Wealth DFM Talk

In this latest episode of Wealth DFM Talk, Stuart White, Executive Director of Business Development, Impax Asset Management joins us to explore how sustainability is evolving beyond a standalone investment theme, with a growing focus on financial materiality, energy security and corporate resilience. Stuart reveals how he’s seeing this shift play out amongst UK wealth managers and advisers, along with what does it mean for the way they construct client portfolios. We also touch on the various geopolitical and energy volatilities, with Stuart explaining how wealth managers should be thinking about the long-term investment opportunities emerging across electrification, energy efficiency and infrastructure. After that, we move on to a popular topic in 2026, AI. As AI has dominated investment markets, it also raises concern over the demand for electricity, water and supporting infrastructure. Stuart shares some of the most compelling investment opportunities which he is currently seeing, beyond the technology companies currently dominating those market headlines. And finally, with physical climate risks, resource constraints and technological disruption increasingly affecting businesses, Stuart answers whether wealth managers should incorporate these risks into portfolio construction, and details what they should be looking for when assessing a company's long-term resilience.

As the MPS market has grown, so too has the importance for providers to have robust governance, oversight and transparency in place. But have standards kept pace with the increasing role of outsourced investment management? In this month’s episode of the Wealth DFM Talk podcast, Sue Whitbread and Matt Williams are joined by Daniel Nilsson, Senior Portfolio Manager at Isio, who shares his experience of what good MPS governance looks like in practice, what advisers tend to focus on when assessing MPS providers, and what they may overlook. Also, with the FCA’s MPS review expected shortly, the discussion also considers what the review could achieve and what a meaningful outcome might look like for the market. Listen now to hear why effective MPS governance needs to be about more than simply ticking the right boxes.

In this month’s episode of Wealth DFM Talk, the monthly podcast from Wealth DFM, we welcome Greg B Davies, Head of Behavioural Finance at Oxford Risk. Greg joins us to discuss SpaceX, which recently joined the Nasdaq-100. Last month, SpaceX added to its existing FTSE World and MSCI World inclusion by joining the Nasdaq-100. Millions of investors now hold SpaceX exposure through mainstream index trackers, many without realising it. Greg explains what the behavioural purpose of passive investing is, answering why index inclusion does not mean endorsement. He also reveals whether investors should be worried about unknowingly holding SpaceX through a passive tracker, before answering whether small, diversified exposure to a high-profile company can help some investors avoid concentrated story-led investing, or if it creates new behavioural risks. Lastly, he details what advisers and platforms should do when such a high-profile, polarising holding makes investors question exactly what they own.

In this latest edition of Wealth DFM Talk, the monthly podcast from Wealth DFM, we welcome Nick Millington, Head of Systematic Index Solutions within the Quantitative Investment Solutions team at Aberdeen. Nick joins us to discuss the Enhanced Index approach, and what is driving its demand.  We’re all too familiar with the distinction between passive and active investment approach, but there is another way. This month, we’re looking at Enhanced Index investing, which blends the strengths of both. Nick explains what Enhanced Index investing actually means, revealing what it both is and isn’t, along with outlining where the demand for it stems from. We then dig deeper into how Enhanced Index investing is put into practice, with Nick walking us through Aberdeen’s approach. He tells us how Aberdeen landed on their approach, and where they see added value from it. Lastly, we unpack some of the transient risks which investors face, such as geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic drivers. Nick details how Aberdeen identify and neutralise these risks without diluting the strength of their approach.

In this latest edition of Wealth DFM Talk, the monthly podcast from Wealth DFM, we welcome Adam Peters, Head of UK Retail at AllianceBernstein.  Adam joins us to talk all things asset managers, outlining what they should do to futureproof themselves. Together, we discuss the relationship between asset managers and wealth management, assessing how that relationship has transformed over time. Then, we look ahead to the next few years of asset and wealth management, with Adam revealing what he expects will define that period. After that, Adam explains what is intended when people call for more customisation from asset managers, before sharing some extra tips for asset managers who are looking to build strong relationships with wealth managers, in an era where AI is prevalent.

In this month’s episode of Wealth DFM Talk, we’re focusing on portfolio construction, looking at how advisers make their decisions in relation to market uncertainty and volatility. Joining us is Lisa Wang, senior vice president and Head of EMEA Investment Strategy for Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions. Together, we zero in on portfolio construction, discussing where, why and how adjustments might be made across different market regimes. Lisa also outlines how advisers balance top-down macro views with bottom-up security selection, along with the element of risk when managing portfolios.    

In this month’s episode of Wealth DFM Talk, we unpack how global tensions are shaping the investment landscape in real time. Joining us to do this is Rob Burdett, Head of Multi-Manager Solutions at Nedgroup Investments. With geopolitical risks rising and markets reacting, it’s easy for investors to feel pulled between caution and opportunity. Together, we explore what history tells us about navigating uncertainty and whether those lessons still hold in today’s environment. Rob also reveals how to stay grounded in long-term strategy while acknowledging the pressures of short-term volatility. And with growing concerns around inflation and the possibility of stagflation, Rob outlines what it really means to protect returns right now.

Geopolitical tensions have returned sharply to the forefront of markets this week. Recording at 2pm on Monday 2 March, just hours after the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran, this latest episode of Wealth DFM Talk captures investor thinking, as equity markets digest renewed uncertainty around energy prices, risk sentiment and broader stability. Against that backdrop, WealthDFM’s Matt Williams and Sue Whitbread are joined by Phil McInnis, Chief Investment Strategist at Avantis Investors. They discuss why disciplined investment processes matter most during periods of geopolitical shocks such as those we’re seeing right now, how markets are responding to the escalation in the Middle East and the implications for global equities and risk. While it is still early days following the Gulf escalation, there are already signs of market nervousness. In the conversation, Phil shares how investors can separate short-term noise from long-term drivers. He also explains why diversification and sticking to first principles during periods of such uncertainty remain central to a robust, long-term equity strategy. In a week when headlines are moving markets, this episode provides timely perspective for investors trying to steer a path through all the uncertainty. Listen to this month’s episode now!

When the national news headlines feature what’s going in the markets, you know there’s something out of the ordinary going on. In the latest WealthDFM podcast, Sue and Matt dig into the extraordinary moves in precious metals markets, with Nitesh Shah, Head of Commodities and Macroeconomic Research at WisdomTree, a firm well known to advisers for its ETF and ETP expertise and for Nitesh’s expertise and widely read bullion insights. Gold has surged to historic highs in recent months, albeit with plenty of volatility, the metal has delivered its strongest run in decades. But what’s really driving the rally? Is this simply a traditional safe-haven response to geopolitical tensions and a weaker US dollar? Or does it signal something more structural, a shift in how investors view financial systems, currencies and long-term stores of value? And then there’s silver, which has been climbing even more dramatically than gold. With questions around who is actually behind the buying, whether markets are entering bubble territory, and how sustainable current price levels really are, advisers are increasingly being asked how to interpret these moves. In this episode, we explore: The key forces behind gold’s powerful rally How this cycle of investor participation differs from previous ones Whether current price action points to a bubble or a broader repricing of global risk The outlook for gold and silver, and the catalysts that could shape markets in the months ahead

In the first episode of Wealth DFM Talk for 2026, our Content Editor Matt Williams and Editor Sue Whitbread explore how portfolio construction needs to evolve amid changing currency dynamics, market concentration and renewed uncertainty. Joining the discussion is Mike Coop, Chief Investment Officer at Morningstar Wealth. Together, we unpack what a weakening US dollar means for investors, how advisers can think about diversification beyond the obvious, and whether the growing dominance of a handful of US mega-cap stocks is creating hidden risks or new opportunities. Mike also reveals why forecasting has become more challenging, even with higher interest rates back in play, and whether volatility really should push investors toward more active trading.