Industry Statistics
PIMFA is the voice of professional and personal wealth services, including Financial Advice, Financial Planning and Wealth Management across the UK. This section provides information on some of the latest trends and data across our industry that we have curated by working with industry partners on joint research or that has kindly provided by our supporters.
Financial Adviser Business Benchmark Report
PIMFA have combined forces with the CISI and Nextwealth to publish the Financial Adviser Business Benchmark Report. The results in this report are based on a survey of 244 financial advice professionals conducted between July and August 2023.
Key findings include:
- 16% of firms are looking to sell the firm or exit the market in the next 18 months (up 5% year-on-year)
- The total all-in cost fell from 1.98% to 1.75%, the first shift since we’ve been asking the question.
- 60% of firms label client facing staff as financial advisers.
- 48% of respondents have been approached about acquiring the firm
- 55% advisers use multi-asset or multi-manager funds for new client money (down from 63% in 2022)
The following excerpt is partly taken from ComPeer’s Q4 2023 update of the UK Wealth Management Industry report
UK wealth management firms can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel as the markets showed signs of bouncing back in the final quarter of the year. This was a key contributor to a 4.5% rise in asset levels, taking it to a new high of £1.39 trillion – after 6 consecutive quarters of failing to reach the heights the industry saw in early 2022.
Firms will therefore welcome the positive impact this will have on key revenue streams such as investment management fees, which have stalled throughout the past year. Thankfully, net interest income has been a saviour for many firms (especially Private Banks and Execution Only Stockbrokers) and so despite revenues being slightly down in Q4 compared to Q3, for the year as a whole there was growth of 8% compared to 2022.
However, the ongoing story for this sector is a lack of scalability. Too often when assets and revenues rise, costs too surge. Firms have supported their staff through the cost of living crisis, offering above inflation rises on remuneration packages. Combining this with the endless rise in compliance costs and a substantial uplift in technology expenditure, many witnessed a squeeze in profitability in 2023.
There is however optimism for 2024. Firms will be wishing for the markets to continue to recover, reducing the reliance on interest income, whilst also starting to see the efficiency paybacks from their investments in technology.
*Provided by Compeer
Key Statistics on the UK Wealth Management and Financial Adviser Market
Wealth Management Q4 2023 | Current Quarter | Previous Quarter | % Change | Same Quarter in Previous Years | % Change |
Investment Assets (£billion) | 1,391 | 1,331 | 4.5% | 1,278 | 8.8% |
Client Trades* (000s) | 9,405 | 9,324 | 0.9% | 8,291 | 13.4% |
Retail Market Bargains (000s) | 2,900 | 2,664 | 8.9% | 3,619 | -19.9% |
Total Revenues (£million) | 2,380 | 2,422 | -1.8% | 2,420 | -1.7% |
FTSE UK Private Investor Balanced | 5,164 | 4,944 | 4.4% | 4,822 | 7.1% |
Financial Adviser (FAMIN Report 2021-2022) | December
| Previous Year (2019) | % | Notes | |
Latest No of Financial Adviser Firms | 14,065 | 13,779 | 2.05% | Not a big change here | |
Consolidated Revenue (for all Regulated business) | £5,130m | £4,242m | 18.9% | A revenue increase for firms | |
Pre-Tax Profits | £728m | £808m | -10.4% | A decrease to in the last year | |
Retained Earnings | £186m | £204m | -9.23% | ||
Pre-Tax Margins | £728m | £808m | -9% | This represents a second successive decline in pre-tax profits, thought still slightly higher than seen in 2016 and 2017. |
* participating firms only
[1] Investment Assets and Revenue are for the total market, based on extrapolated quarterly survey participant data. Participants account for over 60% of total market assets and 65% of total market revenue. Client trades represent participating firms only. Retail market bargains are for UK Retail Stockbrokers.
With thanks to ComPeer limited: www.compeer.co.uk
