In conversation with advisers: Risk profiling - how should risk be targeted?

clock • 1 min read

Partner Insight: Flora Maudsley-Barton, managing director of Parsonage Financial and Kerry Nelson, managing director of Nexus Financial met in London recently to discuss how risk should be targeted.

 

In the third video of the series Editor of Professional Adviser, Julian Marr talks to Flora Maudsley-Barton and Kerry Nelson about the evolution of risk-profiling (see above).

Nelson (Parsonage Financial): "Risk profiling has become more sophisticated than it was say five years' ago. It is evolving so much, there are new entrants and the regulator is becoming much more involved in this whole topic. So I think it [risk profiling] has come to the forefront for advisers right now."

Maudsley-Brown (Nexus Financial), however disagrees with Nelson: "We have been risk profiling from the start. So we know as much about risk from day one, to after day one."

Nelson believes that is not only important for advisers to understand different levels of risk, but the client also: "We will have the basis risk profile in place, to give us the bare basic of what the client's risk profile is like, but we will bring other tools to help clients understand the level of risk associated with that particular level of investing.

"I think if you put your clients in a better position of understanding investing at better risk levels, how long their cash will last over a period of time and how they will meet their objectives over time, you can use this not only as a means to engage with the client but on an ongoing basis as well," Nelson adds.

Please visit Adviser Points of View, a site created by Incisive Media (publisher of Professional Adviser) in partnership with Architas.

More on Investment

Value investing: What if patience isn't just a virtue?

Value investing: What if patience isn't just a virtue?

‘Patience remains seriously underrated for generating outperformance’

Gary Channon
clock 20 February 2026 • 4 min read
The risks of underinvesting in a stock market bubble

The risks of underinvesting in a stock market bubble

Booms and crashes are part and parcel of the market cycle

Laith Khalaf
clock 17 February 2026 • 3 min read
US investment manager Nuveen to buy Schroders in £9.9bn deal

US investment manager Nuveen to buy Schroders in £9.9bn deal

Combined group will oversee almost $2.5trn of assets under management

Linus Uhlig
clock 12 February 2026 • 2 min read

In-depth

The adviser firms private equity wants in 2026

The adviser firms private equity wants in 2026

'People-led durability is now the premium asset in 2026'

Laura Miller
clock 16 February 2026 • 7 min read
Onshore bonds are back – but who is leading the call for their return?

Onshore bonds are back – but who is leading the call for their return?

'Innovation, as ever in financial services, starts by looking in the rear-view mirror'

clock 11 February 2026 • 5 min read
Student debt and advice: 'Strong case' for it to be given greater attention

Student debt and advice: 'Strong case' for it to be given greater attention

Overlooked but ‘shouldn’t be ignored’

Isabel Baxter
clock 09 February 2026 • 8 min read