The next 10 years

I recently came across an article that I wrote in December 2015 and immediately wondered whether what I had written had come to pass, in any way, shape or form. Without wanting to sound immodest, my predictions appear to have been fairly accurate and in a shorter timescale – but I am repeating them here not as a means of patting myself on the back but as a way of trying to foresee what the next 10 years may hold….
 

I wrote then that: “The last decade has seen quite dramatic changes in our industry, not least with regards to the advisory sector itself, but it won’t surprise me if the next 10 years see even more significant developments, particularly across Europe, mostly brought about, or at least exacerbated, by regulatory change.”

It seems to me that this was pretty much true - and possibly remains highly likely for the next 10 years too!

Transparency
I suggested that: “Whilst many people focus on the fee versus commission debate, I often feel that we are in danger of underestimating the incredible importance that the forthcoming remuneration transparency embodies. The UK’s RDR - the recent regulatory upheaval that, amongst other things, banned commission and created a fee-only environment for investment and pension advice - is often seen as the blueprint for the future elsewhere. Personally, I wonder whether we should more closely analyse commission disclosure in the UK...

The European Federation of Financial Advisers and Financial Intermediaries (FECIF) was chartered in June 1999 for the defence and promotion of the role of financial advisers and intermediaries in Europe.

FECIF, the only body representing European financial advisers and intermediaries, it is based in Brussels, the heart of Europe.