Financial Planners taking part in our 2026 Reader Survey, which has just closed, have revealed growing confidence about new business prospects, despite financial uncertainty among some clients.
Despite recent economic challenges, nearly three quarters (72%) of Financial Planners taking part in the survey told us they feel positive about their new business prospects over the next 12 months.
The figures is up on 2025 (71%), according to early findings from our 2026 Financial Planning Today Reader Survey.
There was also a slight drop in the number of readers with a negative view about the future to just 6% (2025: 7%). The remaining 22% of readers said this year they were neutral about prospects.
The past three years have seen the Financial Planning profession steadily gain confidence after a wobbly start to the decade. In 2023 Financial Planners had much lower confidence, with just 45% feeling positive about the prospects for the profession.Â
A turnaround began in 2024 (64% positive), and ever since Planners have said their confidence has risen steadily.
The positivity can further be seen in staffing plans over the next year, which sees more Financial Planning firms looking to increase headcount.
This year half (49%) of our readers said they expected their firms to employ more staff over the next 12 months, a rise from the third (36%) reported last year. The remaining 51% of readers expected headcount to remain the same.
There was not a single reader this year who expected their firms to cut headcount, in comparison to the 8% who expected a fall last year.
However, clients were considerably less likely to feel confident about their financial futures than their advisers, according to planners.
Just 41% of readers said they would describe the current mood among clients as positive, with the majority of the remainder saying that client mood was neutral (43%). A small, but significant, number of readers said the mood among clients was negative (16%).
• Financial Planning Today surveyed readers in June and July with more than 100 readers taking part in a detailed online questionnaire. Full details will be published in Financial Planning Today magazine in the next issue in mid July with highlights on Financial Planning Today website. You can subscribe now to view the magazine and to receive the next issue available in print and digital formats.
