Paul Feeney: Financial advice has come a long way

'Easy to point to poor practice'

clock • 2 min read

Financial advice has moved on a long way, says Paul Feeney, but to change perceptions the sector need to be seen as a profession in every sense ...

If you had asked my granny about financial advisers and what they do she would have likely described what we have come to term ‘the man from the Pru'. That was a man walking door-to-door serving a critical role in our communities by making sure people saved something for a rainy day, often before it was flitted away down the pub. Times have changed. Today many ordinary people are unable to access the kind of basic financial planning that today's retirees enjoyed during their working lives. This is arguably at a time when they need it most as the UK's household savings ratio is in long...

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 Your profession

Dyer Baade & Company's Daniel Baade: £500m-£2bn AUA firms key battleground in wealth M&A's next phase

Dyer Baade & Company's Daniel Baade: £500m-£2bn AUA firms key battleground in wealth M&A's next phase

Fewer but better buyers

Daniel Baade
clock 13 October 2026 • 3 min read
Advice fintech on partnering with providers to target mass market

Advice fintech on partnering with providers to target mass market

Whistle looks at closing advice gap

Sophia Panayi
clock 13 October 2026 • 3 min read
Advisers urged to remain 'alert' as LPA financial misconduct complaints rise

Advisers urged to remain 'alert' as LPA financial misconduct complaints rise

Alleged LPA financial misconduct complaints rose to almost 12,000

Sophia Panayi
clock 12 October 2026 • 3 min read