BNP Paribas Cardif: 2025 Survey of Financial Advisors

More than four out of five financial advisors (85%) express confidence in their business for the coming 12-month horizon.

• 67% of financial advisors report a year-on-year increase in the number of clients.
• 78% of financial advisors believe their clients are concerned about their investments given the geopolitical and economic situation.
• 58% of financial advisors believe their clients will track the performance of their asset allocations more closely, 57% the diversification and 54% the level of risk over the coming 12 months.
• A third of financial advisors (34%) say they plan to offer more individual pension products.
• A quarter of financial advisors (27%) now regularly employ artificial intelligence (AI) in their work.

BNP Paribas Cardif has released the results of its 19th annual survey of financial advisors. Conducted with Kantar, one of the world’s leading market research agencies, the 2025 survey confirms that financial advisors play a central role in defining investment strategies, with a focus on product diversification and by proposing a range of thematic investment options.

Dynamic, attractive, confident: the profession stays the course in a changing world

The current environment introduces new challenges. A full 78% of financial advisors believe their clients are concerned regarding their investments given evolving geopolitical and economic factors – up 25% since 2024 and a record figure, even compared with levels of concern measured when the Covid pandemic ended. The international geopolitical climate is the primary negative factor impacting business activities, say the financial advisors (72%), 18% more than last year. This is followed by regulatory factors (retail investment strategy requirements were cited by 48% of respondents, and the “Green Industry Law” by 45%), alongside the economic context (47%). At the same time, financial advisors listed AI and the profit-sharing law as elements that create opportunities (54%) and could drive business growth.

Nevertheless, this finding contrasts with the positive mindset among financial advisors and the development of the profession. More than four out of five (85%) financial advisors expressed confidence in the coming 12 months, reflecting the dynamic outlook for the profession, thanks in particular to the growth of their clientele franchise: 67% of financial advisors reported an increase in clients compared with the previous year. Despite economic and geopolitical turbulence, the profession is doing well. Both the confidence of the financial advisors themselves and the confidence their clients have in their expertise continue to rise.

The three fundamentals for financial advisors remain performance, risk management and diversification

Financial advisors believe that economic uncertainties have led clients to seek safer investments (63%) and diversification, both within and outside the framework of life insurance investment vehicles (52%). They believe these expectations will be confirmed in coming months, and over half of them think their clients will want greater diversification, both in their portfolios (57%) and in terms of risk exposure (54%). In line with results from the previous three surveys, however, performance remains a top-of-mind factor, since 58% of financial advisors say their clients will be looking more closely at yield.

This demand for diversification is reflected in the wealth management products and solutions offered by financial advisors within the scope of life insurance vehicles and capitalisation contracts. While 61% of financial advisors plan to take advantage of opportunities related to investments in French and European defence and sovereignty, 56% intend to propose thematic funds (innovation, tech, health, energy, etc.). In addition, financial advisors plan to propose more ETFs (43%), private equity investments (37%), structured products (35%) or discretionary portfolio management products (28% of respondents this year, compared with just 13% in 2024).

In addition to life insurance vehicles, financial advisors have a clear and focused strategy and are addressing current social and economic issues regarding pension planning. Some 59% of financial advisors plan to promote pension savings solutions (34% individual and 25% collective). Half the financial advisors also plan to target protection insurance in their business portfolio within the next two years (29% individual protection and 21% collective protection).

Financial advisors seek to diversify client franchise and target younger population segments

As proven experts in wealth management, financial advisors are well-positioned to adapt to the variety of needs and expectations of their clients. Their top challenge today is to renew and diversify the makeup of their clientele franchise, adding younger profiles in particular (under 45). This segment is seen as a strategic avenue for growth by 90% of the respondents. Nearly half the financial advisors (49%) report that their client base is already becoming younger.

This new younger clientele segment is dynamic and actively engaged, with new habits and behaviours. Some 83% of financial advisors note their independence and high level of digital adoption, 42% say these clients have a higher appetite for risk, and a third (33%) note that they are more financially savvy. Demonstrating their ability to adapt to market shifts and align with these profiles, 42% of financial advisors focus on structured products for this clientele, 34% on ETFs and 26% on private equity.
A third of the financial advisors (31%) now count new socio-professional profiles in their clientele.

Strategic use of AI accompanied by monitoring of regulatory compliance figures among top priorities for financial advisors

Fast-paced changes require financial advisors to continually adapt and learn. For 71% of survey respondents, the primary challenge is ensuring regulatory compliance, ahead of adopting AI (44%) or changing investment solutions to adapt to the economic climate (38%). What’s more, half the financial advisors (52%) say they would be interested first and foremost in training centred on regulatory developments.

Lastly, 54% of financial advisors believe artificial intelligence will have a positive impact on their business, an increase of 14% over last year. A full 56% of financial advisors already use AI – regularly or occasionally – to automate or facilitate certain tasks, up from only 23% in 2024. On the other hand, the use of AI will remain primarily concentrated on automation of repetitive administrative tasks (79%), as well as for monitoring regulatory and compliance issues (67%).

Nearly a third of financial advisors (28%) believe their clients feel that personal contact will remain the cornerstone of the relationship with their advisor, and 64% say that AI will not have any direct impact on their client relationships. The expertise of financial advisors and personal support remain key to the added-value delivered by financial advisors and constitute the very heart of the profession.