Better Industry
As the connecting force within retail financial services industry, we help the market operate more effectively by improving, innovating and digitising financial products, solutions and processes that benefit everyone.
Fintel's ESG Strategy
2022 highlights
Major upgrade to proprietary financial planning technology
Expanded our ESG research platform
Launch of Mortgage Action Climate Group
Industry Innovation and Digitisation
Working at the heart of the market, we use our knowledge, insights and technology to improve the effectiveness of UK retail financial services. We are committed to continuously improving, innovating and digitising products, processes and solutions to shape a better financial future.
Our focus
- Continued development of our digital capabilities and technology and service platform
- Expansion of our Distribution as a Service ("Daas") helping product providers to design and distribute better products
- Driving efficiencies through digital and hybrid service delivery
2023 Priorities
- Further expansion of Distribution as a Service to improve financial product design and distribution
- Design of an analytics service to proactively assess and benchmark advice compliance risk
- Introduction of new proprietary advice technology workflows, aligned to Consumer Duty regulation
Improving Product Design And Distribution Through "Distribution As A Service"
In 2021, we launched Distribution as a Service ("DaaS"), a first of its kind subscription service helping product providers to improve the design, suitability and distribution of their products through behavioural and segmental analysis. In 2022 we have continued to scale and digitise this service with introduction of a digital partner portal enabling access to our insights and campaign data on demand.
Our goal is further expansion of the DaaS model through integration with the full product lifecycle, supporting product design with market insights and expert analysis to drive the development of tailored propositions that reflect evolving consumer needs.
Focus on Regulatory Technology to Improve Client Outcomes
In response to the increasing sophistication of advice requirements, we introduced a new cognitive assessment tool to support advisers in identifying and serving vulnerable clients. Regulatory technology is a key focus for the future as an enabler for intermediaries to serve more clients, more effectively, improving consumer outcomes.
Driving Efficiency Through Digital and Hybrid Service Delivery
Our focus is to continue to digitise our core services, to drive further efficiency and offer our customers greater choice and flexibility. This includes:
- Our extensive hybrid learning and development events programme for financial advisers has been scaled through introduction of a state-of-the-art digital events platform, offering intermediaries efficiency, flexibility and choice.
- Our new virtual compliance health checks for financial advisers have been introduced to complement the existing consultative services provided by our team, increasing access, and providing greater efficiency and flexibility for our customers.
>18,000
attendees at our hybrid educational programme in 2022
Our contribution towards U.N. Sustainable Development Goals
Target 8.2 Diversify, innovate and upgrade for economic productivity
Throughout 2022 we continued to foster innovation and digitisation in the financial services sector, building a multi‑year innovation roadmap. We enhanced our proprietary advice technology with the launch of new modules and enhanced our DaaS proposition, with the development of additional portal features giving product providers access to live product and campaign data, due to launch in 2023.
You can find "Our Contribution to SDGs" here.
ESG Enablement
With increased investor focus on non-financial factors, and the rise of environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) investing, we strive to deliver market leading solutions to enable the inclusion of ESG criteria within the financial planning and product development processes and collaborate with the industry to raise awareness of ESG topics.
Our focus
- Enabling consumers and financial intermediaries to make financial decisions that reflect personal principles
- Industry collaboration and education to embed ESG considerations within the UK Retail Financial Services
- Education and support for intermediaries looking to embed ESG within the advice process
2023 Priorities
- Support development of a net zero emissions protocol for financial intermediaries
- Expansion of ESG research platform
- Assessment of thematic impact solutions for intermediaries to enable them to more closely align with client needs
- Lead the Mortgage Climate Action group to support intermediaries in helping homeowners make UK housing stock more energy efficient
ESG Reviews
Created by Defaqto's expert insights team, our unique, independent ESG reviews enable advisers to assess funds from an ESG point of view on a transparent and consistent basis, helping them identify suitable investments that reflect their client’s personal principles and preferences.
Defaqto ESG fund reviews cover, among other things:
- The fund’s ESG policy and how well the fund or portfolio aligns to it
- Product involvement, if any, in certain controversial areas
- ESG integration based on IA responsible investment framework
- Any adherence to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- The asset management firm’s voting and engagement policies with corporates on ESG
- The company resources in terms of ESG behind the fund
>100
retail investment funds now covered by our ESG research platform
ESG Filters
Our ESG fund filters, available to financial advisers through our proprietary advice software, allow advisers to filter funds in line with their client’s ESG preferences, arming them with over 30 new data points that can be applied to a population of sustainable funds or used on an exclusionary basis for the wider fund universe.
>30%
of retail investment advisers and wealth managers have access to our fund filters
ESG Profiler
Interest in ESG, sustainable and impact investing is on the rise, however lack of standardisation of definitions creates a challenge for financial advisers. To assist them in understanding their client’s ESG investment profile and preferences during the advice process, we developed a digital ESG client profiler, which can be accessed via our proprietary advice software.
>8,000
wealth managers and financial advisers have access to our digital ESG client profiler
Industry collaboration and education
As a connecting force in UK retail financial services, we use our knowledge and reach to drive positive change through collaboration with the wider industry.
In 2022 our mortgage division, SimplyBiz Mortgages, collaborated with industry partners to form a new Mortgage Climate Action Group. Aiming to interpret new climate change legislation and engage with industry stakeholders, the Group acts as a source of support for intermediaries, helping them to understand and address green issues when dealing with mortgage applications.