In this episode of The ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by Grant Hackett, CEO of Generation Life, and Rebecca Pritchard, senior financial planner at Rising Tide Financial Services, to discuss the increasingly complex financial landscape shaped by evolving superannuation and tax policies.

Together, they explore the key challenges these changes present for advisers and clients, and how financial professionals can navigate this new terrain to better serve their clients’ long-term financial goals.

Tune in for expert insights into critical issues, including:

• The effects of recent regulatory changes on financial planning strategies.
• How superannuation reforms are transforming retirement planning.
• New research from Generation Life revealing that 75 per cent of Australians are concerned about their retirement savings. · The evolving role of financial planners in helping clients navigate uncertainty.
• Effective strategies for sustaining client confidence during economic and policy shifts, and more.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by ifa deputy editor Keith Ford to discuss a range of issues within the financial advice space, including the opposition’s strong statement on delays to implementing the Quality of Advice Review’s (QAR) recommendations.

The pair delve into shadow financial services minister Luke Howarth’s criticism of the government due to the lack of movement on the second tranche of the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes (DBFO) bill, despite the final QAR report being handed down more than 650 days ago.

Listen as they discuss:

• Whether there is still time for DBFO tranche two legislation to be delivered.
• The public inquiry into the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort, Dixon Advisory and wealth management companies.
• Super funds embracing digital advice and the response from the advice community.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Dawn Thomas, a senior wealth adviser with The Wealth Designers, to explore the challenges of completing a PhD while continuing to work as a financial adviser, as well as the ongoing challenges that the profession faces.

Thomas discusses her PhD on Generation Z’s initial experience with superannuation, and the heavy workload of pursuing her research while balancing work and family obligations.

She also shares why she believes that combining her academic background with her practical experience will enhance her expertise and help improve financial literacy among younger individuals, ultimately fostering greater engagement with the superannuation system.

Listen as they discuss:

• The sacrifices she’s making to complete her PhD.
• Advisers’ struggle to be viewed as a profession.
• Improving people’s engagement with their super, and more.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by author and financial adviser Helen Baker to unpack the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and how financial advisers can highlight prime investment opportunities in the market.

Baker identifies the industries set to benefit from AI for advisers looking to integrate these into client portfolios and the ethical concerns surrounding these new technologies.

Listen as they discuss:

• The revolutionary benefits and potential dangers of AI.
• How clients can benefit from AI investments.
• The ESG considerations that advisers should keep in mind.

• Readjusting to an office environment after competing in the Olympics.
• How a career as a track athlete has helped her become a better adviser and vice versa.
• Why financial advice is an appealing career for young people who may not know what it entails.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic and Eugene Ardino, CEO of Lifespan Financial Planning, explore the challenges that single adviser firms face and why they have an important place in the market.

Ardino explains what the future holds for these firms and how reductions in red tape will make life easier, as well as how outsourcing arrangements can free the adviser to spend more time providing advice rather than in the back office dealing with admin tasks.

Listen as they discuss:

• Why advisers need to decide early if they want to remain a single practitioner firm.
• The difference between working as an adviser and running an advice firm.
• How single practitioners can ensure they remain sustainable in the long run.

In this episode of The ifa show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic and Matt Esler, co-founder and co-CEO of Padua, explore how financial advisers can maximise the potential of their CRM systems.

He emphasises that while CRMs are powerful tools, their effectiveness hinges on the quality of data input.

Esler also discusses the importance of personalisation in client relationships, leveraging tools like Padua’s Discover and Research Manager to enhance the accuracy and relevance of financial advice.

He concludes by reaffirming the evolving role of paraplanners, who will become more strategic in delivering better, faster advice.

Don’t miss Esler’s expert tips on refining your CRM for greater success.

• CRM data gaps: CRM data often has gaps, limiting its effectiveness.
• Personalisation: Tools like Discover help personalise advice and updates.
• Client relationships: Better data leads to stronger client engagement and outcomes.
• Future trends: Embracing new tech and ISO-certified tools for enhanced financial insights.

In this episode of The ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Lana Clark, founder of GSD Lab and senior consultant at Elixir Consulting, powered by VBP, to take an in-depth look at some of the key findings from the firm’s recently released Advice Operations Research Report.

Clark breaks down the ingredients that make up the secret sauce of great advice firm operations, explaining the areas that the research found make the largest contribution to successful firms and how practice principals can ensure the business is ready for the future.

Listen as they discuss:

• The importance of separating the role of practice manager as quickly as possible.
• How building a good culture is harder than it seems but is vital to business success.
• Why nailing down bulletproof processes within an advice firm is a fundamental step.