Will hybrid advice dominate the next decade?

Nick Eatock, CEO of intelliflo

If you asked me for one word to describe how the financial advice technology landscape has changed in the last 12 months, I’d say enormously. It’s hard to think of another period where the pace has felt so fast, and we’re only at the beginning of a shift that could define the next decade of advice.

Firms aren’t experimenting anymore. They’re moving past the “let’s try it out” phase into “this is how we work”. This isn’t just about AI. More broadly, firms are embedding technology into their processes and decision-making. Our eAdviser Index, which measures how firms use the functionality in intelliflo office, makes this clear. Last year, the number of ‘Champions’, firms making full use of the capabilities, rose by a third, while the ‘Explorers’ group, which uses only the basics, shrank significantly.

There’s been a shift from using technology to support advice, to redesigning advice journeys around it. The result is greater efficiency, lowering the cost to serve clients without lowering quality and creating the opportunity to reach groups the industry has historically struggled to serve sustainably, including younger clients and those with lower assets.

At the same time, the regulator, through work like the Advice Guidance Boundary Review, Targeted Support and potential reforms to simplified advice, is encouraging firms to consider how they can provide different advice journeys for different client needs. Together, increased use of technology and evolving regulation have real implications for advisers, clients and the breadth of advice itself.

Where human and digital meet

I believe we’ll see far greater use of hybrid advice. This blends adviser judgment with personalised digital experiences, to support a range of different advice models aligned to individual client needs. Because these journeys are underpinned by a strong, enforceable advice framework, firms can scale them confidently without compromising compliance. Clients get the reassurance of human expertise and the convenience of efficient digital touchpoints, driving engagement and loyalty. Meanwhile, advisers benefit from an inclusive, sustainable process that delivers consistent, personalised outcomes.

Many firms are already using tools that record meetings or automatically generate meeting notes, freeing advisers to focus on the conversation, listening, asking questions and connecting with clients, rather than writing up notes. Over time, that’s going to change the advice experience for both advisers and clients.

This is just the start. Technology is streamlining each step of the advice journey. Whether it’s automated onboarding, transcription of client meetings, or personalised follow-up videos tailored to individual circumstances, it’s a blending of human service and digital client engagement that can be delivered cost-effectively.

The real promise of hybrid advice is in scaling that personalisation. Imagine being able to deliver a tailored video summary for every client, reflecting their situation and priorities. This level of personal touch hasn’t been possible at scale, but that’s changing fast.

A future shaped by regulation

Changing regulation will give firms the confidence to expand structured forms of guidance or simplified advice in digital formats. Technology supports this by providing consistent, compliant pathways that guide clients through early decision points without overwhelming them, building a stronger pipeline of clients ready for full-service advice further down the line.

Of course, the detail is still evolving. The Targeted Support rules remain subject to Parliamentary approval, and further consultation on simplifying advice is expected this year. The FCA has also launched a review of AI in financial services, although it has made it clear it prefers a principles-based approach focused on customer outcomes rather than creating new AI-specific rules. In practice, that means firms can innovate, but existing frameworks like Consumer Duty and SMCR remain key, and responsibility for client outcomes sits firmly with the adviser.

So will hybrid advice dominate the next decade? I think it will define the way advice is scaled and delivered. Not because technology replaces the adviser, but because it amplifies what human advisers do best: building trust, providing judgment and tailoring solutions to real people. Hybrid advice makes that possible for more clients, more consistently, and more sustainably than ever before.

This article was first published in Professional Paraplanner on 10 March. Please find a link to the original piece here.