Advice firms in the UK are seeking innovative solutions to scale personalised, high-quality advice amid mounting pressures from fragmented tech, regulatory complexity, and a widening client expectation gap, according to Ortec Finance and NextWealth.

The firms’ report, Innovation with Integrity: The Future of Financial Planning Systems, found that advisers shared the common ambition to scale their advice offering without sacrificing human connection or the evidential rigour demanded by Consumer Duty.

With advice firms anticipating being able to apply for permissions to offer Targeted Support from spring 2026, the report argued that the need for advice at scale, driven by innovative technologies, would become more pressing.

However, technology fragmentation, regulatory complexity, and a growing expectation gap from clients were putting pressure on advice firms.

“The landscape for financial advice has never been more dynamic or more promising,” said Ortec Finance head of UK & Ireland wealth management, Mark Glover.

“Our research shows that firms want to innovate with confidence. They wish to be faster where they can, safer where they must, and always in a way that is explainable to both clients and compliance.

“Fundamentally, firms want to serve clients to the best of their ability. Today’s is a difficult landscape and retirement planning is increasingly complex. Firms must be armed with innovative technology to help them meet these challenges head on.”

The report outlined five innovations set to shape the next generation of advice: evidence-as-you-go; calibrated cashflow; real-time outcomes monitoring; a consolidated data model; and transparent artificial intelligence automation.

It argued that these innovations indicated an industry seeking personalisation at scale, with technology augmenting but not replacing the adviser’s role.

Despite these ambitions, decision-makers cited barriers such as legacy technology, weak data models, rising complexity, and increasing switching costs that slow progress.

“The best tools make processes and outcomes better not just faster,” commented NextWealth founder and CEO, Heather Hopkins.

“Advisers want more time with clients, more space to focus on the conversations that matter, and the ability to deliver better client outcomes consistently.

“This research provides a blueprint for the technologies and operating models that will support that future.”

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