Commission-based financial advice is set to become a thing of the past following proposals for a radical shake-up of the investment industry.

In its Retail Distribution Review (RDR), which claims to seek to “regain consumer trust and confidence in the retail investment market”, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) plans to ban commission payments from product providers and force financial advisers to agree payments with clients upfront.

The changes, due to be take effect from the end of 2012, will also require investment advisers to gain higher qualifications, equivalent to the first year of a degree, and to ensure that independent advice is truly independent and reflects investors’ needs.

Jon Pain, FSA managing director of retail markets, says, ‘The RDR is about regaining consumer trust and confidence in the retail investment market, building a more sustainable sector and making it easier for people to find their way around and get the help they need – this is more important now than ever before.’

There have been mixed reviews from financial professionals following the publication of the report. Andrew Fisher, chief executive at wealth advisory firm Towry Law, welcomes the proposals.

He says, ‘The banning of commission payments removes the conflict of interest that is at the heart of all that is wrong in the financial advice industry. The FSA continues to recognise that giving wealth advice requires professionally qualified advisers and that the current benchmark qualification is too low.’

However, Bruno Geiringer, partner in the Insurance team at law firm Pinsent Masons, is concerned that these measures will only serve to restrict advice to those who are willing to pay for it

He argues, ‘There is a significant expectation in the industry that these changes will reduce the demand for advice considerably when advice is so obviously needed by so many people. The FSA's own research confirms this reduction and estimates a 20 per cent loss in independent advisers. How many people, other than high net worth investors, will pay real money across to their adviser for a service thought to be free up to now?

‘The retail investment industry can only hope now for a change of policy arising from a change of Government at next year's General Election to avert a massive reduction in advisers in the next few years.’