Mary Harper: The future of guidance and straightforward advice

In discussion with FCA

clock • 8 min read

Advisers need to close the advice gap and ensure better outcomes for consumers, writes Mary Harper, who details what the future of guidance and straightforward advice might look like and examines what barriers are in the way

It may be true that, in Benjamin Franklin's words, nothing in life is certain except death and taxes, but in the financial services landscape there is also the universal acknowledgement that the advice gap in the UK persists and, as a result of this, many consumers are ill-equipped to make informed decisions and the consequences are detrimental to their financial health. While the number of consumers who are taking financial advice has grown, which is positive progress, there are still too many for whom appropriate and accessible solutions are not available. Too many people are making...

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