New research by Unbiased Pro, the UK’s leading financial advice platform – trusted by over 27,000 vetted advisers and driving £37 billion in assets under management from advice enquiries in 2024 —, reveals that financial advisers are struggling under the weight of regulatory demands.
The study of UK advisers on the Unbiased platform found that ‘Consumer Duty’ is the single most challenging regulatory area for one in three advisers (33%), followed by ‘FCA reporting and compliance’ for one in five (20%).
‘Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements’ were the most challenging for 13% of UK advisers, with another 13% finding ‘fees and transparency rules’ the most difficult.
Many reported that these regulatory pressures were taking time away from value-adding work, with one stating that they spend “95% of their time on paperwork,” leaving just 5% of time for client-facing work.
Below is a full breakdown of the responses when asked: ‘Which areas of regulation are most challenging for your firm at the moment?’
| Response | Percentage |
| Consumer Duty | 33% |
| FCA reporting/compliance burden | 20% |
| KYC/AML requirements | 13% |
| Fees and transparency rules | 13% |
| Data privacy | 2% |
Regulation also topped the list when advisers were asked what one thing they would change about the financial advice industry today.
Many respondents expressed frustration at being treated like a “problem” by regulators, rather than as a solution to the UK’s financial advice gap, which will become even more critical as the Great Wealth Transfer continues to accelerate.
As a result, advisers are calling for a reduction in “unnecessary compliance activities,” which they suggest add little value to advisers or consumers and confuse clients.
Instead, advisers want smarter, more supportive oversight to help them serve clients effectively.
Matt Cockayne, chief revenue officer at Unbiased Pro, said:
“Financial advisers play a critical role in closing the UK’s financial literacy gap, yet they’re being held back by red tape.
“Compliance is essential, but it should enable, not obstruct, the delivery of quality advice.
“Smarter, more streamlined regulation is the key to ensuring advisers can focus on what matters most: helping people make confident financial decisions.”
