Toby Larkman, Managing Director, Wealthtime

A noisy start to the year

As we head towards tax year end, policy discussions gather pace, regulators continue to outline their priorities, and through it all, advisers are trying to help clients make sense of it all.

Our recent research with Ad Lucem reflects this mood.

More than half of advice-engaged investors say they are more worried about tax than they were a year ago, while almost half cite uncertainty around rules and allowances as a major concern.

That tells us something important: even relatively experienced investors are finding the landscape harder to navigate.

Confidence around tax year end planning also remains relatively low, with an average score of 45.7 out of 100 in the survey.

Our findings highlight that the issue is rarely access to information. Most clients know the allowances exist, but many are unsure what to do and when to act, particularly in the current climate.

During the quarter, the Spring Statement offered clues about the direction of travel for tax and savings policy, while the Financial Conduct Authority published its priorities across both consumer investments and pensions.

Signals from the Spring Statement

As expected, the Spring Statement didn’t introduce any new changes to the savings and investment framework. But it did provide a clear reminder of the fiscal pressures shaping tax policy, and why tax efficiency remains a core focus for financial planning.

During her Statement, Rachel Reeves repeatedly highlighted investment across a wide range of areas, including in the armed forces, infrastructure, communities, schools, the NHS, children and young people. That emphasis underlines the competing demands on public finances.

Alongside this, the Office for Budget Responsibility downgraded its UK GDP growth forecast for 2026 to 1.1% from the 1.4% it estimated in the Budget. This reflects higher unemployment and subdued business sentiment, although growth in later years was slightly higher than previously forecast.

These estimates reinforce the sense that public finances remain tight and that the Treasury has limited room to manoeuvre. It is also worth noting that these forecasts were prepared before the outbreak of the Iran war, meaning the economic outlook could change as events develop.

As confirmed in the Budget last Autumn, from April, several tax changes affecting investors and business owners will take effect, including changes to inheritance tax relief on farms and businesses, increases to capital gains tax on certain business disposals and adjustments to business tax reliefs. At the same time, key personal tax thresholds remain frozen, including those for income tax, National Insurance, inheritance tax and capital gains tax.

It’s safe to say conversations about tax efficiency and allowance planning are likely to remain central to client discussions over the coming year. In practice, advisers are working within a system where allowances are gradually shrinking in real terms while the rules around them become more complex.

FCA consumer investment priorities

Of course, tax policy isn’t the only force shaping our sector. Regulation continues to play a major role.

The FCA’s Consumer Investments Priorities paper sets out a wider goal of encouraging greater participation in retail investing in the UK while maintaining strong consumer protections.

In practice, that means greater scrutiny on how products are designed, distributed and explained to clients. This continues to build on Consumer Duty and reflects the regulator’s concern that investment products are distributed appropriately and understood by the clients who hold them.

At the same time, the regulator is actively promoting greater participation in retail investing, reflecting the wider policy objective of encouraging consumers to put more of their savings to work in the market. This creates an interesting dynamic: one part of the system encouraging investment and risk-taking, while another continues to tighten expectations around product standards and consumer protection.

What strikes me is the clear tension in these priorities. The FCA is supporting the government’s ambition to build a stronger retail investment culture in the UK, while at the same time continuing to stress governance, risk controls and careful distribution.

Advising clients to invest always requires careful judgement about risk, suitability and timing, but the regulatory interest is creating a more complex operating environment for firms. Advice professionals must strike a balance between one part of the regulatory agenda that encourages greater participation in investment and taking more risk and another which expects risk to be tightly controlled and carefully explained.

FCA pension priorities

Pensions remain another area of regulatory attention. The FCA’s priorities emphasise the importance of supporting consumers as they navigate retirement choices and ensuring that pension products are communicated clearly and used appropriately. The regulator is also focusing on value for money in pension schemes and on helping consumers understand the costs and outcomes associated with different retirement products.

This focus reflects the growing complexity of the wider pension system following a series of recent policy changes. For advisers, the interaction between pension contributions, retirement income and estate planning has become more important, particularly with proposals to bring unused pension funds into the scope of inheritance tax treatment from April 2027. As a result, sequencing decisions around withdrawals, tax-free cash and gifting are likely to play a larger role in retirement strategies over the coming years.

For many clients, pensions are shifting from pure retirement vehicles to becoming a central part of wider tax and estate planning decisions. At Wealthtime we see this reflected in adviser demand for retirement solutions that support the different needs of clients in decumulation.

Across all these themes, one point stands out. As the landscape becomes increasing complex, the role of clear, structured, long-term financial planning is more important than ever. The challenge is helping clients interpret tax and regulatory developments and turn them into practical financial decisions.

For advisers, that means helping clients make sense of an increasingly complicated retirement landscape and decide what the right next steps look like for them.

Wealthtime update

It’s been a strong start to the quarter at Wealthtime, and one highlight has been our latest adviser feedback. Since our last survey, adviser feedback has driven an impressive 60‑point increase in our Net Promoter Score (NPS)— firmly placing us in the ‘great’ category.

This uplift reflects what advisers have been telling us: that they value responsive service, hands‑on support, and a platform experience that genuinely makes their work easier. We’re excited that our extensive platform transformation programme is starting to pay off and are committed to continuing to deliver the high‑quality service and partnership that you and your clients rely on. So, as we head into the final weeks of the tax year, I’d like to thank you for your continued support. I know it’s a busy time for advisers across the country, and we appreciate the work you do for your clients.

Get in touch with us

Speak to an expert member of the Wealthtime team to learn more:

Contact us

Stay connected

• LinkedIn
• X
• YouTube

This article is intended for regulated financial advisers and investment professionals only. Wealthtime does not provide financial advice. This information is not intended as financial advice and should not be interpreted as such.

---