Search by:NameLocation
 
 

Media

In Brief: July Edition  

Do you have a good advice story?

Are you an adviser with a customer who'd like to tell their story how your advice helped them?

Are you a customer with a good story about how advice has added value to your life?

Tell us about it

Adviser favour critical as platform consolidation continues

« back to media

28 July 2025 by Shy-Ann Arkinstall, Money Management

Article link: https://www.moneymanagement.com.au/news/financial-planning/adviser-favour-critical-platform-consolidation-continues

The pressure is on for technology providers as Investment Trends’ latest industry report reveals advisers are consolidating their platform use, directing the majority of funds to one primary platform.

The 2025 Adviser Technology Needs Report by Investment Trends found advisers are using an average of just two platforms, down from three in 2022, highlighting a steady decline over this period.

Advisers are also funnelling a greater share of new business into a single provider, with some 71 per cent of new client inflows now being directed to advisers’ primary platform in 2025, up from 65 per cent in 2022.

According to Investment Trends, this is a reflection of advisers’ focus on “simplicity, efficiency and deep integration” when it comes to their platform choice.

Investment Trends director Cameron Spittle explained: “Advisers are no longer spreading flows across multiple platforms. They’re backing the ones that meet their expectations and can facilitate their preferred investment philosophy.

“This consolidation is deliberate and accelerating. For providers, retaining primary status is no longer about brand, it’s about delivering real usability, functionality and value.”

Research from Adviser Ratings in June showed a similar decrease in the number of platforms advisers are using, dropping from an average of 2.31 in 2023 to 2.01 in 2025, due in part to advisers dividing their platform usage into two camps: core and peripheral.

A core platform, in this situation, are those that are “integral to advice practice operations” while peripheral platforms refer to those used only for legacy products or niche purposes.

“To be designated as peripheral means to face an existential threat, as these platforms are most likely to be eliminated in the next efficiency drive.”

The trend highlights the increasing importance for platform providers to secure advisers’ favour as a primary tool as they become increasingly less likely to use multiple platforms.

However, understanding what advisers actually want from platforms is still something of a challenge. 

Notably, Investment Trends found advisers are divided on technology architecture preferences, with around one in four (23 per cent) now preferring a single end-to-end solution, up from 18 per cent in 2024.

On the other hand, some 22 per cent of advisers favour open architecture with seamless integration. Meanwhile, a third (36 per cent) are agnostic, and a further 9 per cent said they are unsure of their ideal setup. 

Spittle said: “Technology spend has climbed to $38,000 per practice, and it is more important than ever for platforms to be able to integrate seamlessly, regardless of whether advisers prefer a fully integrated solution or best-of-breed technology stack.”

Comments

No comments added.

Add comment

Name

Email

Comments

Enter code:*

Refresh code

Add comment

« back to media

Adviser Ratings

For consumers

For advisers

 
  Join as an Adviser
 

While we may facilitate the review and introduction of Advisers, Customers of Adviser Ratings will be responsible for entering into their own agreement with Advisers introduced through our website. Adviser Ratings does not provide personal financial advice nor do we recommend or suggest a particular adviser is right for you. We provide information of a general nature and we do not take into consideration your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Always consider whether the advice and information you are provided suits your needs. Adviser Ratings does not endorse, accept or adopt the Advisers on our site, the content of any profiles or the comments or discussion in any community forums. For further information about How We Rate Our Advisers, click here. Per quote in our video, refer KPMG research undertaken for Financial Services Council

Adviser Ratings Pty Ltd (ABN 18 154 273 640 ) is a Sydney based company located at Level 22, Tower 3, 300 Barangaroo Avenue, Sydney, Barangaroo 2000, Australia

© 2021 Adviser Ratings Pty LtdTerms of Use | Privacy | Contact