Protecting an intermediary's independence

Aifa says limited financial dependence on product providers need not necessarily compromise a financial adviser's overall independence

With new business now a trickle compared to the flood at the height of the bull market, margins are coming under pressure for product providers and intermediaries alike. This raises the issue that if clients are not producing enough revenue for an intermediary business, are product providers willing and able to make up the shortfall? And if they are, will that compromise the independence of IFAs, especially as depolarisation looms? In the view of Aifa, a limited financial dependence on product providers does not automatically compromise an adviser's independence. Tracey Mullins, direc...