Editorial: Will consumers really benefit from all this change?

Publication of the advice "menu" is perhaps the most important document IFAs will see this year. The last seven days has also seen developments for pensions, split-caps, as well as a review of the Financial Services and Markets Act. Yet questions are already being asked about the amount of change and whether the consumer will really notice anything different about the finance industry. Depolarisation began back in 1999, when the Office of Fair Trading suggested commission-based advice was anti-competitive. It is acknowledged we already have one of the best financial services regulator...