The market has adapted to meet changing conditions and the constraints of the regulators' rules in numerous ways. The panels change as new and improved products which meet the criteria set for the panel reach the market. A lead IFA authorised by the PIA is responsible for the advice and compliance of a network of IFAs who are the appointed representatives of the network. The network members may also receive help with product research, training, technical assistance and marketing. IFA members of the network benefit from economies of scale and from the confidence that the network will ensure their activities are in compliance with the Regulators' rules.
Developments mean that providers can inform all advisers instantly of changes in their products.
New software enables IFAs to analyse the products in the market more easily to find those most appropriate for their clients. Providers who wish to sell a full product range through tied advisers may develop their own new products. It is possible for them to specialise in the products that they produce most efficiently while providing a full range by contracting out the service elements of the products or by buying in the products of other providers to sell as their own. There is an interaction between regulation, the range of products supplied and the distribution channels employed by providers. The commercial need for product providers to differentiate their products from one another and from their competitors' products has resulted in products that are complex and difficult for consumers to understand.