Adviser Ratings 2025 Financial Advice Landscape

The 2025 Australian Financial Landscape Report marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the financial advice industry.

Now in its seventh year, this edition is the most comprehensive yet, drawing on over 1,340 hours of practitioner feedback from 1,200 advisers and 590 practice heads, alongside hundreds of vendor responses and in-depth interviews.

The result is a richly layered view of an industry navigating complexity with renewed purpose, collaboration, and innovation.

A key theme emerging from the report is the growing spirit of cooperation across the wealth ecosystem.

As Australia faces a demographic transformation — with the 55+ population set to more than double in the next 30 years — the need for scalable, accessible, and enduring advice solutions has never been more urgent.

The report highlights how firms embracing open architecture, integrated technology, and data transparency are better positioned to meet this challenge.

One of the most pressing issues identified is the lack of standardisation in the Separately Managed Account (SMA) space.

The introduction of the SMA Standard is a pivotal development, offering much-needed structure and interoperability in a rapidly growing segment.

Meanwhile, regulatory reforms such as the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes (DBFO) legislation are beginning to ease compliance burdens, offering cautious optimism for advisers.

Despite stable adviser numbers and consistent advice penetration at 10.4%, the report underscores a critical disconnect: while more Australians are seeking advice, barriers to access remain high.

This structural gap presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the industry to innovate and expand its reach.

From wealth transfer strategies to AI-driven platforms, the report paints a picture of a profession entering its “golden age” — resilient, adaptive, and increasingly client-centric.

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