Adviser, planner, coach... Is it time for terms to be defined and protected?

‘Lots of labels can create a perception that the industry is fragmented’

Isabel Baxter
clock • 6 min read

Are you an adviser, planner, financial coach, wealth manager, investment manager? And that’s just to name a few. Isabel Baxter explores if there are now too many terms in the advice profession…

There are many ways one could define themselves in the financial services industry, and with regulatory permissions, the opportunities are endless. Some could argue that this causes confusion not only among the industry itself but more so for clients. Initially writing on LinkedIn, About Consulting Group director Jon Dunckley shared his concern that financial advice, financial planning, and wealth management are not protected terms, claiming that there is "no statutory weight to any of them". He wrote: "Anyone who has regulatory permissions can call themselves what they like. Advi...

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