Armchair Critic: The age of unpredictability

What follows for portfolio construction?

clock • 4 min read

Amid the post-mortems and post-rationalisations on the unexpected general election result, Professional Adviser's Armchair Critic Brendan Llewellyn suggests one big conclusion is that people just don't know

Ahead of this election, I attending several meetings of well-informed financial services practitioners, including political analysts. A good way to raise a laugh at any of these was to pull up a picture of Jeremy Corbyn on the PowerPoint presentation. Prior to that, another series of similar meetings where the consensus was again overwhelmingly clear - Clinton was a bit weak but Trump has no chance. A pattern begins to emerge. Prior to the Brexit vote, this time last year, I asked 40 providers what they would like to cover at a meeting and less than a handful said Brexit - it was almost ...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Your profession

Standing out from the crowd: WIFA entry tips from judge Gillian Hepburn

Standing out from the crowd: WIFA entry tips from judge Gillian Hepburn

'The number of outstanding entries always makes judging challenging'

Gillian Hepburn
clock 04 June 2026 • 4 min read
Advisers report under 50s make up growing chunk of client banks

Advisers report under 50s make up growing chunk of client banks

Under 40s make up almost a third, FE Fundinfo research finds

Sophia Panayi
clock 02 June 2026 • 2 min read
How the 100-year life is reshaping financial planning

How the 100-year life is reshaping financial planning

'The financial planning sector needs to continue to evolve'

Chris Ball
clock 02 June 2026 • 4 min read