Insights
Referral guides for professional firms - spotting the moment, referring clients compliantly, and earning a share.
Recurring revenue for accountancy practices — beyond the monthly fee letter
Practices have spent a decade converting clients to fixed monthly fees. The next recurring line doesn't need any extra hours at a…
The client questions IT consultants hear most — and where to send each one
IT consultants become trusted advisers fast, and the money questions follow. Here is which ones to answer and where to send the r…
The client questions insurance brokers hear most — and where to send each one
General insurance brokers hear personal finance questions constantly. Which ones you can answer, which ones you cannot, and where…
The pension nobody reviews: the signs any professional can see
Most people have a pension they have not thought about in years. Here is how to recognise the client for whom that neglect has be…
The client questions HR consultants hear most — and where to send each one
HR consultants field financial questions every week — and most cannot lawfully be answered by HR. A sorting guide for the ones th…
Client retention through referrals: the loyalty lever firms overlook
Most firms treat retention as a matter of doing core work well and pricing it fairly. The bigger lever sits at the edges of what …
Pension scams: the warning signs that repeat every time
Pension fraud costs victims their retirements, not just their savings. The pattern is depressingly consistent — which makes it le…
Why referral income compounds while fee income plateaus
Most firms hit a ceiling on fee income sooner or later, because it is tied to hours and headcount. Referral income behaves differ…
January is the most valuable month in your calendar — and not because of fees
For one month a year, accountants speak to everyone. What happens in those conversations decides the rest of the year.
The referral you already make for free — and what it's worth
Ask most firms whether they run a referral business and they say no. Ask whether they ever tell a client who to speak to about so…
Becoming the trusted hub: what happens when you can always say I know someone
There is a particular kind of firm clients never quite leave: the one that always seems to know who to call. Becoming that firm i…
How to disclose a referral fee to your client
The disclosure conversation feels harder than it is. Here's the structure, the timing, and what a clean paragraph of wording actu…
The compliant referral conversation, word by word
A compliant referral is mostly a matter of language: introducing clearly, disclosing honestly, and never straying into advice. Th…
The deposit that wasn't: inheritance and windfalls at mortgage stage
Inherited deposits and sudden windfalls surface at mortgage stage more often than most brokers realise. Here is how to handle the…
The referrals your practice already makes — and gives away for free
Every accountancy practice is a referral engine. Most run it for free. A look at the economics of the introductions you're alread…
The buy-to-let client whose questions go beyond the mortgage
Landlords ask investor questions, and investor questions run well past the mortgage. That makes the buy-to-let client one of the …
The protection gap: how to spot the client who's underinsured
The protection gap rarely announces itself, but the clues sit in the everyday details you already handle. This is how to notice t…
Referral partnerships between professionals: making them stick
Professional referral partnerships fail quietly: three introductions, no feedback, then silence. Making them durable is a design …
Referral fees for mortgage brokers: what you can accept and how
A practical guide for UK mortgage brokers on accepting referral fees compliantly: what the rules actually require, how disclosure…
Referral fees for mortgage brokers: what the rules actually say
Mortgage brokers can pay introducers and earn fees for onward referrals. MCOB, the Consumer Duty and the FCA's conflicts rules sh…
Referral fees for marketing agencies: what the rules actually say
No statute stops a marketing agency taking referral fees. But agencies serving financial clients sit near section 21 of FSMA — a …
Referral fees for IT consultants: what the rules actually say
IT consultants face no statutory referral-fee ban. The traps are contractual conflict clauses, the FCA perimeter when clients nee…
The retirement runway: spotting the client who needs advice now
The years approaching retirement are when the right guidance counts for most. Here is how to spot the client on that runway and h…
Referral fees for insurance brokers: what the rules actually say
FCA-authorised insurance brokers can pay and receive referral fees. The rulebook cares about conflicts, disclosure of remuneratio…