The KBA Adviser Team Bi-Monthly Round Up: January – February 2026
Many of you tell us how helpful your forward planning meetings are, but often wonder
what happens in between. A great deal of work takes place behind the scenes to ensure
your financial plan remains current, compliant, and forward-looking, particularly as we
move through the first quarter of the year and towards the end of the tax year.
Markets and the Start of the Year
Markets began the year positively. Global equities finished 2025 up 20.6% overall, and
more recently, improving policy clarity and easing trade tensions have helped support
investor confidence.
In the UK, the FTSE 100 reached a new high, while interest rate expectations remain
mainly balanced as in the inflation and labour market data continue to evolve.
As always, our role is to look beyond short-term headlines and focus on what genuinely
affects long-term financial plans.
Strengthening Technical Expertise
Throughout January and February, the team has continued to invest heavily in technical
knowledge and staying ahead of legislative and planning developments.
David, Hannah, Gary, Elysia and I completed formal Openwork testing to ensure our
knowledge remains aligned with regulatory standards.
We also attended an Openwork Wealth Knowledge and Skills session, which included a
detailed seminar on the order of taxation and the effective use of allowances. This
focused on ensuring maximum tax efficiency across different wrappers such as
offshore bonds and Venture Capital Trusts, particularly in what is becoming a
less generous tax environment.
We also had valuable discussions with EIS managers across the North West, exploring
how these investments dier and where they may sit within a client portfolio, alongside
insights from a Scottish Widows pension specialist on the future of pensions and
inheritance tax changes are expected next year.
In addition, we attended a Downing roadshow focused on inheritance tax planning and
business relief, alongside a presentation from HSBC on the strategic use of trusts within
estate planning.
This continued development ensures that your advice refects both current regulation
and anticipated changes, particularly in key areas such as pensions, taxation and estate
planning.
Strategic Planning and Leadership
At the start of the year, I held a dedicated strategy week to finalise our business plan and
priorities for 2026.
We also held our quarterly leadership meeting, full team meeting, and regular pulse
meetings to ensure alignment across the business and maintain high service standards.
This structured and proactive approach ensures we continue to evolve as a business
while maintaining consistency in the service we provide to you.
Investing in Team Development
We remain committed to developing both our adviser and support teams.
Throughout this period:
• We met with members of our client support team to plan their
progression into further paraplanning roles
• Matt Marsh began working alongside David Parkinson to strengthen adviser
capacity and continuity
• The team continues to undertake Grant Cardone University training, a 12-
month programme focused on communication, performance and client
engagement
• Weekly coaching, marketing and leadership meetings continue to ensure focus
and clarity across the business
We have also been interviewing for paraplanner roles to further strengthen the support
behind your financial planning.
Client Planning and Tax Year-End Focus
As we approach the end of the tax year, a significant amount of time has been spent
reviewing client plans to ensure allowances are fully utilised where appropriate.
This includes pension funding, inheritance tax planning, and wider tax-efficient
strategies to ensure no opportunities are missed.
Alongside this, we have been working closely with our Wealth Development Team to
enhance our planning capabilities for clients in more complex areas, including those
working in private equity and those receiving Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). This
includes understanding international tax implications, particularly in the US, and
exploring opportunities such as co-investment structures.
Client Engagement and Events
In February, we hosted our Business Owners Webinar, alongside guest
speaker John McCaffery of Alexander & Co, focusing on financial planning
and tax considerations for business owners. Miss the live session? You can
view the full recording here.
We also continue to evolve how we deliver client events and engagement, ensuring they
remain valuable, relevant and aligned with your needs.
Openwork Live Conference 2026
A particular highlight was attending Openwork Live 2026, the Openwork Partnership’s
annual conference, attended by around 800 advisers and partners. I was incredibly
proud to not only present on behalf of the Openwork Foundation, a charity very close to
our hearts that supports vulnerable children and families, but also, for the first time, to
host the afternoon session of the conference alongside Liam Richards from Openwork.
Stepping onto the stage in this capacity was both an honour and a challenge, pushing
me outside of my comfort zone, but ultimately an incredibly rewarding experience. I also
had the privilege of introducing Sir Chris Hoy as part of the event.
These experiences are invaluable in continuing to develop both personally and
professionally, and in representing KBA on a wider stage.
Looking Ahead
As we continue through the year, our focus remains on ensuring your financial plan is
robust, forward-thinking and aligned with both current conditions and future changes.
The work undertaken in January and February provides a strong foundation for the
months ahead, particularly as we move through tax year-end planning and into the new
financial year.
As always, if there is anything you would like to review or discuss, please do
get in touch.
Warm Regards,
The KBA Adviser Team