Online learning portal launched on the back of increased demand for tax-efficient investing.
Octopus Investments (‘Octopus’), a fast-growing UK fund management company, today launched the Octopus Adviser Academy, an online learning portal where financial advisers can discover more about tax-efficient investing and earn valuable hours of continuous professional development (CPD). The Academy has been launched on the back of the growing demand for tax efficient investments.
The online Academy provides educational content on tax-efficient investments and planning, including courses on Ventures Capital Trusts (VCTs), Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS) and Business Property Relief (BPR), the government legislation behind a number of different inheritance tax products.
Neil Buckland, Head of Sales at Octopus, commented:
“These products are growing in popularity as people look for government approved, tax-efficient ways to build and manage their investments. In a fast-moving environment where tax legislation is constantly changing, providers have a duty to help advisers better understand the full range of benefits and complexities associated with these products. The Academy aims to be a go-to, practical tool to support advisers and highlight the role these products can play in financial planning.”
After registering with the Academy for free, advisers are invited to participate in fully-accredited short learning courses which are designed to develop their understanding in areas of tax-efficient investing that are increasingly relevant to their clients. The experience will provide advisers with important insights to help them improve their product knowledge while also gaining valuable hours of CPD in the process. Additional courses will be developed on an ongoing basis in line with adviser requirements and demand.
Octopus is the largest provider of VCTs[1] and EIS[2] in the UK and currently works with more than 4,000 advisers to provide an ongoing programme of informative and helpful services covering tax-efficient investing and the issues affecting their clients. This includes a series of adviser seminars and webinars throughout the year and, most recently, the launch of a microsite and Guide to Retirement Planning ahead of the changes to pensions legislation. Nearly 3,000 advisers attend Octopus seminars every year[3].
Neil Buckland added:
“At Octopus we provide hands on practical support to our advisers and have a large team working in all regions of the UK. Ultimately, we want to do what we can to help advisers make a meaningful difference to their clients by helping them achieve their financial goals. The Academy is another way through which we can provide support to advisers.”
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Notes to editors
[1] Source: Association of Investment Companies (AIC), October 2014
[2] Source: Source: Tax Efficient Review 2014
[3] Source: Octopus, June 2015
For use by journalists in their professional capacity and should not be relied upon by retail clients. This document is issued by Octopus Investments Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The value of investments, and the income from them, may fall or rise. The information in this document should not be construed as offering investment or tax advice. Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS), Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) and products that use business property relief (BPR) put investors’ capital at risk and should be viewed as high risk. Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each investor and may be subject to change. The availability of tax reliefs also depends on the portfolio companies maintaining their qualifying status. EIS, VCTs and products that use BPR invest into small and/or unquoted companies, which are likely to have higher volatility and liquidity risk than shares quoted on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. This product is not suitable for everyone and we recommend investors seek independent investment and tax advice before investing in our products. Please refer to the relevant product brochure/prospectus for further information.