News editor's view: 40s are the new 50s - a move in the right direction? 

The news editor's Friday Night Takeaway from 1 May

Isabel Baxter
clock • 3 min read

The Financial Conduct Authority recently confirmed that the average adviser age has decreased to late 40s, around a decade younger than it previously stood at.

For me, this is certainly something to be celebrated and is a sign that the advice profession is moving in the right direction. There has been growth in the number of advisers in their 30s overall, with a 12% increase in advisers aged 30-39 seen in the data the regulator holds on financial advisers, spanning 2023 to 2025. This means that 50% of advisers are aged under 50. Meanwhile, despite the average age falling, adviser numbers have stayed broadly the same at around 31,000. Meaning, retirements have not driven the profession towards an adviser shortage cliff edge as had been fea...

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