How Timeline Is Building a Smarter Advice Ecosystem for Financial Planners
Financial advisers face increasing pressure to deliver strong client outcomes, clear suitability and efficient operations. As expectations set out by the Financial Conduct Authority continue to shape how advice is delivered, technology needs to support advisers rather than add friction.
In a recent Timeline webinar, we shared how our latest platform updates support the full advice journey, from discovery to ongoing review, while reducing duplication and unnecessary logins.
Smarter Fact Finds That Go Beyond Data Collection
Fact finds are essential to compliant advice, yet data alone rarely delivers insight. Timeline’s AI-enabled Fact Find is designed to deepen understanding without adding complexity.
Follow-up questions shaped by client goals
As clients complete their financial objectives, AI generates personalised follow-up questions based on what they have shared. This helps advisers uncover motivations and priorities, aligning with FCA guidance on understanding client circumstances and suitability.
Automatic adviser summaries
Each completed Fact Find produces a structured summary that combines financial details with softer context such as goals and family considerations. This reduces manual note-taking and improves preparation for client meetings.
Enhanced Financial Planning and Scenario Modelling
Timeline has expanded its planning tools to make scenario modelling more practical and more visual during client conversations.
What-if scenarios advisers can use live
Advisers can model changes such as retirement age, investment risk or spending levels in real time. These scenarios help clients understand the long-term impact of decisions, reflecting behavioural insights highlighted in long-term analysis published by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Withdrawal sequencing and tax planning
New withdrawal ordering allows advisers to show how income can be drawn from different wrappers in a tax-aware way. This supports clearer conversations around retirement income planning, particularly as UK pension tax rules and allowances continue to evolve under HMRC guidance on pension income.
Modular Reporting Built Around Adviser Workflows
Static reports often force advisers into rigid formats. Timeline’s modular reporting is designed to adapt to different client needs.
Custom report templates
Firms can create templates that combine planning outputs, portfolio analytics and written commentary. Templates can include branded narrative sections while automatically pulling live data from across the Timeline ecosystem.
This approach supports good client communication, which sits at the heart of the Consumer Duty framework.
Flexible report creation
When generating a report, advisers select the portfolios, timeframes and scenarios that matter for each client. Irrelevant sections can be removed without altering the underlying template, keeping reports focused and client-friendly.
Reports can be shared securely or downloaded as PDFs, with Word export planned.
Platform Enhancements for Real-World Advice Delivery
Timeline’s platform updates focus on the practical realities of advice delivery.
Improved drawdown and crystallisation illustrations
Advisers can model future crystallisation events and drawdown income during onboarding, helping clients understand how income and charges may change over time. This supports clearer retirement planning conversations in line with government guidance on pension access.
Firm-level reporting
New firm-level reports provide visibility across assets under management, transfers, fees and ISA allowances. These reports support reconciliation and oversight without reliance on manual spreadsheets, aligning with best practice outlined in ISA administration guidance.
Expanded wrapper support
Timeline now supports a wider range of wrappers, including trusts and joint accounts. For advisers working with trust structures, HMRC trust guidance provides additional context.
A Client Portal Designed for Ongoing Engagement
The Timeline client portal is built to support ongoing advice relationships rather than one-off interactions.
Clients can view their financial plan, track balances across platforms, access documents and communicate securely with their adviser. The portal is fully brandable, reinforcing the adviser’s firm rather than the underlying technology.
Research published by the Personal Finance Society shows that clients increasingly value digital access alongside human advice, particularly during periods of market uncertainty.
Portfolio Analytics That Put Advisers in Control
Timeline’s updated analytics dashboard gives advisers greater control over how investment information is presented.
Custom dashboards
Firms can build different dashboards for different client needs, from high-level reassurance to more technical portfolio analysis. This flexibility supports clearer explanations and suitability discussions, consistent with FCA investment governance expectations.
Expanded portfolio comparisons
Up to six portfolios can be compared simultaneously, with inflation benchmarks and adjustable timeframes to keep discussions relevant. Inflation comparisons draw on official data published by the Office for National Statistics.
Dashboards can be exported to PDF with only the selected charts included.
One Open Ecosystem, Not a Closed Platform
Timeline’s long-term vision is an open ecosystem that reduces complexity rather than creating lock-in. The platform is designed to work alongside third-party DFMs, planning tools and platforms wherever possible.
This approach reflects broader industry moves towards interoperability and secure data sharing, supported by initiatives such as Open Banking.
The goal remains one login that supports the full advice journey, from discovery to ongoing review.
