NextWealth Financial Advice Business Benchmarks Report 2025 - Report - Page 25
NextWealth Financial Advice Business Benchmarks Report / October 2025
Figure 28: Consumer Duty is still setting the agenda for nearly half of 昀椀nancial advice professionals; RIAR tweaks the details
Q Which regulatory theme is currently driving the most change within your 昀椀rm?
This is particularly true for smaller 昀椀rms. 47% of 昀椀nancial advice professionals working at 昀椀rms with between two and 昀椀ve advisers
say Consumer Duty is dominating change at their 昀椀rms, compared with around a third who work for 昀椀rms with 6 or more advisers.
Retirement Income Advice Review (RIAR)
RIAR ranks second at 21% for driving change, pushing 昀椀rms to show how advice on retirement income options re昀氀ects the
complexity of clients’ evolving retirement needs, risks speci昀椀c to decumulation and client understanding of the recommendations
given.
Data-led regulation
With the regulator leaning into data-enabled supervision, 昀椀rms are upgrading their own capabilities. Over a quarter of employees
who work for 昀椀rms with between 6 and 50 client-facing advisers say this shift is driving the most change at their 昀椀rms, compared
with an average of 12% across all 昀椀rms.
Figure 29: 26% of 昀椀nancial advice professionals at mid-sized 昀椀rms are prioritising change in response to the regulator’s demand
for more data
Q Which regulatory theme is currently driving the most change within your 昀椀rm?
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