Paraplanners' confidence holding back progression

Aspiration and confidence gap over future career paths, SOTAN report finds

Isabel Baxter
clock • 3 min read

Paraplanners want career progression but lack confidence to make it happen, data from the latest State of the Advice Nation (SOTAN) report reveals.

The consultancy's latest SOTAN report launched at its conference New Blood: No wrong path yesterday (4 February), now in its eighth year, found that 51% of paraplanners see their future career path developing within their current discipline. The report also highlighted an 11-percentage point decrease to 13% who see their futures in financial advice/or planning compared to 2025. However, the majority (more than 70%) of those who want to develop as paraplanners feel slightly less confident about achieving their next career path goal in the next two to three years. The Lang Cat said t...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

Isabel Baxter
Author spotlight

Isabel Baxter

News editor at Professional Adviser

More on Your profession

Advisers on Iran war: 'My advice goes well beyond just saying don't panic'

Advisers on Iran war: 'My advice goes well beyond just saying don't panic'

‘Clients are naturally concerned’

clock 11 March 2026 • 5 min read
The capacity trap: Why advice firms can't hire their way out of the admin crisis

The capacity trap: Why advice firms can't hire their way out of the admin crisis

'You cannot outrun a broken process by adding more people to it'

Stuart Breyer
clock 10 March 2026 • 3 min read
The enduring value of advice in an era of DIY investing

The enduring value of advice in an era of DIY investing

'The debate is about execution and consistency'

Chris Ball
clock 10 March 2026 • 4 min read