Insights

Later-life financial planning is complex, but the pandemic has forced many people to reassess their finances, raid their pension pots and bring forward or change their retirement plans. Richard Cooper looks at the additional impact of life in lockdown and how financial advisers and planners can update skills to offer clients the best advice.

Green mortgages reward borrowers with lower interest rates for buying energy-efficient homes. Richard Northedge looks at this new market – including lenders and the level of consumer demand for home loans. And he questions whether its future is sustainable in the long term.

Despite moves to increase equality and diversity in banking and finance and on company boards, disabled inclusion has been largely overlooked. This is a missed opportunity for financial services companies, says Jacob J Meagher.

Mentoring, coaching and offering support are probably more important than ever under the restrictions placed on us due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But does our idea of mentoring need a rethink? Does it take a wide enough view of ‘leadership skills’? And how do you find a ‘mentor’ in lockdown?

Helene Panzarino examines how the closure of bank branches and the move to online banking is affecting rural communities and people without access to digital. She reflects on changing customer relationships and looks at a possible fintech-led solution to ensure financial inclusion.

How can banks collaborate to stop crime without compromising security? Ellison Anne Williams, the Founder and CEO of Enveil, talks about using homomorphic encryption to help banks beat money-laundering.

The economy has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown has accelerated the move to digital. Find out how retail banks are having to swiftly change the way they operate, manage credit and deal with customers in financial distress.

How can you as a mortgage adviser help your clients prepare for the post-Covid economy and give them the support they need now?

About 10% of the UK’s carbon footprint is heating, but is enough being done with sustainable finance and green mortgages to help meet the 2050 climate change targets? And what are the challenges in a post-Covid world?