Armchair Critic: What does the current burst of acquisitions mean for advice?

Building up a business and selling it to make some capital is a well-trodden path in any market economy and it is very natural that some adviser practices would do just this. I have no sympathy with Royal London's call for the FCA to scrutinise the outcomes where a financial advisory practice is sold to a life group as with, say, Standard Life with its 1825 brand. While I have argued in this space that vertical integration carries risks for the consumer, I would say it is up to all parties involved within the business to ensure consumer value. Whatever you say about vertical integration,...