.**

This month’s host, Julie South, is founder of outsourced paraplanning firm, Bee Paraplanning. Julie is joined by guests Lucy Halliday, a senior paraplanner at Argonaut Paraplanning, and Chris Wormwell, an in-house paraplanner at Wesleyan Financial Services.

Among the topics that Julie, Lucy and Chris cover this month are:

- the UK Government’s Autumn Budget – set for Wednesday 28 October – and what’s rumoured to be in it?

- who’s been hearing about clients asking to take their tax-free cash?

- the potential CGT changes that are on their radars plus chat about IHT and agricultural property relief

- why clients should plan for both sides of care – paying for their own, and understanding what caring for someone else could mean for their finances

- why cash flows should factor in the risk of redundancy and illness (and caring responsibilities)

- what the UK Government's consultation on the rights of cohabiting couples in England and Wales could mean for things like IHT and wills

It’s an episode that’s big on the potential of cash flows and annual reviews as a way to prompt conversations with clients about the stuff that doesn’t get mentioned as much as it could.

Oh and Lucy and Chris offer their gaming and streaming recommendations for October, plus plugs for events they’re planning to attend, too.

AI in this episode

We used Adobe Podcast's Enhance tool to clean up audio levels and quality.

We used Canva's background remover for the head-and-shoulder shots of Julie, Chris and Lucy in the cover image of this episode.

Useful links

Online Assembly: Les Cameron's take on the Budget, 5 November 2026

Previous Assembly: A dead interesting Assembly on death and dying, 12 August 2026

Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA)

SOLLA membership for paraplanners

ONS life expectancy calculator

UK Government: A fairer end to relationships – consultation (closed 14 August)

Lucy and Chris's recommendations

A Big Day Out Whodunnit, 3 NOovember 2026

SOLLA Later Life Conference

Grand Theft Auto VI

BBC iPlayer: Colin from Accounts

ITVx: Jordskott

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.