Squaring the circle: How big is the reverse advice gap?

FCA must not throw the baby out with the bathwater

clock • 5 min read

Just when you thought financial services couldn't possibly have any more 'gaps' Justin Cash has found one - this time the reverse advice gap. Here he explains all...

For years, the industry has bemoaned the lack of people seeking out regulated advice. There is a fundamental mismatch between the number of people who could benefit from advice, and the number actually receiving it. That number could be as high at 39 million UK adults, which is a shocking policy failure if it's anywhere near that many. A variety of explanations for the ‘advice gap' have been offered, from the burden of regulation making planning uneconomical, to a lack of understanding of the value of planning or not knowing it even exists. But rarely is the flip side of this coin ...

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