How much better off could I be by taking financial advice?

UK research gives a clearer picture than you might expect. The FCA estimates a roughly 10% wealth uplift in the years immediately after receiving regulated financial advice, based on Office for National Statistics data. A separate long-running study by the International Longevity Centre and Royal London found that people who took advice were, on average, £47,000 better off over a decade than those who did not — with people on more modest incomes benefiting proportionately more, not less.

The potential gains go beyond portfolio size. Vanguard research found that advised investors are roughly half as likely as self-directed investors to report high financial stress, and around three-quarters say advice saves them about two hours a week in time spent worrying about money.

Cost matters too. UK initial advice fees average around 2.4% of the amount invested, with ongoing charges averaging around 0.8% a year. Whether the numbers stack up depends on factors like the size of your pension or savings pot, how long the adviser relationship lasts, and whether you have planning needs — such as tax efficiency, retirement income, or inheritance — that unadvised people tend to miss entirely.

In short, the evidence points to a meaningful financial and wellbeing benefit for many people, but the exact figure varies considerably from one situation to another.

For a personalised assessment of whether and how much advice could benefit your specific circumstances, speak to a regulated independent financial adviser.