The survey was taken at the Ascentric Conference attended by more than 200 advisers in Manchester, Bristol and London.
Around 69% of respondents agreed with this statement indicating a growing sense of optimism in the ability of advisers to handle the degree of change taking place in the industry as a result of RDR. This result was reinforced by 88% of delegates who stated that they were ‘confident in the future direction of their business'.
The survey also showed that advisers were happy to operate a flexible fee structure based on client requirements with 53% charging a mixture of hourly, % of assets and fixed fee. Unlike other professional sectors, just 3% of advisers surveyed only charge an hourly fee.
However, advisers still need convincing that social media is a way to broaden the reach of their brand, with 37% of the audience disagreeing with the idea.
Commenting on the survey findings, Steve Billingham of Steve Billingham Consulting said, "What is really pleasing about this survey is that such a significant proportion of advisers feel positive about the future direction of their business, which demonstrates that they see themselves as "survivors" rather than "victims" of RDR."
Dominic Ventham, head of marketing at Ascentric added, "Change is inevitable under RDR and these findings indicate a growing level of confidence that advisers can use this time as an opportunity to refresh and revitalise their business.
“It also suggests a real belief that their value propositions will hold up in a fee paying world despite the difficult market conditions."
