When the dust settles: Platforms after the shakeout 2026
NextWealth’s ‘When the dust settles: Platforms after the shakeout’ report forms part of our Adviser Tech Stack series.
The report examines where the adviser platform market is heading as the post-disruption era gives way to a more stable phase. The report explores how platform strategy is increasingly shaped by firm business model and scale, why many planning-led firms are consolidating around smaller platform panels rather than building their own, and how execution factors such as migration, adviser adoption, data and integration are becoming decisive in whether platform strategies succeed. It also includes lessons from firms that have launched Model B platforms. Covering what worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently.
Who is this report for
This report can be used by platforms, tech companies and large financial advice firms to:
- Understand the drivers of change in the platform market to help understand the models that will thrive.
- Segment advice firms by business model and scale.
- Identify ways to respond to business threats through innovation and by focusing on what matters.
- Understand and compare the propositions of Model B providers.
Methodology
- Online survey of 296 financial advice professionals, conducted between June and July 2025.
- Data requests and interviews with nine adviser-as-platform/ Model B platform providers.
- 11 in-depth interviews with senior executives representing: seven consolidators; three planning-led financial advice firms; one industry consultant, conducted in January and February 2026.
To download a sample of the report , please fill in the form on the right.
Have any questions about the research or interested in purchasing the full copy? Drop us a line at enquiries@nextwealth.co.uk.
Suggested citation
NextWealth, March 2026. When the dust settles: Platforms after the shakeout 2026. https://nextwealth.co.uk/research/when-the-dust-settles-platforms-after-the-shakeout-2026/.