What do paraplanners really think? The 2025 survey results revealed

Here’s a question that might make you pause between client meetings: when paraplanners are really honest about their day-to-day reality, what do they actually say about the platforms they’re wrestling with, the tech they’re being asked to embrace, and where they see this profession heading?

Well, wonder no more. The Paraplanner Survey 2025 results are in – and they’re packed with insights.

We’re talking real concerns, genuine opportunities, and some genuinely surprising truths about what it’s actually like to be a paraplanner right now. 

Join us online at 1.00 pm on 29 October to dive deep into what paraplanners are really thinking

We’ve invited Craig Spittal from Scottish Widows to reveal the findings of this year’s comprehensive survey and to discuss the results.

During this lunch-hour Assembly, we’ll unpack the three big themes that emerged from the research:

Job satisfaction – Most paraplanners feel supported (that’s the good news), but they’re asking for more: more recognition, more influence, and clearer career paths. Confidence in the profession is strong – but it’s not evenly spread across different age groups. What does that tell us?

Platforms and due diligence – Turns out three platforms is the sweet spot for most firms, but service reduction is the biggest red flag that gets paraplanners reaching for the exit button. We’ll explore what actually drives platform loyalty, what triggers change, and why onboarding remains such a persistent headache.

AI and tech – Here’s where it gets interesting. Automation is definitely wanted, but adoption? That’s moving at a snail’s pace. Cost concerns, workflow disruption, and lack of influence in decision-making are holding paraplanners back. And while AI promises greater efficiency, concerns about accuracy and data security are keeping people awake at night.

What can you expect to take away?

You’ll come away with practical insights, honest reflections, and a clear view of where paraplanners think paraplanning is headed.

Whether you’re a paraplanner looking to understand how your experiences compare with your peers or a paraplanning leader trying to figure out what your team actually need, this session will help you understand both the challenges and the genuine opportunities shaping the future of financial planning.

So this Assembly, packed with findings from original research among paraplanners, is a chance for all of us to reflect on what’s really affecting our work and help focus our minds on how we want to shape this profession moving forward.

Want to be part of the conversation? Then save your spot now.

The last time the UK government convened a Pensions Commission it resulted in the equalisation of the State Pension Age between men and women, the launch of auto-enrolment plus the creation of the National Employment Savings Trust – better known as NEST.

So will the recently re-constituted Pensions Commission prove to be as consequential as the last? 

To answer that question, we invited Barnett Waddingham’s self-invested pensions specialist, James Jones-Tinsley, to join host Richard Allum, to share his thoughts on the scope of the Commission and what it could mean for paraplanners and clients. 

In 20 minutes, James explains why it has been necessary to revive the Pensions Commission and what problem it has been asked to address.

As well as considering the big trends driving reform – such as demographic pressures – the conversation covers:

Plus James and Richard discuss how advice professionals can influence the Commission’s work through upcoming consultations. 

All in all, this episode is a fantastic backgrounder for paraplanners who want to stay ahead of changes in pensions and pension policy.

Here’s a question that might hit close to home: when you’re crafting retirement recommendations, are you addressing the three big risks that keep clients awake at night — or are you unknowingly leaving them exposed to sequence of returns risk, longevity risk, and inflation erosion?

As paraplanners, we have the power to transform retirement outcomes by understanding how product innovations can take these critical risks off the table. But are we truly using the full toolkit available to us? Or are we sticking with conventional approaches that might not deliver the stable, reliable income our clients need?

It matters because retirement planning has evolved beyond traditional drawdown strategies. The FCA expects us to distinguish between accumulation and decumulation approaches, and innovative product solutions now exist that can protect clients from running out of money — even if they live to 100.

Expand your knowledge in one hour

This Assembly – originally recorded on 1pm on 15 October 2025 – was the second part of our exploration into the retirement risk zone, focusing specifically on how product innovations can deliver better outcomes for your clients. You’ll find part one here.

In this online Assembly Connor Stewart from Standard Life joined host, Richard Allum, to explore this facet of the retirement risk zone.

Together, they explore what clients truly want from retirement (and what terrifies them), how regulatory expectations are driving change, and most importantly, how you can use cutting-edge product solutions to deliver the security and growth your clients need.

During this Assembly we:
What can you expect to take away?

You’ll leave this Assembly with actionable insights into product innovations that can transform your retirement planning approach. You’ll understand how to match these solutions to specific client needs and circumstances, ensuring you can deliver genuinely tailored retirement strategies.

Most of all, this session will equip you with practical tools and case study examples so you can confidently recommend product innovations that protect clients from the major retirement risks while helping them achieve their long-term goals.

Stop wondering if you’re doing the right things to grow your business: A power-up for outsourced paraplanners

Here’s a question that might keep you awake at night: how do you know whether what you’re doing to promote your outsourced paraplanning business is actually working? Or perhaps more fundamentally – where on earth do you even start?

If you’re nodding along, you’re definitely not alone. Whether you’re a new business needing to generate leads and build awareness, or you’ve been established for a while but want to grow and increase enquiries, the challenge is the same: cutting through the noise and actually getting noticed.

The good news? You don’t need an MBA in marketing or a hefty advertising budget to make meaningful progress. Just book your ticket to join us and your fellow paraplanners at this business power-up, Marketing that actually works (for outsourced paraplanners).

A full day focused entirely on practical marketing for outsourced paraplanners

Join us at Aegon’s London offices on Friday 14 November for a day designed specifically for outsourced paraplanners who want to take control of their marketing – without the jargon, without the overwhelm, and definitely without walking away with more questions than answers.

We’ve partnered with New Tradition, marketing and brand experts who specialise in making the complex simple, to deliver a hands-on workshop that cuts straight to what actually matters for your business.Plus, we’re delighted that Dr Tom Mathar from Aegon will be joining us to share his insights on achieving better success from referrals – because we all know that word-of-mouth remains a powerful tools in your arsenal.

What makes this day different?

This isn’t about theory or abstract concepts. You’ll spend the day building your own marketing plan using practical tools that you can take away and continue using long after the event ends.

We’ll focus on four fundamental areas that every successful outsourced paraplanning business needs to get right:

Who should attend?

This day is designed for outsourced paraplanners at any stage of their business journey:

What will you take away?

By the end of the day, you’ll have:

Most importantly, you’ll leave with the reassurance that comes from having a clear plan and the tools to execute it.

Agenda

Morning session

Afternoon session

Ready to take control of your marketing?

If you’re tired of wondering whether you’re doing the right things to promote your business, and you want to walk away with a clear plan and the tools to implement it, this day is for you.

Places are limited to ensure everyone gets the individual attention they need to build their own marketing plan.

Book your place now.

This image displays text promoting Aegon's association with the workshop outsourced paraplanners. The text reads "A personal and business power-up for outsourced paraplanners would not be possible without the generous support of Aegon UK". On the far right of the image is Aegon's logo. The overall design is minimalist with black text on a white background.

Host Richard Allum is joined by Barnett Waddingham’s James Jones-Tinsley for a bonus episode exploring the government’s announcement of an independent review of the state pension age review and its potential consequences for retirement planning. 

As well as considering the scope of the review, which is being led by Dr Suzy Morrissey, deputy director of the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI), and what it means for the future, Richard and James discuss 

They discuss:

The review’s call for evidence closes on 24 October 2025. And with its focus on life expectancy and intergenerational equity, this episode is essential listening for paraplanners keen to stay ahead of the debate and its likely effects on retirement advice long into the future.

A horizontal image with a dark background. On the right hand half of the image, large white text says 'An informal Assembly for outsourced paraplanners'. Beneath it in smaller text is 'An online gathering in Zoom. 1-2 pm on Thursday 16 October 2025'. At the top of the image in an orange rectangular block, white text reads 'Save your spot now'. On the left-hand side the word 'Gather' is displayed with the Paraplanners' Assembly beneath it.

Are you an outsourced paraplanner?

Whether you’re the only employee of your paraplanning practice, or you lead a paraplanning powerhouse with employees and a hefty bank of clients, outsourced paraplanners share lots of things in common.

You just do.

But here’s the thing: despite the growing number of outsourced paraplanners in the UK these days, opportunities to get together to talk only about things that matter in the outsourced world, are surprisingly few and far between.

Switch off. Show up. Join in. 

So, if you’re an outsourced paraplanner, here’s our invitation: at 1pm on Thursday 16 October 2025, set your notifications to ‘do not disturb’, click on the Zoom link in your event invitation and gather with other outsourced paraplanners across the UK for an hour of conversation, ideas and practical insights.

There’s nothing to prepare. Just come along ready to share your answer to one question: 

‘What’s on your mind today?’

Spaces are limited. To save a spot hit ‘Book Event’ and look out for the calendar invitation in your inbox.

Here’s a question that might keep you awake at night: what do you tell clients who’ve spent years building pension pots specifically because they were IHT-free, only to discover that’s all changed?

On 21 July 2025, HMRC published their response to the pension IHT consultation, along with draft legislation that will bring unused pension pots into the inheritance tax net from April 2027. The writing’s been on the wall since Rachel Reeves’ October 2024 Budget announcement, but now we have the detail and it’s time to work out what this means for our clients.

As paraplanners, we’re about to face some of the most fundamental shifts in retirement and estate planning strategy we’ve seen in years. The days of treating pensions as the IHT-free golden goose are numbered, and clients will be looking to us for answers.

This isn’t just about understanding the new rules. It’s about completely rethinking how we approach pension planning, estate planning, and the delicate balance between the two.


Your crash course in the new pension IHT landscape

In what turned out to be an essential Assembly, we were joined by M&G’s Les Cameron to dive deep into the practical implications of these seismic changes. We strongly recommend reading M&G’s detailed response before watching the Assemly as it provides crucial context for our discussion.

During this Assembly, we evaluated the different options to mitigate pension-driven IHT liabilities, including:


What can you expect to take away?

You’ll leave this Assembly with a clear understanding of how the new IHT rules will work in practice and with strategies you can implement immediately to help clients navigate this changing landscape. We hope to give you the confidence to tackle those difficult conversations about restructuring retirement plans that took years to build.

Fair warning: there’s so much ground to cover that we may run slightly over our usual 60 minutes. If we do, we’ll schedule a follow-up session to tackle any outstanding questions.

Whether you’re just starting out in paraplanning or looking to make your next move, having a clear career plan makes all the difference. But how do you actually build one that works?

That’s what this Assembly is all about: the practicalities of creating a plan for your career; an approach that you can use no matter what stage you’re at in your professional life.

Your career roadmap in just one lunch hour

Caroline Stuart, owner and founder of Sparrow Paraplanning, hosted the conversation which featured four brilliant guests: Ellie Welling paraplanning team leader at Succession Wealth, Joe Jacob, paraplanner at FLP, Peter Spence, advice and paraplanning team leader at Fintuity, and Sarah Purves, learning and development expert at Aegon.

Together, they explored a practical framework for career planning that goes beyond wishful thinking to create actionable next steps.

What can you expect when you watch and listen?

During this Assembly we:

What you will take away

You’ll leave with a practical framework that you can use immediately to plan your next career step – plus real-world insights from paraplanners who’ve successfully navigated their own career transitions at different stages.

Most importantly, you’ll have a clear action plan rather than just good intentions. So if you’ve been thinking about where you go next in your paraplanning career, this session is the perfect place to turn those ideas into practical actions.

A big ‘thank you’ to Aegon

This Assembly would not be possible without the generous support of Aegon. Thank you to the team at Aegon for supporting and for backing the development of paraplanners and paraplanning in the UK through their support of the Paraplanners’ Assembly.

Catch up on the series

This Assembly was the last in a four-part series that’s all about breaking into paraplanning and, once you have, developing as a paraplanner. You’ll find all the details you need by following these links:

You’ve established yourself as a paraplanner, but now you’re thinking: ‘What next?’

For many paraplanners, staying in paraplanning is exactly what they want to do. But what does career development look like within the profession? How have people built on their paraplanning skills and experience? And what about those considering a move into other areas like financial planning or specialising in research or operations?

This Assembly, recorded on 3 September explored some of the career routes within and from paraplanning.

Our host Caroline Stuart, owner and founder of Sparrow Paraplanning, is joined by Ellie Bailey, paraplanning team leader at Succession Wealth, Farida Hassanali, client manager at Paradigm Norton, Rebecca Tuck, operations director at FLP Financial Life Planning and Sian Greenhill, operations executive and centralised investment and product committee at Brooks Financial – all sharing their perspectives on career progression and specialisation.

Over the course of the Assembly, they discuss:

You’ll leave this Assembly with your head full of good ideas for potential career development and a bucket load of insights from people who’ve successfully made these transitions and you can claim one hour’s CPD.

Catch up on previous Assemblies in this series

This continues our series on paraplanning career development. Don’t miss our previous sessions exploring how to break into paraplanning and choosing the right place to work for your early paraplanning career.

Thanks to Aegon

This Assembly would not be possible without the generous support of Aegon. Thank you to the team at Aegon for supporting and for backing the development of paraplanners and paraplanning in the UK through their support of the Paraplanners’ Assembly.

Once upon a time, when taxes were relatively low, ISAs and unwrapped investments seemed like pretty obvious choices for clients’ money.

But the big cut in the capital gains tax allowance and rises in tax on gains and dividends has changed things. Tax wrappers that once seemed like more hassle than they were worth (like investment bonds) could now be the ideal vehicle – especially for higher rate taxpayers.

But which wrapper is right in which circumstances and why?

That’s the question that guest Neil Macleod from M&G’s technical team was invited to answer when he joined host, Leanne Pickering, for this Assembly.

What you’ll learn by listening

Over the course of one lunch hour, Leanne and Neil explored when bonds are more suitable, when offshore makes sense, and why the ‘best’ mathematical answer might not actually be the right choice for your client. In this Assembly you’ll:

You’ll discover that the right choice for your clients isn’t just about what the spreadsheet says but about the broader thinking

What’s more, once you’ve listened, follow the link below and you can request a record of 1 hour’s worth CPD too.