The FCA’s comprehensive adviser sector review published this week brought some surprisingly positive news. The number of advisers is on the up after years of plateauing or decline.

Financial adviser numbers have risen by 1,400 (4%) since the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) and the Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR), ending years of decline.

The Chartered Insurance Institute is to end ‘gap-filling’ as an option for financial advisers applying for a Statement of Professional Standing from the end of August 2021.

New research from Fitz Partners, based on its ‘UK Fund Charges’ database, has revealed that 23% of retail assets invested in UK funds are still held in pre-RDR share classes that might pay trail commissions to financial advisors.