• Trust in financial advisers remains high year-on-year
• 93 per cent of advised Australians say that they are tangibly better off because of their adviser
• Nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of advised Australians report a positive impact on their mental health
• Younger Australians working with financial advisers are also better off financially, with observed improvements in quality of life and financial confidence even greater than for Baby Boomers

Australians who have a financial adviser are markedly more confident in their financial outlook and perceived quality of life, according to the FAAA’s 2025 Value of Advice Index. This is despite the continued cost-of-living crisis, and financial uncertainty due to global geopolitical tensions contributing to the financial stress experienced by Australians.

The Index compares responses from those who work with a financial adviser with those who don’t, across four key areas: quality of life, financial confidence, financial satisfaction, and their experience with their adviser.  

Australians working with a financial adviser report that they are better off, with nearly two in three advised Australians reporting that they are highly satisfied with their wealth, enjoying a higher quality of life, more financial confidence, and less financial stress, compared to close to one in three unadvised consumers.

In all, 88 per cent of advised Australians feel that they are on track to have enough money to last their retirement, compared to 62 per cent of unadvised Australians.

Further, 96 per cent of advised Australians feel that having a financial adviser has helped them remain confident in their financial strategy during market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, with 81 per cent feeling that their adviser’s value increases during these periods.

Ahead of World Financial Planning Day on 8 October 2025, Sarah Abood, CEO of the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA), says the Value of Advice Index shows Australians continue to trust financial advisers to help them meet their financial goals.

“It’s been a tough year. Cost-of-living pressures are still very real, and while inflation has eased a bit, economic uncertainty and global events continue to weigh on household confidence,” Ms Abood says.

“But even with all that, the indicators we track around the value of advice continue to show the positive impact of financial advice. In fact, the difference between those who have advice and those who don’t is growing as Australians are seeing the value of financial advice, not despite uncertain markets, but because of them.

“Good financial advice isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about giving people confidence, support, and a sense of control, even when times are tough.”

The Value of Advice research highlights that financial advice helps consumers fulfill unmet financial needs. The top three ways Australians say that financial advisers help are:

• Nearly two in three flagged a reduction in financial stress and worry
• Nearly two in three were able to build a realistic plan for a comfortable retirement
• Nearly three in five were helped to get the most out of a current financial situation

The research also explored Australians’ attitudes to digital advice. It found that given the choice between fully digital advice, human led advice, and a hybrid model, Australians are most likely to prefer human led advice, with limited use of digital tools.

Baby Boomers are less open to digital advice, with three in five preferring human-led advice only, compared to one in two Gen X, and fewer than one in two Gen Y.

Baby Boomers also believe that personalised guidance can only be provided by humans, not digital-only advice (four in five), compared to fewer than three in five Gen Y and Gen X, with Gen X and Gen Y being open to AI being used as part of the advice process for things like administrative tasks.

The research also busted some long-established myths around financial advice.

“The research this year flags many things, but what shines through is the trust in financial advice and advisers from Australians to help keep them on track and achieve their goals,” Ms Abood says.

“We know that consumers think that you need to be rich to afford financial advice, but our research shows otherwise. Nine in 10 of those surveyed who earn $120,000 a year or less and work with an adviser feel financially secure - well above the level of unadvised consumers on the same income.

“And nearly all advised consumers say their financial adviser has made them tangibly better off financially, proving that financial advice is not too expensive to be worthwhile.

“It’s not simply outsourcing your financial decision-making, it’s helping with financial literacy and supporting consumers to make the best financial decisions they can,” she says.