Gosling's Grouse: How can we close the advice gap?

We have all talked about the advice gap since RDR took hold, but surely there has always been an advice gap?

The gap is perhaps getting wider for a variety of reasons, some of which the adviser community can do something about, and some they cannot. As regular readers of this column will know, my adviser retired in February of last year and I have been 'adviser-less' since then. The reality is not that I do not want to pay fees, but that I have had no financial planning needs that require an adviser. If I did I would happily pay the fees. I am probably like many ex-clients of adviser firms – I was happy with the service I was getting when I needed active advice, but I do not have sufficie...