Ten years of data show the same story: the people who most need financial advice are the least likely to be getting it. Your clients are right in the middle of that gap.
A business owner with most of their wealth tied up in the company — not investable assets — doesn't fit the target market of most IFA firms. They aren't being offboarded from advice; they were never in it. Consumer Duty is pushing advisers further upmarket, and the clients who fall out mostly go nowhere. Unless their accountant steps in.
Source: The lang cat, State of Advice Report 2025 (YouGov survey of 2,045 UK adults, April 2025). See theadvicegap.co.uk.
The advice gap doesn't open all at once. It opens one unasked question at a time. These are the five most consequential — and you are the person best placed to raise them.
A vague plan to "exit one day" that never connects the business value, pension and the income they'll actually need.
What happens to the family and the business if the owner dies tomorrow? Key person, relevant life and shareholder cover, untouched.
Their largest monthly commitment. When rates move, the cash impact can dwarf any tax saving you worked hard to achieve.
61% of people with £10k+ investable assets hold them entirely in cash. You can see it on the balance sheet.
The personal goal underneath every business decision. Until it's understood, planning is tactics without a strategy.
No cost, no FCA obligations, and a partnership manager who does the heavy lifting with you.