Fees: Is there a fairer way?

Regulatory fees for financial adviser firms are rising. Last week, the FCA confirmed advisory groups would contribute more than £39m toward the £432m it expects it will need for 2013/2014. That's 9.1% of the total - marginally more than fund managers will pay - and prompted the Association of Professional Financial Advisers (APFA) to call the figure "disproportionally large". Additionally, the amount will be shouldered by fewer firms (there are now less than 7,000 groups identified by the FCA) as changes introduced following the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) take effect. So, should...