The platform market has undergone a huge shift in recent years, as platform consolidation continues apace.

But some of these deals have seen platforms making headlines this year for all the wrong reasons.

Many advisers have experienced issues as replatforming gets underway - in the case of Aegon and Cofunds, the problems are ongoing.

But there are some success stories when it comes to consolidation.

This guide looks at the background to consolidation in the platform market, some of the pitfalls for platforms to avoid when it comes to swallowing up a rival platform, and why advisers need to do their platform due diligence. It also asks, what does the future look like for platforms in the UK?

This guide is worth an indicative 60 minutes of CPD.

Contributors to this guide are: Mike Barrett, consulting director at Lang Cat; Indre Butkeviciute, founder and wealth coach at Lily Advisory; Jane Hodges, director at Money Honey Financial Planning; Stan Kirk, an independent platform consultant; Abraham Okusanya, founder of Finalytiq; Heather Hopkins, managing director of Next Wealth; Alistair Creevy, managing director of Independent Advisers (Scotland); Lee Coates, director of Ethical Investors; Mark Turner, managing director, compliance and regulatory consulting at Duff and Phelps; Bella Caridade-Ferreira, chief executive of Fundcsape; Jeannie Boyle, executive director of EQ Investors; Martyn Brown, adviser at PFM Associates; Martin Askew, partner at Clarke Wilmott; Chris Holmes, director of Almus Wealth; Phil Young, managing partner of Zero Support; Helen Howcroft is managing director of Equanimity IFA; Mark Till, managing director of Digital Solutions at Aegon; Christopher Woolard, executive director of strategy and competition at the FCA; FCA Investment Platforms Market Study interim report; Lang Cat.

Christine Dawson is a freelance journalist