Adviser 3.0: The Podcast

Abraham Okusanya
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The Adviser 3.0 Podcast is hosted by Abraham Okusanya. Get ready for his signature raw honesty, critical analysis and no-holds-barred insight at the intersection of retirement, investing and fintech.

  1. Ep.133 - Doing It Your Way: Tara Maynard on Imposter Syndrome, Culture, and Making Partner

    1 DAY AGO

    Ep.133 - Doing It Your Way: Tara Maynard on Imposter Syndrome, Culture, and Making Partner

    A career built without a degree, a partnership earned without shortcuts, and a profession that risks losing its soul to consolidation. In this episode of Adviser 3.0, Kate Phillips is joined by Tara Maynard, Partner and Chartered Financial Adviser at PM+M, for an honest conversation about doing it your way in financial planning. Tara shares how financial circumstances steered her away from university and into an accountancy apprenticeship at 18, and how a chance secondment to the financial planning team changed everything. She opens up about studying for her qualifications in half-hour windows around two young children, navigating imposter syndrome on the road to partnership, and what it really means to belong somewhere you love. They also get into the bigger picture: why independent ownership matters for clients and advisers alike, what gets lost when firms are bought and sold, and Tara's passion for grassroots community work through PM+M's Positive Impact programme. Topics covered: The apprenticeship path and why it workedStudying for exams with two young childrenImposter syndrome and building quiet confidenceThe culture that made partnership possibleIndependent ownership vs consolidationCommunity, charity and the Positive Impact programmeListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube.

    35 min
  2. SoapBox Ep.6 - Scrap the Triple Lock, Quit the Big Firm & Master Your Money Mind

    13 MAY

    SoapBox Ep.6 - Scrap the Triple Lock, Quit the Big Firm & Master Your Money Mind

    The triple lock is costing us 7% of GDP by 2070. Advisers are overpaid, or are they? And your money personality was probably set before you turned 10. In this episode of SoapBox, Matt Pitcher and Abraham Okusanya are joined by Sarah Roughsedge, founder of Eva Wealth and author of Smart Money, Strong Women, for a wide-ranging conversation that pulls no punches. They dig into the Tony Blair Institute's radical proposal to scrap the state pension as we know it, replacing it with a flexible Lifespan Fund, and whether that is bold policy or political fantasy. Then the debate turns closer to home: are financial advisers actually overpaid? Matt and Abraham put themselves in the dock, and the answer is more nuanced than you might expect. From Ferrari-driving advisers to the growing wave of breakaway firms leaving the big consolidators, this one gets spicy. Sarah then walks us through the ideas behind her book, five money archetypes that shape how we think, feel, and act around money, and why understanding yours might be the most important financial move you ever make. We close with a bright note from Abraham: UK investors are finally coming back to the equity markets after the longest selling streak Calastone has ever recorded. Topics covered: The triple lock, the Lifespan Fund and the fairness problem with state pensionAre advisers worth £100k a year?Breakaway firms and the entrepreneurial case for going independentSmart Money, Strong Women: the 5 money archetypes and why they matterUK investors return to equitiesListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or watch on YouTube.

    58 min
  3. Ep.132 - Buy Low, Flip High and Hope for the Best: Ed Dymott on Why Consolidation Is Broken

    29 APR

    Ep.132 - Buy Low, Flip High and Hope for the Best: Ed Dymott on Why Consolidation Is Broken

    Ed Dymott, CEO of Benchmark Capital, joins Abraham Okusanya to challenge the logic behind a decade of advice firm consolidation. The old playbook of buying IFA practices cheap and selling the whole thing at a premium was never as clever as it looked, and the cracks are showing. Ed and Abraham dig into the breakaway adviser trend, why planners are leaving consolidators and private banks alike to build their own businesses, the role of AI as a copilot rather than a replacement, and what the profession looks like when it finally grows up and sits alongside law and accountancy. A candid, wide-ranging conversation with one of the most influential operators in UK financial planning infrastructure.

    46 min
  4. Ep.131 - The Ethics of Owning Everything: Dominic Thomas on Indexing, Capitalism and Conscience

    15 APR

    Ep.131 - The Ethics of Owning Everything: Dominic Thomas on Indexing, Capitalism and Conscience

    What does it mean to own "the whole market" when parts of it make you uncomfortable? Dominic Thomas, founder and principal of Solomon's IFA, joins Abraham to challenge some of the orthodoxies of financial planning. A fee-based adviser since 1999 -- more than a decade before RDR made it fashionable -- Dominic has built a tight, intentional family firm in Cobham with ethics and relationships at its core. In this conversation, Dominic and Abraham go head to head on index investing and capital concentration, the discomfort of owning companies you disagree with, wealth inequality and whether capitalism is working, US political dominance and what it means for portfolio allocation, the role of AI in advice, and how to help clients define "enough." Honest, wide-ranging and genuinely provocative.

    54 min
  5. Ep.130 - The Retirement Lie: Dan Haylett on Purpose, Identity and the Second Half

    8 APR

    Ep.130 - The Retirement Lie: Dan Haylett on Purpose, Identity and the Second Half

    What if retirement is not the reward you think it is? In this episode, Dan Haylett joins the show to challenge one of the biggest assumptions in financial planning. That retirement is a destination. A number. A finish line. Drawing on his work with clients and insights from his book, Dan explains why so many people reach retirement only to feel lost, lacking purpose, and unsure what comes next. This conversation goes beyond money. It explores identity, structure, meaning, and the real role of financial planners in helping clients navigate the second half of life. If you work in financial advice or are planning your own future, this episode will change how you think about retirement. We cover: Why retirement is often a letdown after years of planningThe problem with focusing only on “the number”Why retirement is a human problem, not a maths problemHow to help clients find purpose beyond workThe future of financial planning and why it must evolveConnect with Dan: https://www.humansvsretirement.com/

    49 min
  6. SoapBox Ep.5 - £2.2 Trillion Idle, Mag Seven Panic & the Behavioural Wrecking Ball

    1 APR

    SoapBox Ep.5 - £2.2 Trillion Idle, Mag Seven Panic & the Behavioural Wrecking Ball

    Matt Pitcher and Abraham Okusanya are back on the Soapbox with no guest, no filter, just two advisers getting into the numbers that matter. This episode they dig into the Dimson, Marsh & Staunton Global Investment Returns Yearbook 2026 and the Bessembinder paper, and the findings are uncomfortable. In 1900, railroads made up 63% of the US market. Today, less than 1%. Yet they still outperformed. 59% of individual stocks will lose you money over their lifetime. The median stock return is negative. And yet the market has created $91 trillion of wealth. The case for buying the haystack has never been stronger or more ignored. Then Matt takes on the great wealth destroyers: active managers quietly costing clients half a million pounds, lifestyling in pension schemes that should have died with the annuity era, risk profiling tools nudging clients into less equity than they need, and the £2.2 trillion sitting dead in UK bank accounts shrinking in real terms while advisers watch on. Blunt, data-heavy, and genuinely useful for any adviser who wants the arguments and the evidence in one place. Resources mentioned: Bessembinder Paper: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6438198DMS Yearbook 2026 Summary: https://www.ubs.com/global/en/investment-bank/insights-and-data/articles/global-investment-returns-yearbook-2026.htmlFCA Trail Commission Review: https://citywire.com/new-model-adviser/news/fca-to-review-674m-adviser-trail-commissions/a2486582📩 Review and screenshot it to Abraham on LinkedIn for a free copy of Nick Murray's This Time Is Different

    49 min
  7. Ep.129 - Would You Buy the Firm You Work For? Chris Palmer on Equity and Progression

    25 MAR

    Ep.129 - Would You Buy the Firm You Work For? Chris Palmer on Equity and Progression

    Chris Palmer’s career didn’t start in financial services, and it nearly didn’t happen at all. From the Navy to banking during the financial crisis, Chris worked his way into financial advice before making a move that would define his career: buying into the firm he joined. In this episode, Chris shares his journey from employee to owner, the realities of equity and progression, and what it takes to build a business that lasts. We also explore the challenges facing independent firms today, the pressure of regulation, and why true independence still matters in financial advice. A must-listen for advisers thinking about ownership, succession and long-term career progression.

    52 min
  8. Ep.128 - Bought Out, Pushed Out, or Wheeled Out: Brian Hill on the Reality of Exits

    18 MAR

    Ep.128 - Bought Out, Pushed Out, or Wheeled Out: Brian Hill on the Reality of Exits

    In this episode, we’re joined by Brian Hill, founder of Pathfinders and author of Everyone Exits: You’re Either Bought Out, Pushed Out, or Wheeled Out® Brian shares what really happens when financial planning firms go to market and why many advisers are not prepared to sell. We explore valuation, buyer behaviour, and the most common mistakes that reduce deal value. The conversation covers the gap between confidence and competence, the impact of unprofitable client segments, and why exit planning should start far earlier than most firms expect. A must-listen for advisers thinking about succession, growth, or selling their business.

    53 min
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4.4
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About

The Adviser 3.0 Podcast is hosted by Abraham Okusanya. Get ready for his signature raw honesty, critical analysis and no-holds-barred insight at the intersection of retirement, investing and fintech.

Information

  • Creator
    Abraham Okusanya
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    141
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Abraham Okusanya
  • Show Website
    Adviser 3.0: The Podcast

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