Before you get stuck in...
Laura BampfyldeDirector, WealthFind me on LinkedIn
In March, I attended the NextWealth Live annual conference. Among many great takeaways, one of the speakers cited a quote about standing still and moving backwards* that resonated with me. I Googled it to use in my own article and found three options:
“If you don’t move forward, sooner or later you begin to move backward” – Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union
“Standing still is the fastest way of moving backwards in a rapidly changing world” – Lauren Bacall, American actress
“If you stand still there is only one way to go, and that’s backwards” – Peter Shilton, former England football player
It was the first one which was used at the conference, but after some rather lively office debate, it was concluded I should use the last one because everyone's heard of Peter Shilton (I agreed, hopefully convincingly!).
Change, and the need to keep moving forward, is the common thread throughout our articles this quarter.
In our recurring segment, a Q&A with Sustainable Investment specialists, I asked Paul Lee, our Head of Stewardship & Sustainable Investment Strategy, for his thoughts on the prevailing ESG labelling regulations in the UK and Europe. In some respects, we’re moving forwards, with clearer labelling bringing clarity for investors and holding fund managers to higher standards. But will it cause overwhelm and delay the progress of client capital being allocated for the good of the planet?
Before you get stuck in…
Next, having spent the last few months working with a large wealth manager implementing our fund research and governance software, Ada, I reflected on a change of this type in advice businesses and the human nature to shy away from it. TLDR: standing still really is moving backwards here.
Then, Tara Gillespie, who leads our advice to a range of wealth, endowments and charity clients, expands on the notion that asset allocation is the primary driver of returns and whether we should hold firm on our long-term strategic views. Is ‘standing still’ in this way moving backwards or forwards towards client goals?
Lastly, we hear from Celine Legaspi in our Manager Research team as we chat at the water cooler about the nature-based solutions research that’s been keeping her busy. With growing awareness of the importance of biodiversity for not just the planet but the whole economy, we’d love to hear your views on how (or whether) to bring these solutions to retail investors.
*Thanks to Alasdair Walker from Handford Aitkenhead & Walker Ltd for the inspiration!