“The demand for advice has never been greater” according to Aegon UK’s CEO, Adrian Grace, talking with Platforum about how change in the sector is impacting the way consumers access investments.
He sees the pension freedoms creating “a huge boom opportunity [for financial advisers] to step into the breach” and says that “individual circumstances mean that financial advisers have a huge role to play in the tailoring and bespoking of solutions for individual needs.”
Structural changes that he identifies include the emergence of the haves and have nots – with one group unable to access advice at its current price point. Secondly, consumers’ use of online solutions as well as traditional routes makes the ‘omni-channel’ delivery of advice and guidance increasingly important.
The Financial Advice Market Review will have a bearing on that and certainly needs to address the lack of clarity that still exists around the blurred line between advice and guidance. Who knows whether this review will be as significant as the RDR but what we do know is that the transformation of the industry continues and advisers, providers and consumers are all in the mix.
That’s what we’ve taken in to account in the planning of Platforum 2015 – our 9th annual conference. For advisers it’s an opportunity to be aware of the innovations around business models and technology. How can they reduce administration costs and provide added value to clients? It’s also a chance to hear from the architect of the pension reforms, Steve Webb, on the opportunities and future direction of travel. For fund groups and platforms, this one-day conference is your chance to step back from the day to day to take stock and reflect on the shifts and trends that are changing the face of the retail investment industry.
Adrian Grace will be speaking at Platforum 2015: The Retail Investment Conference, on re-shaping consumer access to, and engagement with, retail investments. To find out more visit http://conferences.platforum.co.uk/platforum2015