Meetings are hugely important in any business operation. For a start, they allow teams to collaborate internally, helping them share valuable information, inspire each other and ultimately make big decisions. Much of the same is true outside of the enterprise confines, where customers will naturally look for as much information as possible to help make their own purchasing choices.

As is the case in most industries, technology is driving innovation for financial services firms. It is increasingly recognised as an essential part of the sector's collective efforts to ensure processes are as efficient as possible and the needs of clients are comfortably met. From advisers right through to consumers - the benefits are impacting all parties. It isn't enough, however, to simply expand the IT budget and secure the latest applications.

The introduction of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) had huge implications for the financial services industry; in particular, it has changed the way financial institutions decide who to target as customers.

If you are, then you’re not alone. In a recent survey conducted by us more than two thirds (69%) of those polled stated that their goal was to one day sell their financial advice practice, with 43% stating that they plan to do it within the next five years.

When it came into force at the end of 2012, the retail distribution review (RDR) became among the biggest changes to ever hit the financial sector and financial advice. Implemented with the aim of increasing fairness and transparency in the investment industry, these new rules really have shaken things up for advisers.

With the Scottish Independence referendum fast approaching, now is the time for voters to start seriously considering whether they fall on the 'Yes' or 'No' side of the campaign. The question, "Should Scotland be an independent country?", is a potentially historic one; a range of issues including finance, oil, defence, currency and taxes will all be significantly affected by its result.

By Mark Davidson, Consulting Director at Jigsaw Tree

An area that has consistently frustrated adviser practices over many years is the recording, reconciling and reporting of revenue. As the industry has developed from a transactional model, where income was just about the next big deal, to one of service with multiple recurring revenue streams, the position has got even more challenging.

For any business, team or function looking to determine whether it is meeting its strategic goals, progress measurement is vital. When that business operates within a highly-regulated environment, such as financial planning, it is imperative.

By Mark Davidson, Consulting Director at Jigsaw Tree

As the saying goes, if I had a pound for every time I heard…..well in my case it would be “I want all these different technologies to talk to each other and to enter data just once”

This is the holy grail of the adviser technology world. A worthy aspiration but unfortunately for the majority it remains incredibly difficult to achieve. When you work with multiple suppliers, with different agendas and competing priorities, it is inevitable that not all will collaborate and therefore deliver you the utopia model. So if the ultimate goal is beyond your reach for now, should you just give up or is it still worth exploring what you can achieve?

It’s long been said that Bank of England governors have a history of going 'zig' when everyone else is going 'zag'. This is certainly a trait that media pundits have highlighted as being present in current governor Mark Carney, and you only have to look at his early policies to see why. As nations around the world were slowly recovering from the global financial crash, many highlighted policies to amend their interest rates accordingly. Whether this was to keep them low indefinitely to encourage spending or elevate them slowly and surely in a bid to maintain stability, each had their own take on what to do for the best.

Carney, on the other hand, cemented his maverick status almost immediately by reprising a policy first rolled out back in his native Canada - that of tying interest rates to the unemployment figures.