The Morning Briefing: D2C platforms hold £530bn; Söderberg, Seccl and Plannr launch integration. Good morning and welcome to your Morning Briefing for Tuesday 5 May 2026. To get this in your inbox every morning click here. D2C platforms hold £530bn in Q1 as investors weather volatility Direct-to-consumer (D2C) platforms held assets broadly flat at £530bn in the first quarter of 2026, as investors weathered market volatility driven by geopolitical tensions. Gross flows reached £25.3bn over the period, with net inflows of £10.5bn, supported by the seasonal boost from the ISA market, according to consultancy Fundscape's latest Direct Matters report. However, beneath the surface resilience, the UK D2C market is becoming increasingly concentrated. Söderberg, Seccl and Plannr launch integrated account opening Söderberg & Partners Platform, Seccl and Plannr have launched the next phase of their integration, enabling advisers to open platform accounts directly within a single system. The rollout marks Phase 2 of the firms' partnership and is designed to reduce friction across the advice journey, particularly around client onboarding and account setup. Under the new functionality, advisers can create clients and open platform accounts within Plannr without switching systems or rekeying data. The integration also allows for a continuous workflow from illustration through to account opening. Quote Of The Day The idea of linking state pension payments to individual health records and individual life expectancy is deeply troubling - Steve Webb, former pensions minister, warns on radical state pension reforms proposed by the Tony Blair Institute Stat Attack New data reveals that the 40-hour work week is becoming a fiction as high-performers leverage AI and efficiency to manage multiple full-time roles - even from within the office. Key research findings: of workers say a second job is essential financial security. Nearly view multiple jobs as a necessity, not a side hustle of multi-job workers are mostly office-based work hybrid say automation has significantly reduced workloads meet or exceed expectations across multiple jobs would need a 21%-50% pay rise to return to one job say no salary increase would make them give up a second role Access Financial Services has partnered with industry trainer Matt Chapman, known as The Protection Coach, to strengthen protection advice across its network. Chapman will work with Access FS's team of more than 280 mortgage and protection advisers over the next nine months, focusing on coaching managers and mentors to deliver more effective, goals-based client conversations. The programme aims to move advisers away from transactional sales towards deeper discussions around client needs, risks and long-term outcomes. Chief executive Karl Wilkinson said the partnership would help improve adviser confidence and support better customer outcomes. The move comes as Access FS continues to expand, with the firm reporting strong growth and ambitions to grow its adviser base further in the coming years. Ben Agnew has stepped down as chief executive of The Payments Association as the organisation enters a new phase following investment from Nineteen Group in 2025. Agnew led the association through a period of significant growth, tripling revenue and membership while expanding its industry influence and securing growth capital. Both parties said the leadership change reflects the next stage of the organisation's development. Nineteen Group chief executive Alison Jackson thanked Agnew for building a "strong and highly respected platform", adding the business is well positioned for future growth. A successor has yet to be announced. HSBC Asset Management has appointed Srilatha Singh as co-head of quantitative equity strategies, based in London. Singh will focus on leading the firm's quantitative equity research agenda and strengthening its systematic investment capabilities. She joins from AXA Investment Managers, where she was head of research and innovation for its quantitative equity business, bringing nearly 30 years of experience in factor investing. From Elsewhere US and Iran launch new attacks as they wrestle for control of Gulf waters (Reuters) End of the line: why the Schroder family sold up (Financial Times) HSBC profit misses estimates after fraud-related credit loss (Bloomberg) Did You See? As a kid, I always dreamed that one day I would live in London. Growing up 'in the sticks' in a lovely but very quiet village in Hampshire, the bright lights of the capital felt like they were calling me, writes Daniel Cooper. It was a different world - one that seemed louder, faster and infinitely more exciting than anything I knew. During my teenage years, I would save up what little pocket money I had so I could get the train up with my best mate at least once a month (a child fare was £10 back then - those were the days).

Seccl, the Octopus-owned embedded investment platform, has appointed Jonathan Dees as its new UK CEO.