The most important service offered by financial advisers to clients is helping them achieve their financial goals, say advisers.

Research by a financial provider has found that 4.8m people who could ‘comfortably’ pay for financial advice reject seeing an adviser even though it could be of financial benefit to them.

XPS Pensions, the pensions administrator, says that 35% of pension schemes have appointed or are considering appointing an IFA to support members.

Goldman Sachs has dominated the latest mergers and acquisitions (M&A) league table of the top 10 financial advisers.