Is Your Wealth Manager Still Right for 2026?
Key Questions for UK Investors

For many UK investors, the relationship with their wealth manager began years ago, often during a very different market environment. Low interest rates, steadily rising equity markets, and a buy-and-hold mentality shaped portfolios and expectations alike.

As we move towards 2026, more investors are quietly asking an uncomfortable but increasingly common question: is my wealth manager still right for me?

This is not necessarily about dissatisfaction. Many investors feel broadly content until they look more closely at performance, communication, or whether their adviser’s approach has evolved at all.

Why More Investors Are Reassessing Their Wealth Manager

Markets have changed significantly over the past few years, and advice needs to evolve with them. Between 2020 and 2024, markets were defined by extremes: emergency stimulus, sharp inflation, rapid interest rate rises and sudden volatility.

Yet many portfolios remain structurally similar to how they looked years earlier.

Many portfolios remain structurally similar to how they looked years earlier

Why Outdated Investment Assumptions Are a Risk

Today’s environment is very different. Interest rates are no longer near zero, cash and gilts have become meaningful assets again, and volatility is persistent rather than exceptional.

An adviser who has not adjusted asset allocation, risk controls or overall strategy in response may be relying on assumptions that no longer apply.

Communication Drift as a Warning Sign

One of the clearest red flags investors report is silence. During periods of uncertainty, proactive communication often matters more than performance charts.

One of the clearest red flags investors report is silence

Questions to Ask About Adviser Communication

When did your adviser last contact you without prompting? Were portfolio changes explained clearly, or simply reported after the fact? Do you feel informed and reassured during volatile periods?

A wealth manager’s value often lies less in picking assets and more in decision support, behavioural coaching and clarity when markets are unsettled.

Are Your Goals Still Driving the Strategy?

Many advisory relationships begin with a thorough fact-find, but goals are not always revisited meaningfully over time.

How Life Changes Can Create Portfolio Misalignment

Retirement timelines shift, business exits happen earlier or later than expected, and priorities often move from growth to protection. If your portfolio is still aligned to goals set years ago, there is a real risk that it no longer reflects your current reality.

Fees, Value and Transparency

Fees themselves are not necessarily the issue. Unclear value is.

Fees aren’t the issue – unclear value is

What Investors Want Clarity On

Investors increasingly want to understand what they are paying for, how much discretion their adviser has, and whether costs rise automatically as portfolios grow. A good adviser should be able to articulate their value clearly, without defensiveness or jargon.

When Reviewing Your Wealth Manager Makes Sense

Reviewing your wealth manager does not require dissatisfaction, only curiosity. Many investors now treat adviser reviews in the same way they review other professional services: periodically and with structure.

Why Comparison Builds Confidence

Comparing approaches, services and philosophies can reveal meaningful differences, even between firms that appear similar on the surface. In many cases, comparison provides reassurance rather than prompting a switch.

Comparison often provides reassurance rather than prompting a switch

Sometimes the most important question is not “should I leave?” but “do I still have the best possible fit?”

Comparing Wealth Managers in the UK

With thousands of wealth management firms operating in the UK, choosing the right adviser can be challenging. Findawealthmanager.com helps investors compare wealth managers using clear criteria such as investment approach, client focus, fee structure and service model, supporting more informed long-term decisions.