What is the Financial Value of Financial Advice?
It is probably fair to say that we know instinctively that consumers achieve better outcomes when they get financial advice. But maybe it’s also fair to say that sometimes we can be remiss in placing hard numbers on this.
Our goal is to change this today.
But as a broader introduction, HAN University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands developed a model to map how the multi-layered value of advice is not only material and financial in nature, but also of an immaterial, social nature. It illustrates how financial advice has value for both individual consumers, companies, and society as a whole. The model gives a good sense of many of the ways in which consumers experience value as a result of seeking advice from a financial adviser. The value of advice goes far beyond the simple, but important better financial outcomes.
Adfiz: The intermediary market in The Netherlands 2024 - 2025
The Financial Benefits of Advice
Brokers Ireland has been carrying out structured consumer research on the Value of Advice for several years now. This research has consistently illustrated that professional advice results in better outcomes in financial protection, higher return in savings/ investments, improved pension provision and more self-assured financial confidence and well-being.
It is important to note that these findings are broadly similar to comparable studies on the value of advice in other global jurisdictions.
The key findings from the Value of Advice consumer research carried out by Brokers Ireland in 2025 illustrate the significant financial benefits experienced by consumers as a result of using the services of a financial adviser.
Financial Security and Life Assurance
35% of those who’ve sought financial advice rate their financial security as 8 or higher, up 10% from 2023.
52% who’ve sought financial advice have life assurance vs 29% of those who haven’t.
Retirement and Pensions
Those who have sought financial advice have an average pension pot of €127,796 vs €87,275 for those who haven’t. This indicates those who seek financial advice have significantly larger pension pots.
Almost half (46%, up 13%) of those who have sought financial advice are confident about being financially secure in retirement, more than double the amount of those without advice (22%).
1 in 3 (33%) retirees who haven’t sought financial advice regret not preparing more for retirement.
Saving and Investments
For those who have sought financial advice, the average amount in savings / investments is €93,547, up 29% from 2023. The average is €54,618 for those who haven’t sought financial advice.
Very notably, those who’ve sought financial advice have seen significant gains, even beyond 2021 totals, whereas those without advice lag behind over the same time period.
Clients of a financial adviser are more likely to have an appropriate risk based saving / investment approach, resulting in less money being held in non / low interest bearing deposit accounts.
Those who’ve sought advice are much less likely to desire easy access to money (12% vs 20%), indicating a greater knowledge of financial literacy and the benefits of long-term investing.
Almost 2 in 3 (66%) of those who have sought financial advice have at least some knowledge of sustainable investing vs less than 2 in 5 (39%) of those who haven’t sought advice.
42% of those who have sought financial advice are likely to consider sustainable investing compared to just 23% who haven’t sought financial advice. Knowledge of and likelihood to choose sustainable investment is significantly greater in those who’ve sought financial advice.
Using a financial adviser
More than 2 in 5 (41%) have ever used a financial adviser, up 3% from 2023.
45% (up 6%) of those with a financial adviser, consult them at least once a year or more often.
51% feel more confident that they are in control of their finances having sought advice.
Clients of a financial adviser are more likely to be aware of tax efficient product solutions, particularly in the areas of retirement planning and estate / inheritance tax planning.
Consistency with Global Findings
These findings are further backed up by various international studies where similar improved outcomes were noted. In the past decade, multiple studies from different countries have consistently found positive effects of financial advice on client outcomes. The ILC-UK “Value of Financial Advice” study (2017) in Britain and the CIRANO Gamma study (2016) in Canada showed substantial wealth uplifts for advised households over periods of a decade or more. In the U.S., Vanguard’s 2022 Advisor’s Alpha (2022) whitepaper and Morningstar’s research on Gamma (2013) provided a quantitative framework for how advisers add value.
Industry surveys like those by Northwestern Mutual (2024) and the Financial Planning Standards Board (2023) have reinforced these findings, reporting greater retirement readiness and confidence among those who use financial advisers.
The fact that studies in different eras and locales point to similar conclusions - improved savings, better discipline, higher returns - indicates that the core benefits of financial advice are robust and enduring.