Key takeaways from the BFIA Wealth Summit 2026

Experts at the BFIA Wealth Summit 2026 warned investors to prepare for greater upheaval in the years ahead.

The BFIA Wealth Summit, The Age of Change, held on Friday 6 November, left investors with one clear warning: the world is changing faster than they may realise. Historian Peter Frankopan made the point starkly during his broad examination of current geopolitics. Western governance, he argued, has deteriorated badly; the decline of US institutions made Donald Trump's second term possible. The result has been a misguided war in the Middle East, a cost-of-living crisis, and a president fixated on constructing a giant ballroom along with other vanity projects typical of autocrats.

Historian Peter Frankopan at the BFIA Wealth Summit 2026.

The damage caused by this Age of Idiots will be felt beyond national borders. From abroad, the West appears aimless and hypocritical, with no one clearly answerable for its actions. Absorbed in its internal dramas, it has failed to see that it is giving up leadership as power moves elsewhere.

A few glimmers remain. Trump's shock is pushing Europe to reconsider its place in the new world order, but investors face a broader lesson: geopolitics can no longer sit outside their framework. They need to prepare for a markedly different environment. That was the message from our morning panel on managing these challenges.

Resilience now matters more than ever. Stephanie Kelly of Lombard Odier pointed to fossil fuels and renewables: the question is no longer which one to choose, but which mix can provide the strongest energy security. Portfolios face a harder problem. An unstable world, combined with rising government deficits and inflation, is weakening the old methods of building resilience, said Jasmine Yeo of Ruffer. Holding a fixed share of bonds and other traditional safe havens no longer offers the same protection. Investors willing to adjust and draw on the full range of available tools can still make money from volatility.

BFIA Wealth Summit 2026

Dominic Scriven, Jasmine Yeo, Stephanie Kelly and Terry Tanaka attend the 2026 BFIA Wealth Summit

The outlook is not entirely bleak. The Western vision may be in tatters, yet countries elsewhere are managing reasonably well under a different model. Vietnam has faced only one major political crisis in 30 years, according to Dominic Scriven of Dragon Capital. It is not a democracy, but its social contract is clear: the Communist Party promises security, stability and growth. So far, that arrangement appears to be working.

Stay optimistic, but spread your bets

Most speakers remained positive about technological change. Richard Clode of Janus Henderson said the AI revolution had only just begun, with enormous potential in areas such as pharmaceutical research and robotics. Recent weakness in the market should be viewed against that backdrop. Rob Desborough of Seraphim Space called space the next investment frontier, since several major themes meet there. Access to space now has national-security implications, while commercial uses - including communications and satellite imaging - are already substantial and still expanding. The outlook is darker for drones: war has accelerated their development as defence spending rises, Tom Bailey of HANetf said. Asia deserves attention now.

BFIA Wealth Summit 2026

Rob Desborough of Seraphim Space at the BFIA Wealth Summit 2026

Charlie Morris of ByteTree and Izabella Kaminska of The Blind Spot still viewed bitcoin and tokenisation positively. The recent hack at Binance, though, showed again how exposed digital assets remain when security fails. Investors who prefer tangible holdings face a different set of pressures: as Olivia Markham of BlackRock pointed out, electrifying the economy could sharply increase demand for resources such as copper. Demand may fluctuate, but supply cannot respond quickly; developing a new mine takes years. Many metals already face a very tight outlook.

BFIA Wealth Summit 2026

Olivia Markham of BlackRock at the BFIA Wealth Summit 2026

Several presentations treated the index's heavy US and technology bias as a risk in its own right, while also outlining ways to spread exposure more widely. Marty Connaghan of Aberdeen pointed to Asian and Latin American shares, which can provide attractive yields without giving up growth. Ian Lance of Redwheel - echoing a favourite BFIA message - said high-quality UK stocks remain particularly cheap. Charlotte Cuthbertson and Tom Treanor of Asset Value Investors argued that discounted UK-listed investment trusts still have plenty of potential catalysts. London may lack new listings, but, as Shane Gallwey of Guinness Ventures explained, venture capital trusts still give investors access to fast-growing companies.

BFIA Wealth Summit 2026

Terry Tanaka, Lisa Conway-Hughes, Emma Moriarty and Julian Jessop attend the 2026 BFIA Wealth Summit

Our UK Budget panel brought together economist Julian Jessop, Emma Moriarty from Capital Gearing, and adviser Lisa Conway-Hughes of LCH/Wealth. Hear their views on the BFIA Talks podcast, or watch the discussion on YouTube. They also shared some early thoughts on what could change before our next summit on Friday 5 November 2027. Put the date in your diary.