One lump or two?

clock

Whizzing through the countryside on the 07.31 train to Waterloo last week, I was struck by a thought. Even though I was travelling through a handful of counties and changing twice onto different train operators, I only had to buy one ticket.

As fields of sheep zoomed by, I pondered how different my travelling experience would have been had I needed to buy a separate ticket for each leg of my journey. I have no idea how the various train companies reconcile their costs, but as a consumer of their services, I don’t need to know. My only concern is that the whole experience is as easy as possible, and there’s a seat and a hot cup of tea available onboard. This is an interesting example of how competing companies in an industry can collaborate for the benefit of their customers. In the financial services industry, providers hav...

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

More on Technology

Dynamic Planner CEO on AI's role in 'trusted advice'

Dynamic Planner CEO on AI's role in 'trusted advice'

‘The challenge is that delivering advice is hard’

Isabel Baxter
clock 09 December 2025 • 6 min read
FCA reveals first group of financial firms to take part in AI testing

FCA reveals first group of financial firms to take part in AI testing

To deploy ‘safe and responsible’ AI

Cristian Angeloni
clock 03 December 2025 • 1 min read
Providers have 'clear role' to help advice firms with AI governance support

Providers have 'clear role' to help advice firms with AI governance support

Less than 5% of advisers have a full AI policy

Isabel Baxter
clock 02 December 2025 • 3 min read