Close to two thirds (61%) of complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service about advisers are related to advice suitability, according to a new study.

Financial Planning network Rosemount Financial Solutions has accused the Financial Ombudsman Service of damaging advice firms by acting as a “quasi-regulator.”

The Financial Ombudsman Service will freeze its case fees at £650 for Financial Planner respondents for its 2025/26 year.

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is normally seen as a bastion of stability but this view has been rocked in the past week with the sudden and unexpected departure of CEO and Chief Ombudsman Abby Thomas.

The percentage of professional complaints about pensions and annuities to the Financial Ombudsman Service - including from claims management companies -  showed a surprise fall in the latest quarterly period, in marked contrast to a surge in professional complaints overall.