The financial adviser industry is still perceived as a male-dominated industry, a new UK-wide survey has found.

Nearly 60% of a poll of over 2000 people, conducted for the Financial Adviser School, thought that a typical financial adviser would be a man in his fifties.

The poll also found that just one in 10 thought of a financial adviser as being female. This view was held equally by men and women.

The Financial Adviser School is the UK’s first school dedicated to creating the next generation of financial advisers,

Lisa Winnard, director of the Financial Adviser School, said: “This research reinforces the need for new blood in the industry to prevent it from being seen as a middle-aged man’s world. The financial services industry is going through a period of great change following the implementation of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), and some experienced advisers are choosing to leave the industry.

“While challenging in some respects, this also gives us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change public perceptions of financial services professionals.

“At the Financial Adviser School, we have already seen evidence of this change taking place. Women currently make up nearly a third of our applicants, and of our total intake, 58% are in their 20s, with 53% having had no prior links to the financial services industry before applying. This shows that pursuing a career as a professional financial adviser can be an exciting and rewarding option for people from all walks of life.”