The Morning Briefing: Brooks Macdonald returns to inflows; One Four Nine hires new COO
Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Thursday 8 July 2026. To get this in your inbox every morning click here.
Brooks Macdonald returns to inflows and scraps cash fees
Brooks Macdonald has reported a significant turnaround in flows as the wealth manager also confirmed it will no longer charge fees on cash in its discretionary portfolios.
In its latest quarterly results, published today (9 July), the group reported net inflows of £226m for the 2026 financial year, compared with net outflows of £396m in the in 2025 – an improvement of more than £600m year on year.
Fourth-quarter net inflows reached £167m, Brooks Macdonald’s strongest quarterly performance in three years and its third consecutive quarter of positive net flows.
One Four Nine hires former Wealthtime leader as COO
One Four Nine Group has appointed Lucy Bristow as chief operating officer (COO), strengthening its senior team as the business looks to grow organically and through acquisitions.
Bristow will work closely with chief executive Gabrielle Beaumont to support the national financial planning and investment management group’s operational infrastructure and strategic direction.
She joins with almost 30 years’ experience in financial services, including senior leadership roles across platforms and wealth management.
Quote Of The Day
For many families, the removal of CGT uplift on death would feel like a one-two punch
– Ed Wood, financial planning director at Rathbones, on the news families could face £120,000 tax bill on inherited property under mooted CGT reforms
Stat Attack
Two in five DIY investors believe demand for IPO listings is overhyped, according to new research from Charles Stanley Direct, part of Raymond James.
The findings also reveal:
35%
of DIY investors are actively looking to invest in IPOs this year.
31%
are not.
46%
wish it was easier for retail investors to invest in IPO listings.
34%
say it’s too risky to invest in IPOs as a retail investor.
36%
say they’re not confident enough to invest in IPO listings.
27%
revealed they have no interest in investing in them.
Source: Charles Stanley Direct
In Other News
TFAS Compliance Services has launched a free Consumer Duty Health Check for advice firms to coincide with the third anniversary of the regulation coming into force.
Consumer Duty has reshaped how advice firms operate, placing a continuous obligation on firms to evidence good outcomes for clients across products and services, price and value, consumer understanding, and consumer support.
TFAS said it believes some firms may be uncertain how robust their evidence base is and with the FCA suggesting that there may be governance gaps in many board reports, they are offering a health check to help identify any remedial actions.
The free health check gives firms an independent, no-obligation assessment of where they currently stand against the regulator’s four outcomes.
A structured checklist is followed by a 30 minute consultation to review progress, identify gaps, and assess the strength of existing evidence. Firms then receive a bespoke blueprint setting out where they are today and clear, practical recommendations for improvement.
While developed by TFAS Compliance Services for its own members, the health check is being made available to any advice firm in the market.
Advisers risk losing assets during the great wealth transfer unless they build stronger relationships with female clients, according to a new Mint Blue Consulting podcast.
The podcast, Women & The Great Wealth Transfer, features advisers Jacqueline Brown of Bespoke IFA, Esther Clemmey of Integrity 365 and Georgia Gebler of Attivo.
It follows a June 2026 LV= session at Owen James Events on “Women, wealth and winning the next generation of clients”.
Mint Blue Consulting said women are expected to receive around 60% of intergenerational wealth in the UK over the next two decades, rising to as much as 70% in the US.
The podcast argues advisers should engage both partners equally from the outset, particularly as some women still feel excluded from joint financial conversations.
It also warns female clients and their children may move assets elsewhere after bereavement, divorce, inheritance or later-life transitions if adviser relationships are not established.
From Elsewhere
Ghost of 1997 financial crisis still haunts world’s best-performing stock market (FT)
Sterling steady as US-Iran tensions flare up again (Reuters)
Jupiter fund ditches US Treasuries in favour of European bonds (Bloomberg)
Did You See?
EV has appointed Chet Velani as CEO to lead the business as it enters a new phase of growth, Money Marketing can reveal.
Velani takes on the role after more than 18 years with the business, having joined EV as a graduate in 2008 and progressed through a range of leadership positions spanning actuarial, sales, marketing, product and executive management.
Most recently, he served as managing director.
During his time at EV, Velani has helped shape the company’s strategy, culture and proposition.
