Compliant by design: Why assurance transcends compliance...

... and belongs embedded within the advice process

clock • 4 min read

The current compliance model is so established that it is rarely questioned, writes Brian Wagner. Here, he argues why it should be...

Across the financial advice industry, compliance is structured as a separate and retrospective function. Advice is given first, then checked afterwards through file reviews, periodic audits and sampled assessments. This model is so established that it is rarely questioned. It should be. The separation of advice from its assurance is a design choice, and it is one the industry now has the technology to reverse.  One process, performed twice Consider what actually happens in an advice firm today. An adviser gathers a client's circumstances, assesses suitability, forms a recommendation...

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

'Bit of a nightmare': Microsoft outage disrupts advice firms

'Bit of a nightmare': Microsoft outage disrupts advice firms

Raises questions about overreliance on big tech giants

Isabel Baxter
clock 13 November 2026 • 4 min read
Brian McLaughlin: Your client can now ask a chatbot what you did for the fee

Brian McLaughlin: Your client can now ask a chatbot what you did for the fee

'Here is the odd thing about ongoing advice. The better it is done, the less of it the client sees'

Brian McLaughlin
clock 11 November 2026 • 4 min read
Andrew Goodwin: Why advisers should react positively when clients praise AI

Andrew Goodwin: Why advisers should react positively when clients praise AI

We really need to do is explain why AI is neither all good nor all bad

Andrew Goodwin
clock 09 November 2026 • 5 min read