Introduction

Financial advisors have seen their business damaged by current market conditions and are concerned about their future relationship with providers during challenging restructures to business arising from regulatory burdens and threats in distribution channels. Providers must actively offer adequate support to IFAs in order to save the value of business.

Scope of this research

• Reveals IFAs' opinion of how the RDR will change the competitive structure of distribution in the UK
• In-depth analyses of the relative attractiveness of various products during the downturn and of the future competitive market structure.
• Benchmarks leading L&P and Asset Management firms in terms of their product offerings and elements of service.

Research and analysis highlights

The most important trigger for visiting an advisor is for retirement planning advice, with 70% indicating this as a very important factor

When advisors were asked who they see as the main competition for clients in their market, 64% stated high street banks to pose the main threat for their client base. This was followed by 53% of advisors who see the rise of online price comparison sites as the main competitor for their client base.

A significantly large proportion of IFAs responded to say they anticipated the RDR to leave a 'middle market' of clients who will have no access to advice

Key reasons to purchase this research

• Understand where IFAs' fears for the post-RDR world are coming from.
• Assess the opportunies for other competitors to seize market share from IFAs.
• Access the results of Datamonitor's Q2 2009 IFA survey.