Educational use only. Not financial, investment, tax or legal advice.

XPlan vs Delphina: Financial Planning

You want a financial plan you can see and act on yourself. XPlan plans on behalf of advisers, not on your behalf. Here is the difference.

The honest answer first

XPlan is a financial planning tool used by UK IFAs. The planning decisions on XPlan are made by your adviser, not by you. The platform handles cash flow modelling, retirement projections, tax-efficient drawdown scenarios, and client report generation. The day-to-day planning and the life moment choices are your adviser's job.

Delphina plans for the individual. You see the plan, you adjust the inputs, you watch the projection move. There is no adviser between you and the numbers. If you want guidance, Delphina offers optional coaching at £99 a session, but the plan is yours.

Where XPlan (via an adviser) is stronger

If your situation is complex, having a qualified adviser make the planning decisions can be worth the fee. XPlan-using advisers typically charge 0.5-1% of assets per year for ongoing advice. On a £500,000 portfolio that is £2,500-£5,000 a year. The argument is that the adviser's modelling depth, tax efficiency, and ongoing review earn back the fee over time.

For households with multiple income sources, complex tax situations, business assets, or inheritance to plan around, the adviser-led model genuinely simplifies decisions you might not have the time or expertise to make. XPlan is the planning engine behind that.

Where Delphina is stronger

Delphina plans the whole picture, not just the investment portfolio. Your budget, your savings rate, your pension, your ISA, your State Pension, your property, and your goals all sit in one place. The platform models the planning, gives you a date for retirement, and shows you the monthly action that closes the gap.

Delphina is also transparent. You see the assumptions, you can adjust them, you can stress test against different savings rates or retirement ages. With an adviser-led XPlan setup, you are trusting the adviser's model. With Delphina, you are driving.

Who should pick which

Pick XPlan (via an adviser) if

-You have £250,000+ to invest and want a regulated adviser making the calls.
-Your situation is genuinely complex and worth the 0.5-1% ongoing fee.
-You prefer to delegate planning decisions rather than manage them yourself.

Pick Delphina if

-You want to plan yourself, with full visibility of the assumptions.
-You want budgeting, investments, pensions and goals in one place.
-You do not have £250k+ to invest, or you want to avoid ongoing adviser fees.

One thing to do this month

Pull your State Pension forecast from gov.uk and your latest pension statement. Connect both to Delphina this week. If after a month you decide your situation is complex enough to warrant advice, search the IRESS XPlan adviser directory for a discovery call. You will go in with a clear picture of where you stand, which makes the conversation more useful.