What would Australia look like without professional financial advice?

I have been in the Industry since 1986. I now have a client base that ranges in age from 18 to 96 and have been building this business since the late 90's and managing relationships since then. Unfortunately I am one of the Advisers (despite being a Dip Fp and CFP acquired via RMIT and Deakin University) am being forced out in a few years in December 2026. I have passed the Fasea Ethics exam which to be honest makes no difference to the way I advise as I have always been ethical and having over 250 clients I think is proof I am doing the right thing.

The very unfortunate outcome of the Banking Royal Commission is no one made the point to the Commissioner that the way we as self employed Advisers conduct our selves and the advice we provide is nothing like the method employed by the banks. Unfortunately we have been tarred with the same brush yet we are a very different "animal". I suspect one of the unintended consequences of the Royal Commission is that well regarded, highly ethical, very experienced, competent self employed Advisers are being forced out of the Industry to be replaced with what?????

Banks have now taken their bat and gone home and we as the "real" professionals in the Industry have been "shit on". Try explaining to my wealth creators and my retirees I am being forced to leave the profession not because I am unethical or incompetent or have had enough but because I am now deemed unqualified to provide the advice I have been providing since 1996.

What also sticks in my "gut" is that my CPD has been completed every year without fail since becoming an Adviser as well as additional Kaplan courses around SMSF, Margin lending and Derivatives etc etc. Are they suggesting the Kaplan training has not been up to standard? I want a refund!! Ongoing CPD was all about maintaining my knowledge so that I remained current. Why do I have to go back to Uni at 53 years of age on top of managing my business as well as staff and 230 clients.