Bulgarian buy-to-let, McDonald's, regulation and even bar fights have featured in Financial Adviser over the years and been well received – if feedback is any indicator of popularity.
Perhaps obviously, writing about government, the FCA or the Financial Ombudsman Service will always engender plenty of commentary.
Former MP Mark Hoban's "McDonald's" comment of 2010, when he said: "The current minimum financial adviser qualification is at the same level as a diploma in shift management offered by McDonald’s" certainly set the cat among the pigeons, and seemingly hasn't been forgotten. Or forgiven.
When he stepped down from politics in 2013, one wag calling himself Bob Diamond commented on Financial Adviser: "It is sad Mark Hoban compares me and my mates at McDonald's with financial advisers as it has taken four years to achieve five Gold Stars, working long hours, seven days a week.
"I'm told it would only take me two years before I can give financial advice to the public. It took two years before they would let me use the microphone at the drive-through."
Mr Hoban certainly galvanised opinion against him, but one story that became a rallying cry for readers was in December 2015, when we reported: 'Bulgarian buy-to-let may cost adviser dearly'.
This garnered 111 comments – the highest number recorded to date on a Financial Adviser story.
One winning comment, though, came on a story about a mortgage adviser, banned from drinking alcohol after bottling a colleague while watching the footy. This resulted in a win for one commentator, who wrote: "He 'still maintains his proud record of never having had an application declined'. Presumably they wouldn't dare."
Once, Financial Adviser itself unwittingly started a fight. In October 2013, an innocuous tweet of a story, asking whether it is worth allocating 10 per cent of a client's portfolio towards 'ethical' funds, generated so much traffic other publications started reporting on the debate.
This was the tweet:
Which was swiftly followed by:
The blow-by-blow barrage, which stretched to more than 52 responses, can be read on Blue & Green Tomorrow.
But whether in print, online or through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, Financial Adviser always values your wit.
Whatever the medium and whatever the story, it is evident from our years of engaging with advisers that you have a strong sense of fairness and a healthy dose of humour.
Simoney Kyriakou was news editor on Financial Adviser and is today content plus editor on FTAdviser
simoney.kyriakou@ft.com
