There were two much-anticipated events in the annual personal finance calendar last week - the Autumn Statement and the Financial Adviser Service Awards.
The former did not yield too many surprises, including the abolition of rental fees and some tinkering – that may or may not have been needed – with pensions.
In some ways, the awards, now in their 26th year, also did not surrender too many revelations.
After all how a company treats its customers, in this case via the service it offers to advisers, is a measure of its success – past, present and future.
The FASA are one of the industry’s best barometers of a company’s commitment to its customers and its intermediaries; they are even used on some consumer-facing material. Also, if we might be as bold, they are the standard to aspire to.
Year after year companies have risen to that challenge. In fact several of the companies which topped this year’s five-star categories were not too long ago languishing among the two- or even one-star rankings.
Conversely, some of the companies that once topped the polls - as this is based on your opinions - are now absent.
Some of this could be explained by changes in business models, where companies have tried to be all things to all advisers. Sometimes this works; sometimes it does not. Sometimes the business model needs a little tweaking.
Keeping advisers happy, in an age where the regulation and legislation of financial services has become more and more onerous, is no mean feat.
In our industry, we cannot afford to stand still: we have no choice but to move with a tide that is sweeping us inexorably to ever more restrictions. At the same time, we have to keep customers and advisers happy.
So, congratulations to all the winners. To those who could do with upping their game - well, you know what to do.
