Two in five IFAs expect FCA’s advice review to boost demand

Two in five (40%) independent financial advisers (IFAs) believe the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA’s) Advice Guidance Boundary Review will boost demand for their services.

This is according to a new study by Opinium, which revealed optimism among advisers for the proposals – potentially driven by expectations that demand for their services will rise.

Opinium’s latest IFA Barometer, based on an online survey of 200 UK IFAs, indicated that just 10% feel the proposed changes will result in a decrease in demand for advice, while 43% don’t expect to see any change.

Overall, IFAs were positive about the potential impact that the regulator’s review will have for clients. Respondents believed that access to targeted pension and investment support would increase client confidence in managing investments and personal pensions (36%), increase interest in investing (38%), encourage clients to move money into investments (33%) and help clients to better plan their financial futures (43%).

However, IFAs were less convinced that targeted support will spark a shift in clients exploring more complex investments products. The study found that 23% think the changes will encourage clients to explore more sophisticated investments, while a third (33%) disagree. Similarly, 21% thought that it would encourage clients to take more risks with their investments – whereas 32% disagreed this will be the case.

Global head of financial services research at Opinium, Alexa Nightingale, commented: “Given the potential that client demand and engagement will increase, it’s no surprise that our latest data shows that IFAs are largely positive about the Advice Guidance Boundary Review.

“Advisers expect more people to seek help navigating their financial choices, which is undoubtedly positive for both them and clients.

“However, many are cautious about whether clients will embrace more sophisticated investment options as a result. Once the Advice Guidance Boundary Review recommendations are finalised and implemented, it will be interesting to see whether these expectations play out.”



Share Story:

Recent Stories


FREE E-NEWS SIGN UP

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news and other industry announcements by email.

  Please tick here to confirm you are happy to receive third party promotions from carefully selected partners.


NEW BUILD IN FOCUS - NEW EPISODE OF THE MORTGAGE INSIDER PODCAST, OUT NOW
Figures from the National House-Building Council saw Q1 2025 register a 36% increase in new homes built across the UK compared with the same period last year, representing a striking development for the first-time buyer market. But with the higher cost of building, ongoing planning challenges and new and changing regulations, how sustainable is this growth? And what does it mean for brokers?

The role of the bridging market and technology usage in the industry
Content editor, Dan McGrath, sat down with chief operating officer at Black & White Bridging, Damien Druce, and head of development finance at Empire Global Finance, Pete Williams, to explore the role of the bridging sector, the role of AI across the industry and how the property market has fared in the Labour Government’s first year in office.


Does the North-South divide still exist in the UK housing market?
What do the most expensive parts of the country reveal about shifting demand? And why is the Manchester housing market now outperforming many southern counterparts?



In this episode of the Barclays Mortgage Insider Podcast, host Phil Spencer is joined by Lucian Cook, Head of Research at Savills, and Ross Jones, founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance, to explore how regional trends are redefining the UK housing, mortgage and buy-to-let markets.

The new episode of The Mortgage Insider podcast, out now
Regional housing markets now matter more than ever. While London and the Southeast still tend to dominate the headlines from a house price and affordability perspective, much of the growth in rental yields and buyer demand is coming from other parts of the UK.

In this episode of the Barclays Mortgage Insider Podcast, host Phil Spencer is joined by Lucian Cook, Head of Research at Savills, and Ross Jones, founder of Home Financial and Evolve Commercial Finance.