RDR: Advisers face 'acquire or be acquired' dilemma

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The Retail Distribution Review (RDR) will drive owners of adviser firms toward an "acquire or be acquired" ultimatum, IFAs say.

According to advisers Conforto and Perspective Financial, the Review's stance on the future of commission-led business models and drive for higher minimum qualifications will "inevitably" fuel ongoing consolidation in the market. Damian Keeling, managing director of Perspective, which was launched in April and is set to acquire its sixth business, says the company was set up in anticipation of the RDR. "We saw the Review would force advisers' business models down a certain path," he says. "There will now be a lot of pressure on those businesses that do not have an RDR-compliant model. ...

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