Active vs Passive investing: A Pointless Debate for Financial Planners?
Financial Planner Life Podcast
Why risk profiling is broken
Andrew criticizes questionnaire risk scores, calls for standardized risk bands and better client framing of risk.
In this episode of Financial Planner Life, host Sam Oakes sits down with Andrew Spence, Co-Founder of Aspen, to challenge the industry’s most controversial questions - what we call the Marmite topics of financial planning.
Aspen was born out of something deeper than disruption. After a personal health crisis led Andrew to reflect on the impact of his work, he decided to build a model portfolio service that put purpose, clarity & client outcomes first.
Now, he’s leading the charge on topics that divide financial services professionals daily.
🚨 Here’s what we cover:
- Is evidence-based investing just clever branding - or genuinely better for clients?
- Why most risk profiling tools are broken & unhelpful
- Should financial planners choose sides in the active vs passive debate?
- The rise of Bitcoin, the return of gold, & the role of private equity in portfolios
- How Aspen uses tech that actually works for financial planners & their clients
- Why first-principles thinking beats copy-paste product design
Andrew shares why financial planners need to stop overcomplicating things & start designing investment experiences that genuinely serve the people behind the portfolios.
This is a must-watch for:
✔️ Financial planners seeking clarity in the chaos
✔️ Firms looking to improve their MPS offering
✔️ Advisers questioning the one-size-fits-all model
✔️ Anyone ready to rethink what investment management should look like
📩 Learn more about Aspen or book a discovery session.
🔗 Follow Sam Oakes & Financial Planner Life on LinkedIn
00:00 - Intro: From engineering to investment management
00:34 - Andrew's early career & first role in wealth management
02:45 - A personal health crisis & the search for purpose
04:44 - Is finance a noble profession?
05:39 - Why start an MPS business in a saturated market?
08:06 - How engineering logic shaped Aspen's investment approach
09:33 - Building intuitive tech for financial planners
11:05 - Starting from scratch: Aspen’s early days & growth
13:28 - Early supporters & the power of trust in MPS
14:41 - Social proof & buying decisions in financial planning
16:17 - Could AI avatars replace financial advisers?
18:21 - Active vs Passive - is the debate pointless?
22:34 - Is evidence-based investing just marketing?
25:16 - Why risk profiling is broken
29:01 - Should Bitcoin or gold be in portfolios?
32:44 - Is private equity too complex for clients?
34:43 - Andrew’s approach to LinkedIn & thought leadership
37:04 - Sam’s take: Building trust & visibility on LinkedIn
41:04 - Why YouT
Financial Planner Life is sponsored by Redmill Advance
Whether you're starting out, already qualified, or building a training academy, Redmill Advance delivers expert-led learning, exam support and CPD from Level 4 to Chartered.
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Reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.
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