Targeted support allows firms to offer suggestions to groups of consumers with shared characteristics. This comes as the FCA estimates around 7 million adults in the UK with £10,000 or more in cash savings could be missing out on the benefits of investing throughout their lives. A KPMG UK survey found 44% of people are confident they will use targeted support if available, though only 6% of UK adults took regulated financial advice in the 12 months to May 2024.
However, concerns exist about implementation. The FCA is consulting on proposals to make it easier for firms to give simplified forms of advice, with that consultation closing on March 22. According to major media reports, targeted support risks being more complex and less effective than the system it replaces, and that it blurs the line between guidance and advice, creating regulatory ambiguity. Firms may proceed cautiously with targeted support, potentially limiting its scope.
Additionally, the FCA's consultation on simplified advice does not include adviser-charging rules, which risks limiting how providers and savers could use the service. It remains unclear how many firms are currently authorized or planning to offer targeted support, and what specific criteria will determine when a firm's suggestion crosses into regulated advice.