Investment platforms are still slapping customers with excessive penalties in an attempt to discourage them from leaving.
Axa is considering allowing small firms access to its Self Investor service, which lets advisers provide a restricted direct-to-consumer proposition to clients.
Platform giant Hargreaves Lansdown has said it is ready for any price war started by rivals looking for a foothold in the direct to consumer market.
Analysts at Barclays have expressed "surprise" at high pricing at the lower end of the platform market.
Charles Stanley has appointed Douglas McNeill as investment director for its new direct-to-client service, due to launch at the end of March.
Adviser firm Informed Choice is to launch an execution-only platform in a bid to attract mass-market clients.
Providers must overhaul their direct-to-consumer (D2C) offerings to serve consumers who ditch advice after the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), Deloitte has said.