Financial advice remains underused at critical financial milestones across protection, mortgages and retirement, according to a new study.

The gender pension gap starts at age 28 as many women actively choose not to boost pension contributions because of competing priorities.

Consolidation deals in the UK IFA sector climbed almost a third in five years, rising from 50 deals in 2020 to more than 115 in 2022 and peaking at 133 in 2025.

Nine out of 10 (90%) pension professionals reckon property has a role to play in supporting people’s retirement incomes.

Former investment adviser and convicted money launderer Richard Faithfull has been sentenced to an additional 499 days in prison for failing to fully pay the money he owes under a Confiscation Order.

Financial Planner Grant Lymer has joined Plymouth-based national financial advice firm Continuum as an independent financial adviser.

Manchester-based Enterprise Investment Scheme provider and discretionary manager Great Point Investments Ltd (606798) has today been declared as failed by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), opening the door to ex-clients to claim compensation of up to £85,000 each.

The Chartered Insurance Institute Group, parent of the Personal Finance Society, has warned that the Financial Planning profession is “underprepared” for the biggest intergenerational wealth transfer in UK history, estimated to be as much as £5.5trillion by 2050.

Several Financial Planning and wealth management companies have won 2026 Client Experience Awards from ratings firm VouchedFor which uses consumer reviews to rate advice firms.

Quilter Financial Planning, the Financial Planning arm of wealth manager Quilter, has added eight appointed representative firms to its advice network.