In a profession often shaped by constant change – regulatory, economic and technological – it’s more important than ever to understand how advice firms are responding, to inform the wider industry and help to create a picture for the future. That’s why we’ve launched Advice 2025: a new annual health check for the UK advice industry.
Drawing on responses from more than 400 advisers, paraplanners and business decision makers across the UK, the findings offer a clear and candid view of what’s happening inside firms today – and what may lie ahead.
A confident outlook on growth
Despite the increased demands of Consumer Duty and a challenging operational landscape, the message from firms is one of optimism.
- 86% of advisers expect to grow their client base in the next 12 months
- 72% are already serving more clients than a year ago
- Smaller firms appear to be catching up with the efficiency gains their larger peers have already achieved
AI: high expectations, growing momentum
Artificial Intelligence stands out as a transformative force in this year’s results.
- 94% believe AI will have a positive impact on the profession
- Early use cases include meeting transcription, document analysis, and personalised reporting
- While only a minority of firms are actively using AI, the vast majority are investigating its potential – making the sector one to watch in the months ahead
Advisers see AI not as a threat to the personal nature of advice, but as a means to deliver high-quality service at scale, reduce costs, and reach more clients – including those who have traditionally found advice out of reach.
The data dividend
Alongside AI, firms are also recognising the power of data and their growing ability to use it.
- 85% say data is essential or useful for their business decision making
- As tech stacks improve and data becomes more accessible, firms are using it to gain clearer visibility over operations, client trends and future planning
- Firms are recognising that better data can enable more proportionate regulation and help deliver consistent, compliant advice
What comes next?
While challenges remain – including recruitment, integration, and pressure on margins – the survey reveals a sector actively responding to change, investing in technology, and looking to grow its reach.
As Ben Goss, CEO of Dynamic Planner, says:
“Firms are rising to the challenges and facing the future with confidence. Advice 2025 highlights the real-world issues — growth, scale, cost to serve — with the insight of those on the front line. We’re proud to bring their voices together in this report.”
Advice 2025 is just the beginning. As we share more findings in the weeks ahead, we hope the report helps you reflect, benchmark, and plan for what’s next — not just for your business, but for the advice profession as a whole.
Download the full Advice 2025 report here
