5 Key insights from the 2025 Adviser Survey every IFA should know
What if growth in 2025 isn’t about doing more, but doing it differently?
This year’s Adviser Survey explores how top advisers are using integration and smart data to scale without the stress. From AI-generated meeting notes to streamlined client onboarding, today’s most effective firms are solving for efficiency to build capacity.
Here’s what we learned in our latest adviser survey, Connected to Growth.
1. Advisers are optimistic—and growth-oriented
85% of advisers feel as or more positive about their business outlook compared to last year. And 78% have active plans to grow in 2025. The path to that growth looks like better efficiency, smarter workflows and using adviser tools to scale without sacrificing service quality.
2. Integration = Capacity
Disconnected systems are a drag on productivity and profitability. A third of advisers believe they could serve 20+ more clients if their technology systems were fully integrated. This isn’t purely hypothetical. When you reduce time spent gathering data in client meetings, you unlock space to actually advise.
The takeaway: Stop juggling multiple logins and fragmented data sets. Today’s high-performing firms are investing in integrated IFA technology platforms that bring risk profiling, onboarding, investment research and reporting into one environment.
3. Consumer Duty is driving better practice
Initially seen as a regulatory hurdle, Consumer Duty is now viewed positively by 50% of advisers. Firms are shifting from compliance-driven checklists to genuinely outcome-focused service models. This has brought increased adoption of risk profiling tools, client communication systems and digital onboarding solutions.
4. Advisers are embracing AI (carefully)
We’re still early in the AI adoption curve but the momentum is undeniable. 27% of advisers already use AI to generate meeting notes, freeing up headspace and making time for deeper client conversations. And 92% report using some form of automation such as ChatGPT or Copilot in their practice.
But trust remains critical. AI is a tool to enhance human connection, not replace it. That’s why the next generation of adviser solutions must blend automation with a human-first design that prioritises outcomes for advisers and clients alike.
5. Fragmentation is expensive
67% of advisers say inefficient tech and manual processes make up over 10% of their operating costs. For some, that number is much higher. Integration is as much a financial issue as a tech challenge.
91% of advisers view technology as an opportunity, not a threat. But the opportunity only materialises when your IFA tools work in concert to simplify your entire advice journey.
What's next?
As the market is shaped by AI, Consumer Duty and rising client expectations, growth will favour the integrated. If your firm is still relying on disconnected platforms and manual workflows, you may be losing more than time; you may be losing ground.