The first half of 2025 has certainly lived up to any late- 2024 predictions that“ you ain’ t seen nothing yet”. From President Trump’ s on-again, off-again global trade tariffs and central banks’ indecision over inflation and interest rates, to intractable conflicts engulfing Ukraine, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East and the resulting energy market shocks, it’ s hard to get through a day without new headlines adding to the general sense of global upheaval.

In times like these, advisers earn client trust by remaining a calm, reassuring presence for clients bombarded by market noise. According to the lang cat’ s 2025 Advice Gap research, a third of those who paid for financial advice in the last two years did so because it gave them peace of mind that they would have enough money in future. Periods of market turbulence are the perfect time to emphasise that investors should always focus on the long term in seeking future financial security and not react in panic to every market movement.

This customer-facing message is reinforced behind the scenes by firms efficiently taking care of the ongoing work of managing market uncertainty, including rebalancing portfolios, adjusting plans to reflect clients’ evolving goals, and staying firmly on the right side of regulatory compliance.

With volatility likely to persist, technology has a vital role to play in maintaining client confidence.

Bringing clarity to complexity

For example, cashflow modelling provides a powerful opportunity to show clients how changing economic conditions might impact their finances. By taking into consideration a host of variable factors – assumed rates of inflation, interest rates, economic growth, taxation and the client’ s risk tolerance and financial goals – advisers can use these models to vividly bring to life personalised projections of future wealth. Running different scenarios can help clients explore‘ what-ifs’ prompted by specific concerns in a structured and reassuring way.

Advisers and planners tell us that these tools are most effective when used interactively, sitting down with clients and walking through the different outcomes together. Visualising their potential financial future helps clients understand and value the financial plan, leading to better decision making and enhancing the adviser-client relationship.

For those still building wealth, clear illustrations of the compounding effect of early, consistent investing on eventual returns can be a powerful motivator. It can also help dissuade clients from reducing their investment contributions, or cashing out, in response to short-term needs or fears.

Nick Eatock, Chief Executive Officer, intelliflo

42 | The Adviser