Firms shifting down from M&A and up through organic gears for growth

The defining feature of growth in 2025 is the move from chequebooks to playbooks, with the acquisition boom that followed COVID-19 cooling as firms shift focus to organic growth. Year on year, fewer firms plan to sell, and in step with that, fewer are aiming to grow through acquisition. That is what the 260 advice professionals who contributed to the NextWealth Financial Advice Business Benchmarks report fed back. In 2025, just 6% of financial advice professionals say their firm plans to sell in the near future. Meanwhile, the proportion planning to buy another advice business has fal...