Best Suitability Report writing software for financial firms in 2025
Nov 3, 2025
Ben Glass
8 mins
Ask any paraplanner what monopolises their week, and the answer is invariably the same: suitability reports. Hours spent chasing data across systems, wrestling with compliance requirements, and ensuring every recommendation aligns with FCA standards.
The irony? Most firms don't lose clients because of poor advice; they lose capacity because of the paperwork burden.
The traditional report writing process creates a bottleneck that limits growth: 4–6 hours per report, multiplied across dozens of clients monthly, whilst advisers wait for documentation before implementing recommendations. Add Consumer Duty's heightened expectations and the paraplanner shortage across the industry, and the operational pressure becomes unsustainable.
This guide evaluates the leading suitability report writing solutions available to financial firms in 2025, examining their capabilities, limitations, and the fundamental question that's reshaping the industry: rule-based workflows versus AI-powered intelligence.
1. AdvisoryAI Emma: The AI-powered report writer
What sets it apart: AdvisoryAI Emma is the only AI-driven solution in the UK market, purpose-built for writing complete suitability reports. Whilst other platforms use rule-based automation, Emma employs advanced artificial intelligence to understand context, synthesise information, and write fully compliant reports that read like they were written by your best paraplanner.
How Emma works
Emma doesn't operate in isolation. She's part of the AdvisoryAI suite, working seamlessly alongside Evie (meeting notes and admin assistant) and Colin (compliance checker) to create an end-to-end workflow that transforms the advice process.
Emma's Individual Process:
Once your paraplanner is ready to create a suitability report, here's what happens:
Upload source documents: Fact finds, meeting notes (from Evie or manual), illustrations, letters of authority, and any other relevant client documentation
Emma reads and synthesises: She comprehends the information across all documents, understanding client circumstances, objectives, risk profiles, and advice recommendations
Report generation: Emma writes the complete suitability report executive summary, client situation, objectives, recommendations, suitability analysis, risk warnings, and next steps in approximately 5 minutes
Review and refine: Paraplanners review the draft, regenerate specific sections if needed, and add any final touches
Compliance validation: Colin performs his check, and the report is ready for adviser approval and client delivery
The complete workflow:
Evie captures the meeting: Records and transcribes client meetings, creates structured notes, and automatically updates CRM fact-find fields
Emma writes the report: Integrates all source documents, meeting notes, fact finds, illustrations, letters of authority and writes a complete, client-ready suitability report
Colin checks compliance: Reviews the report in real time against COBS rules and Consumer Duty requirements, flagging issues with clear pass/fail verdicts
The entire process from document upload to compliance-checked draft takes roughly 20 minutes of active paraplanner time, compared to 4–6 hours manually.
Key features
95% accuracy from day one: Emma achieves 95% accuracy on initial reports, and she gets better with every report your firm produces. Unlike rule-based systems that remain static, Emma learns your firm's advice style, language preferences, and compliance requirements over time.
Bespoke template configuration: Your firm's templates, branding, and house style are configured into Emma's training from the outset. Reports emerge pre-formatted to your exact specifications, no post-generation reformatting required. This isn't a generic template library; it's your template, understood, trained, and replicated by AI.
Custom tone of voice training: Emma can be trained to match your firm's unique communication style. Whether your reports favour formal regulatory language or a more conversational client-friendly tone, Emma adapts to reflect your brand personality consistently across every report.
Section-level regeneration: Don't like a particular section? Regenerate it instantly without rewriting the entire report. Emma allows targeted refinement, letting you perfect specific areas of investment rationale, risk assessment, and recommendations, with a click.
Full citation trail: Every figure, recommendation, and statement in Emma's reports is cited back to its source document. Reviewing reports becomes dramatically faster when paraplanners can instantly verify where information originated: fact find, illustration, meeting notes, or provider documentation.
Complete process timeline: From meeting conclusion to final report delivery:
Evie completes meeting notes: Within minutes of meeting end
Emma writes draft report: 5 minutes
Colin compliance check: 5 minutes
Paraplanner review and refinement: 30-45 minutes
Total turnaround: Under 60 minutes for a complete, compliance-checked, client-ready suitability report
Traditional manual process? 4-6 hours minimum.
Compliance and security built in
UK data residency: Client data stored on AWS servers within the UK, with back-up in Ireland
No training on client data: Your firm's templates create a bespoke configuration; client information never trains the shared base model
End-to-end encryption: All data is protected in transit and at rest
Full audit trail: Every citation linked to source documents
Real-time Consumer Duty checking: Colin flags missing reasoning or disclosures aligned to FCA rules, along with actionable insights
Emma isn't a generic AI tool retrofitted for financial advice. She's purpose-built for suitability reports, trained on FCA regulations, and designed to meet the specific needs of UK advisory firms.
Real-world impact
Firms using Emma report time savings of 70-80% on report production, higher consistency across advice files, and paraplanners redeployed to higher-value analytical work rather than administrative drafting.
As LIFT-Financial Group's Jonathan Stubbs noted: "It's the first real-world proof of concept we've seen for AI for a bespoke business use case." Read the full case study here to know more.
Bluecoat Wealth Management documented similar results, highlighting not just speed improvements but measurable quality enhancements in report consistency and compliance adherence. Read the full story in the case study.
Limitations
Whilst Emma transforms report writing efficiency, she's designed to augment, not replace, human expertise:
Human oversight required: Every Emma-written report requires final review and approval by a qualified paraplanner or adviser. Emma handles the heavy lifting of synthesis and drafting, but professional judgement remains essential for confirming suitability and contextual appropriateness.
Training period: Although Emma achieves 95% accuracy from day one, optimal performance with your firm's unique style, terminology, and compliance nuances develops over the first dozen reports. Initial outputs may require slightly more refinement as Emma learns your preferences.
2. Genovo: Workflow-driven customisation
What it is: Genovo is a well-established workflow-based suitability report generator that emphasises customisation, modular report building, and integration with leading back-office systems.
How it works
Genovo operates on a rule-based, modular approach:
Advisers and paraplanners select pre-configured content blocks from centrally managed libraries
The system assembles reports based on user selections and predefined workflows
Content is drawn from provider libraries, investment libraries, and advice reason libraries
Reports follow intelligent workflows that guide users through required sections
Key features
Modular report builder: Users construct reports by selecting relevant modules and content blocks. The system provides structure and ensures all necessary sections are included, but the assembly process requires human decision-making at each step.
Extensive content libraries: Pre-loaded libraries containing investment products, provider information, attitude to risk profiles, and advice justifications. These libraries can be customised and expanded with firm-specific content.
Strong integration capabilities: Genovo integrates with major back-office systems, including Intelliflo Office, Xplan, Curo, and Dynamic Planner. These integrations reduce manual data entry by auto-pulling client information into reports.
Template management: Firms can create their own report templates for recurring advice scenarios, enabling greater efficiency when handling similar cases. Templates are centrally managed across the organisation.
Customisation flexibility: High degree of control over report appearance, content, and structure. Firms can tailor the platform extensively to match their house style and compliance requirements.
Limitations
Manual selection required: Every content block, product detail, and advice reason must be manually selected by the user. Whilst this provides control, it's time-consuming and dependent on human accuracy.
Static intelligence: The system doesn't learn or adapt. Workflows remain fixed unless manually updated. There's no contextual understanding of why certain advice is suitable; users must make those judgements independently.
No content generation: Genovo doesn't write new content. It assembles pre-existing paragraphs and data points. Customisation requires writing and maintaining your own content library.
3. PPOL (Paraplanning Online): The wizard-based approach
What it is: PPOL is a web-based report writing system that uses an interactive wizard (question-and-answer format) to guide users through report creation.
How it works
PPOL's approach centres on structured questionnaires:
Users answer a series of questions relevant to the advice scenario
The system automatically constructs a report based on responses
Pre-written compliance-focused content is inserted based on selections
Reports can be personalised with firm branding and house style overrides
Key features
Question-driven workflow: The wizard format ensures all pertinent issues are addressed for specific advice types. Users don't need to remember every compliance requirement; the questions prompt for necessary information.
Pre-sale and post-sale flexibility: Reports can be used for both client engagement (pre-sale) and formal suitability documentation (post-sale), providing flexibility across the advice journey.
Web-based accessibility: Being fully web-based means paraplanners can work from anywhere with internet access, supporting flexible working arrangements.
Regular compliance updates: PPOL maintains regular contact with compliance departments and updates report content to reflect legislative changes and new FCA requirements.
Limitations
Limited to predefined scenarios: The wizard only works for advice scenarios that have been programmed into the system. Novel or complex situations may not fit the available question pathways.
Rigid structure: Whilst the wizard ensures consistency, it can feel restrictive. Reports follow predetermined formats with limited flexibility for unique client circumstances.
Manual personalisation required: Although the system generates structure, significant manual input is required to personalise content beyond standard paragraphs. Free-flow text additions are necessary for true customisation.
No intelligence layer: PPOL doesn't understand the advice being given. It matches answers to content blocks but lacks the ability to synthesise information or provide contextual recommendations.
4. ATEB Suitability: Expert-led template platform
What it is: ATEB Suitability combines rule-based report generation with expert compliance oversight, positioning itself as "your compliance team, not just another software."
How it works
ATEB operates on a template-driven model enhanced by human expertise:
Pre-approved report templates curated by in-house compliance specialists
Templates automatically update when tax laws or best practices change
Integration with back-office systems auto-pulls client and plan data
The central content library provides pre-written, compliance-ready text
Key Features
Expert compliance support: Each firm receives a Named Compliance Lead and access to a team of paraplanners who actively track regulatory changes. This human layer differentiates ATEB from pure software solutions.
Always-on template updates: When legislation changes, ATEB's team updates templates overnight. Users don't need to monitor regulatory changes or manually update report content; it happens automatically.
Evidence vault and audit trail: All rationale, attachments, and notes are filed, indexed, and time-stamped. Every change, reviewer, and approval is captured for FCA inspection, providing comprehensive audit trails.
Firm-level personalisation: Templates are customised to each firm's processes, branding, and content preferences. The platform is tailored rather than off-the-shelf.
Real-time compliance checks: Built-in checking ensures reports meet regulatory requirements before finalisation, reducing compliance risk.
Limitations
Template-dependent process: Reports are constrained by pre-configured templates. Creating content outside established templates requires manual writing and compliance approval.
Manual data input: Despite integrations, significant data entry is often required. The system doesn't generate content; it provides frameworks that users populate.
Expert support as a bottleneck: Whilst human expertise is valuable, it can create dependencies. Template customisation, content updates, and complex scenarios may require support team involvement, potentially causing delays.
No contextual generation: Like other rule-based systems, ATEB doesn't understand the advice scenario. It provides compliant structure and content blocks, but synthesis and reasoning remain human responsibilities.
5. ChatGPT and generic AI models: The hacky workaround
What it is: ChatGPT and similar general-purpose AI language models (such as Claude, Gemini, or other large language models) that some advisers have attempted to repurpose for suitability report writing through manual prompt engineering.
The approach
Using generic AI models for suitability reports requires a highly manual, makeshift process:
Manually copy-paste client data, fact finds, and meeting notes into the AI platform
Craft detailed prompts describing the report structure and compliance requirements
Generate sections iteratively, reviewing and regenerating as needed
Manually format output to match firm templates
Conduct independent compliance checks (general AI models have no FCA knowledge)
Repeat for every report, with no learning or improvement over time
Why doesn't it work
No financial services training: Generic AI models have no specific understanding of FCA regulations, COBS requirements, or Consumer Duty obligations. They generate plausible-sounding text that may be factually incorrect or non-compliant.
No data security: Inputting client data into consumer AI platforms violates GDPR and data protection requirements. There's no encryption, no UK data residency, and no audit trail.
No template integration: Every report must be manually formatted after generation. Generic AI models don't understand your firm's branding, structure, or house style.
No citation or traceability: Generic AI models invent plausible information. There's no way to verify where "facts" came from or ensure accuracy. This creates unacceptable compliance risk.
Inconsistent quality: Results vary wildly based on prompt quality. There's no standardisation, no learning, and no improvement over time. Every report is a fresh gamble.
Massive time investment: The prompt engineering, iteration, formatting, and compliance checking required make this approach as time-consuming as writing reports manually, possibly more so once errors are corrected.
The reality
Whilst general-purpose AI models are powerful tools for many applications, attempting to use them for regulated financial advice documentation is comparable to using a Swiss Army knife for surgery: technically possible, incredibly risky, and professionally inadvisable.
Rule-based workflows vs AI’s intelligence
The fundamental difference between traditional report writing software (Genovo, PPOL, ATEB) and AI-powered solutions (AdvisoryAI’s Emma) isn't just speed. It's intelligence.
How rule-based systems work
Rule-based platforms operate on predefined logic:
IF user selects "retirement planning" THEN include pension transfer section
IF client age > 55 THEN include drawdown considerations
IF investment risk = "moderate" THEN insert moderate risk warning
This works well for standardised scenarios but breaks down when complexity increases. Every variation requires manual configuration. Every new regulation requires human intervention to update rules.
The result: Efficiency gains through structured workflows and content libraries, but no genuine understanding of the advice being given. The intelligence remains entirely human; the software simply organises it.
How AI-powered systems work
AI platforms like Emma operate fundamentally differently:
Contextual understanding: Emma reads and comprehends source documents, fact finds, meeting notes, and illustrations, extracting relevant information and understanding relationships between data points
Synthesis: Rather than selecting pre-written paragraphs, Emma generates original content that connects client circumstances, objectives, and recommendations in coherent, personalised narratives
Learning: Emma improves with every report, understanding your firm's language preferences, advice style, and compliance requirements more accurately over time
Adaptation: When regulations change or new advice scenarios emerge, Emma adapts based on updated training rather than requiring manual rule updates
The result: Reports that read like they were written by experienced paraplanners, not assembled from content blocks. Intelligence that augments human expertise rather than simply organising it.
Practical implications
Scenario: Complex pension transfer with multiple objectives
Rule-based approach:
Select "pension transfer" template
Manually choose relevant sections from libraries
Insert client data into predefined fields
Add custom paragraphs for unique circumstances
Cross-reference multiple content blocks to ensure consistency
Manual compliance checking against FCA requirements
Time investment: 3-4 hours
AI-powered approach:
Upload source documents (fact find, transfer analysis, meeting notes)
Emma synthesises information, understands objectives, and writes a cohesive narrative
Colin performs real-time compliance checking
Review and refine specific sections as needed
Time investment: 30-40 minutes
The difference isn't just speed. It's the quality of synthesis and the reduction in cognitive load. Rule-based systems organise your thinking; AI systems augment it.
The scalability question
Rule-based systems scale linearly: More reports require proportionally more human time. AI systems scale exponentially: The more reports Emma writes, the better she becomes, whilst time per report remains constant or decreases.
For firms managing growth, this distinction is critical. Traditional software helps you work more efficiently within existing capacity. AI solutions fundamentally expand what's operationally possible.
Choosing the right solution for your firm
The "best" suitability report writing software depends on your firm's specific needs, but several factors consistently matter:
1. Time savings vs quality trade-off: Some solutions prioritise speed through rigid templates; others maintain flexibility at the cost of time. Emma achieves both: speed through automation and quality through AI-generated, contextually appropriate content.
2. Compliance confidence: In the Consumer Duty era, compliance isn't optional. Solutions with built-in compliance checking (Emma's Colin, ATEB's expert review) provide measurably greater confidence than those requiring manual verification.
3. Learning capability: Static systems remain static. AI-powered solutions improve continuously, making the investment increasingly valuable over time.
4. Integration and workflow: How well does the solution integrate with your existing systems? Emma's connection to Evie for meeting notes and automatic CRM updates creates a seamless end-to-end workflow unmatched by standalone report writers.
5. Data security and regulatory compliance: UK data residency, encryption, audit trails, and GDPR compliance aren't optional. Ensure any solution meets financial services regulatory standards. Consumer AI tools like ChatGPT categorically do not.
6. Total cost of ownership: Consider not just software costs but time investment required. A "cheaper" solution that adds hours per report may cost significantly more in paraplanner capacity than a premium AI solution that reduces reports to minutes.
The industry is shifting
The financial advice industry stands at an inflection point. Consumer Duty demands demonstrable value. FCA scrutiny intensifies. Client expectations rise. Paraplanner capacity remains the bottleneck limiting firm growth.
Traditional report writing software helped firms move from Word templates to structured workflows, a meaningful efficiency gain a decade ago. But in 2025, structured workflows aren't enough. The firms scaling successfully aren't working harder; they're working with intelligence.
AI-powered solutions like AdvisoryAI Emma represent a categorical shift: from software that organises human intelligence to systems that augment it. From tools that speed up manual processes to platforms that fundamentally transform what's operationally possible.
Rule-based systems will continue serving firms content with structured efficiency and predictable workflows. But for firms asking "How do we handle 30% more clients without hiring more paraplanners?" or "How do we reduce report turnaround from days to hours?", the answer increasingly involves genuine AI, not just clever automation.
The question isn't whether AI will reshape suitability report writing. It already has. The question is whether your firm will lead that transformation or follow it.
Ready to transform your Suitability Report writing process?
If Emma's AI-powered approach aligns with your firm's growth ambitions and commitment to efficiency without compromising quality, book a demo to see the complete AdvisoryAI workflow in action.
The best suitability report writing software isn't the one with the longest feature list. It's the one that gives you time back, scales with your growth, and produces reports your compliance team trusts without hesitation.
That's what AI was built for. That's what Emma delivers.