Why the QAR response feels like a win

As you say Amara the announcements weren't entirely surprising and have been flagged for some time. Others have noted that it could take some time to implement. As a practicing and qualified financial planner (in the real sense of the word), the issue I find concerning is the title of Qualified Adviser. I believe it will lead to confusion and misunderstanding and potentially deliberate exploitation of this confusion. If the employees of funds/banks providing this advice were called something like Employed Fund/Bank Adviser for example that would potentially help. Having said that, I wouldn't want all the attention focussed on the label and other important elements of the QAR response ignored.