Acquisitions rise in 2024 as 'smaller IFA firms exit market'

A growing trend of consolidation within the sector

Isabel Baxter
clock • 1 min read

There was a notable increase in acquisitions among IFA firms in 2024, with 9% of firms having acquired other businesses as of December 2024, Opinium has found.

Its latest IFA Barometer marked a steady rise in acquisitions, from 5% in February 2024 and 6% in September 2024, signalling a growing trend of consolidation within the sector.  In contrast, mergers have remained steady, with 5% of firms reporting mergers with other companies, showing no significant change since September 2024. Opinium data also highlighted a clear trend of smaller IFA firms exiting the market, with 17% of sole traders reporting that they have sold part or all their business in the past 12 months. These trends indicate that IFA firms are becoming more active in acq...

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