It is a fact that most readers will struggle to maintain concentration beyond the first page or two of suitability reports. This is human nature and applies equally to other similar correspondence such as insurance renewals and bank information and you shouldn’t take it as a slight on your ability to pen interesting reports.

The layout of the reports is therefore crucial if firms are to hit the right balance between readability and risk management. There are three key points that arise as a consequence:

1. The first part of the report should summarise the recommendation and reasons why;
2. The remainder of the report must nevertheless include full details so that your firm is protected against future complaints;
3. Appendices should be used wherever possible to include the more technical information but importantly, readers must be pointed towards the relevant appendix in the main bulk of the text.