The integration trap: Five questions wealth managers should be asking

UK wealth management M&A hit a record £20bn in 2025, and dealmaking has continued at pace into 2026, with billion-pound transactions and cross-border acquirers increasingly setting the tone.  The consolidation logic is well understood: scale brings efficiency, distribution, and pricing power.  What is consistently underestimated, however, is the role technology plays in determining whether a deal creates lasting value or prolonged disruption.  SEI's research into post-merger integration found that even where firms judged synergy targets to be "broadly" achieved, the time and cost r...