Technology lends a helping hand to consolidation

You cannot pick up a newspaper at the moment without reading about some form of consolidation, merger or integration in the industry. This trend covers building societies, banks and, in particular, adviser firms. It seems that everyone is considering joining forces in some shape or form. The Oxford Dictionary’s definition of the word consolidate is ‘to make stronger or more solid’. In the current market, it is easy to see why there is a need for it. In the past, research from institutions such as Ernst and Young forecast a dramatic fall in overall adviser numbers, an impact from the rece...