A key difference you will notice straightaway is that it allows us to offer bespoke content coverage for your region. After careful research, we have determined there will be five regional editions, covering the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and South Africa.
The news coverage on International Adviser’s website shows there are important developments in each of these regions that are worthy of more detailed analytical scrutiny.
Regional focus
In the UK, one of the biggest stories of the past few months has been the clampdown by the Financial Conduct Authority on the handling of overseas pensions transfers.
In Europe, the ramifications of the Brexit negotiations continue to go through the latest twists and turns, with the final Mifid II rules on course to be implemented in January 2018, and question marks as to whether the crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man will adopt it.
In the Middle East, the regulatory authorities are in the process of tightening up their rules, with the Insurance Authority notably hitting the headlines with its consultations on the introduction of commission disclosure for the first time in the next couple of years.
A completely new tax introduced in Saudi Arabia from 1 July also caused a wave of concern as it targeted expats living and working in the region, who will have to pay the Saudi government SAR100 ($27) each month per dependent, including children and domestic staff.
In Asia, the 1MBD scandal took a new turn when Australian model Miranda Kerr handed over $8.1m worth of jewellery to the US authorities that she allegedly received from ex-boyfriend Jho Low, a person of interest in the 1MDB Singapore probe.
While in South Africa, its forthcoming version of the Retail Distribution Review is set to make product suppliers to IFAs much more accountable for customer outcomes, according to Caroline da Silva of the country’s main regulator, the Financial Services Board.
These spotlights on some of the bigger recent stories in each of our chosen regions for the new IA digital editions illustrate how the relative importance of news varies across the world.
Common thread
There are, of course, still plenty of common themes, and financial advisers and others in the financial services industry are always interested to cross reference what others are doing in different regions.
The move to digital also allows us to give you great interactivity, with video, soundbites and other new ways of absorbing content that is not possible on the printed page.
This, together with a review of our content to make it even more relevant and accessible, should help to give those key insights you need to build a successful business going forward.
International Adviser is the champion of good practice in the industry and there will be an even greater emphasis on this in future, with challenges and problems analysed by experts and adviser comment from the key regions.
So do look out for the first digital editions with the monthly format offering an exciting new experience and the greater potential for direct interaction with your peers.
