Over the last few years, consolidation in the UK financial advice and wealth management sector has accelerated at pace. Private equity-backed buyers, national consolidators, and regional acquirers have become a familiar feature of the landscape.

This trend was formally explored by the Financial Conduct Authority in its recent multi-firm review into consolidation in the financial advice and wealth management sector. The FCA’s work is important because it goes beyond headlines and asks a deeper question:

What does consolidation mean for clients, advisers, firms — and outcomes?

At Money Wise UK®, this aligns closely with why the platform exists.

Money Wise UK® as an Information Hub

Money Wise UK® is increasingly becoming a hub of information — designed to support:

• Clients seeking clarity and confidence

• Financial advisers navigating change

• Solution providers operating in a more complex market

Much of this information is free to use, because better decisions — whether personal or professional — start with better understanding.

Consolidation is one of those areas where information asymmetry can be particularly damaging.

What the FCA Is Really Highlighting

The FCA’s review doesn’t say that consolidation is “good” or “bad”. Instead, it highlights risk, responsibility, and outcomes.

Key themes include:

• The need to maintain client-centric outcomes during and after acquisitions

• The importance of culture, governance, and advice quality not being diluted as firms scale

• The risk that commercial pressures can influence advice if not properly controlled

For clients, this raises understandable questions:

• Will my adviser still know me?

• Will fees change?

• Will advice remain independent in spirit, even if ownership changes?

For advisers and firm owners, the questions are often even more personal:

• What happens to my clients if I sell?

• Will my values survive a transaction?

• Is selling the end — or a transition?

The Human Side of Selling a Financial Planning Practice

Selling a financial planning firm is not just a transaction.

For many owners, it represents:

• The culmination of decades of work

• Responsibility for long-standing client relationships

• A decision that affects staff, reputation, and legacy

Yet, many advisers enter conversations with consolidators under-prepared, often because:

• They don’t know what options exist

• They feel pressure around timing, regulation, or succession

• They lack independent, non-sales-led information

This is where clarity — not persuasion — is needed most.

Why a Directory for Sellers Makes Sense

One area I’d like to explore at Money Wise UK® is the creation of a directory for those considering selling their financial planning practice.

Importantly, this would not be:

• A lead-generation exercise

• A preferred-buyer list

• A promotional marketplace

Instead, the aim would be to provide:

• Visibility of options

• Context around different buyer types

• Education on what selling actually involves

• Balanced information that helps owners ask better questions

Much like retirement planning, selling a firm works best when it’s thought through early, not rushed late.

Information First, Decisions Second

As explored in Money and Meaning, anxiety often comes not from decisions themselves, but from uncertainty and lack of understanding. The same is true at a professional level.

Whether you are:

• A client wondering how consolidation affects you

• An adviser being approached by buyers

• A firm owner quietly thinking about succession

The starting point should always be information, reflection, and alignment with values.

That is the direction Money Wise UK® will continue to move in.

A Conversation Worth Having

Consolidation is not slowing down. If anything, it is becoming a defining feature of the advice sector over the next decade.

The question is not whether it will continue — but whether people are equipped to navigate it well.

If you’re a firm owner thinking about the future, or an adviser wanting to better understand the implications of consolidation, this is a conversation worth having — calmly, early, and on your terms.

Further Reading

The FCA’s full multi-firm review can be found here:
Financial Conduct Authority – Consolidation in the Financial Advice and Wealth Management Sector