The IFP's prestigious David Norton Building Excellence Award recognises planning firms going places. Shane Mullins, MD of this year's winner Fiscal Engineers, shares some of the secrets of his winning formula.

Simon Ainley CFP^CM of Holland Hahn & Wills discusses reaching a birthday milestone and how he strives to keep himself fit and his young family happy while also helping to run a busy Financial Planning practice.

The pension market is changing as the Government prepares to promote workplace pensions and auto-enrolment. At the same time Sipps and individual pensions are surging in take-up. Financial Planner asked pensions guru Steve Bee for his analysis.

Brian Benson CFP^CM, founder of Crown Wealth Management, describes how he’s had to temper his desire for business growth with a realization that he needed a quality home and personal life too.

This year the Institute of Financial Planning is celebrating its milestone 25^th anniversary, still one of the UK’s youngest professional bodies but now with a quarter century of proud history behind it.

Elizabeth Holt, MD of Holt PR, outlines how members can utilise the IFP’s Financial Planning Week 2011 to build their own PR strategy.

Finding capital to fund investment has always been a struggle for small firms but do pensions provide the answer? Mary Stewart, director of Sipp provider Hornbuckle Mitchell, explains why she believes that pensions can be a valuable source of alternative funding for the right firm.

Financial Planner Howard Scott CFP^CM has developed his own version of work-life balance over many years. He loves what he does during his working day but explains why time out is just as important.

On the Spot: Rebecca Taylor FIFP CFP^CM

The IFP’s Accreditied Financial Planning Firms’ initiative will give planning businesses public verification that they have met the high standards of the IFP. We talked to leading Financial Planner Rebecca Taylor, one of the architects of the accreditation process, about what it will mean for firms.

The death of the personal pension has recently been predicted but Martin Tilley of Sipps specialist Dentons disagrees. He believes that personal pensions have plenty of potential ahead.