The ifa Show

There are so many amazingly successful women in the finance industry, but only a small number have a strong brand and online presence in this traditionally male-dominated industry. 
 
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we want to help more women raise their profile and showcase the incredible professionals in this space.
 
In this episode, partnered by Mortgage Choice (part of the REA Group), we’re picking the brain of its executive manager, corporate communications, events & franchise marketing, Sally Chadwick, to find out:

• How to build a brand presence. 
• The benefits of having a strong brand presence.
• Top tips to help you get started today.

And much more!

In the latest episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic sits down with Adele Martin, the founder of My Money Buddy and the Savings Squad podcast, on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Martin and Djurdjevic discuss the latest gender pay gap data, as well as ways to attract more women into financial advice and the potential for women to make a significant impact in the sector.

Listen as they discuss:

• The importance of fair representation.
• The role advice plays in helping women secure safe financial futures.
• How advisers celebrating achievements can help financial advice move closer to achieving gender equality.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Peter Johnston, executive director of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals (AIOFP), to discuss the recent creation of a new joint association.

Mr Johnston explains why the AIOFP joined forces with the Finance Brokers Association of Australasia (FBAA) to form the Independent Financial Council (IFC), as well as why now is the time for the advice profession to push its agenda in Canberra.

Listen as they discuss:

• Why Mr Johnston thinks the IFC can be more effective than the Joint Associations Working Group (JAWG).
• How the Quality of Advice Review consultations are tracking and where changes might come.
• The recent move for 400 InterPrac advisers to join the AIOFP.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by ifa news editor Keith Ford to discuss the latest on the QAR and other regulatory changes affecting the profession.

A year has passed since Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones released the final report on the Quality of Advice Review, a move that was eagerly awaited by the financial advice community. Despite the release, the journey towards implementing the recommendations has been slow, marked by a series of roundtables and consultations.

In this podcast, Maja and Keith discuss:

• The likelihood that QAR commitments will be legislated this year.
• Treasury’s Senate estimates appearance and the “qualified adviser” conundrum.
• The implications of the ASIC levy increase for advisers, and more.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by Angus Taylor, a financial adviser at Sheffield Financial, to discuss his unconventional path from working in a mine in central Queensland to financial advice.

Mr Taylor explains why he made the move to financial services and breaks down the difficulty he had breaking into the sector before being able to start his own financial advice practice.

Listen as they discuss:

• The ongoing impact of the royal commission five years on and the importance of adapting to changing regulations.
• The confusion that has been created with the proposed addition of “qualified advisers”.
• How advisers can deal with the growing demand for financial advice.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by Blake Briggs, the chief executive officer of the Financial Services Council (FSC), to discuss the issues impacting the financial advice profession and Australians at large.

Mr Briggs examines the government’s bold approach to tax reform – both in relation to the stage three tax cuts and within the superannuation system – and highlights the importance of certainty and stability in tax settings to maintain consumer confidence.

Listen as they discuss:

• Why he is optimistic about the outcomes of the Quality of Advice Review.
• The importance of advisers registering with ASIC and the need for transparency in the ASIC levy.
• The busy year ahead with retirement income reforms, changes to the managed investment scheme review, and the implementation of the CSLR.

In this special episode of the ifa Show, we bring you a chat editor Maja Garaca Djurdjevic had with David Tuckwell, senior product and investment strategist at Global X ETFs, about the future trajectory of the exchange-traded fund (ETF) market and flows into bitcoin ETFs.

Listen as they discuss:

• How financial advisers are helping to boost ETF growth.
• The popularity of fixed income ETFs during 2023.
• Allaying advisers’ concerns about bitcoin ETFs.
• Competition and future launches in the cryptocurrency space.
• ETFs positioned to benefit from a monetary easing environment.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Glen Hare, co-founder and financial adviser at Fox & Hare, to discuss young Australians seeking financial empowerment amid changing markets.

Focused on a younger demographic, Mr Hare emphasises a holistic approach to address diverse financial goals, from property ownership to stock market investments, and highlights the importance of education and goal flexibility.

Listen as they discuss:

• The best way to address the concerns of younger clients.
• The varied reasons young Australians seek financial advice and the importance of dispelling misconceptions about age and wealth.
• The significance of educating clients, breaking down misconceptions, and supporting young Australians in cultivating financial empowerment for a secure and prosperous future.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Keith Ford is joined by the CEO of Verse Wealth, Corey Wastle, to discuss the important role that client experience plays in an advice business.

Mr Wastle explains what exactly falls within the realm of the client experience and why it is so important, as well as how Verse frames everything around values, intentions, and financial wellbeing.

Listen as they discuss:

• The best ways to approach the client experience and how digitising the process helps.
• How Verse has implemented video SOAs and why it is better for clients.
• The importance of culture within an advice firm.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by Peter Johnston, executive director of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals (AIOFP), to discuss a range of new programs for its members.

Mr Johnston details the referral relationship between the AIOFP and UK-based private bank and wealth manager Coutts, as well as a joint venture with Next Rural, an Australian-based group part-owned by accounting firm PKF.

Listen as they discuss:

• The AIOFP’s focus on elevating its Certified Financial Strategist (CFS) designation.
• Its continuing education program, Aspire, which offers discounts to members
• Why it is important to take a bipartisan approach to political lobbying.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by journalist Keith Ford to take a look at the government’s newly announced policy stance on the second and third tranches of the QAR.

The pair discuss everything that has come out of Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones’ Canberra announcement, which was met with disbelief from the advice community.

Listen as they discuss:

• The new class of “qualified advisers” that institutions will be able to employ – and why that term should change.
• How the profession has reacted to the announcement.
• Whether the negative attention on the controversial elements overshadowed the positive.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by Eugene Ardino, chief executive officer at Lifespan Financial Planning, and Tony Mantineo, head of Lifespan Partnership, to discuss the rise of self-licensed advisers.

Mr Ardino and Mr Mantineo explain some of the factors behind the increase in the number of advisers that are opting for self-licensing and the scale of the change, as well as how Lifespan works with advisers wanting to strike out on their own.

Listen as they discuss:

• The responsibilities and workload associated with running your own AFSL.
• How the trend of mergers and acquisitions within the advice industry is impacting the move to self-licensing.
• The importance of community and networking for advisers.

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by Kerry Ong, the general manager of customer wealth at Iress, to discuss improving the efficiency and accessibility of financial advice in Australia.

Mr Ong touches on the significant challenges facing the industry, including regulatory changes and cost pressures, which have necessitated doing more with less, as well as how Iress is responding by enhancing its software and services to better align with evolving business models.

Listen as they discuss:

• How the quality of advice review and subsequent legislative changes have underscored the need for more accessible advice.
• The findings of the Iress 2023 Financial Advice Efficiency Report.
• Iress’ new community platform, Advisely, which aims to foster peer-to-peer discussion and connect advisers with industry experts.

Following the Women in Finance Summit and Awards 2023, we’re catching up with some of the leading women in the financial services space.

In this episode, we chat to Rebecca Warren, executive general manager of small-business banking at CommBank, about how she navigated a historically male-dominated industry over her 20-year career and why she believes inclusion and diversity are not just morally imperative, but key to achieving superior business results.

Tune in to find out:

• Why she loves commercial finance.
• The secret power of ‘quiet achievers’.
• How CommBank is creating a more inclusive and supportive work culture.

And much more!

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by the general manager of consulting at Elixir, Sue Viskovic, to discuss her recent business merger, the evolving landscape of financial advice, and the role of technology in shaping the industry’s future.

Ms Viskovic explains the strategic decision to merge with Vital Business Partners (VBP), which brings greater access to capital, the ability to scale more rapidly, and ultimately, provide better and more efficient services to advice firms.

Listen as they discuss:

• What changes with a move into a new role, and what doesn’t.
• The potential of AI in the financial advice sector, particularly around automating business processes and improving efficiency.
• The government’s first Quality of Advice Review draft legislation.

Following the Women in Finance Summit and Awards 2023, we’re catching up with some of the leading women in the financial services space.

In this episode, we chat to Suzanne Wood, state general manager residential broker Victoria/Tasmania at Westpac Group (and state chair of the Women of Westpac employee advocacy group), about how she climbed the career ladder in banking and the power of having strong female role models.

Tune in to find out:

• How she learnt the art of having difficult conversations.
• The perils of unconscious bias and how to tackle them.
• How Westpac is supporting women through the Women of Westpac employee advocacy group.

And much more!

In this episode of the ifa Show, host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic is joined by journalist Keith Ford to take a look at the first tranche of legislation for the government’s Delivering Better Financial Outcomes package of reforms.

The pair discuss what is included in the draft legislation announced by Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones – and what isn’t. They also break down the minister’s comments and how advisers have reacted to the news.

Listen as they discuss:

• The notable omission of measures relating to statements of advice and the removal of safe harbour provisions.
• The response from industry bodies and advice associations.
• What’s next for the Quality of Advice Review reforms.

• How mergers and acquisitions within the advice space will lead to “super boutiques”.
• The rise of multidisciplinary firms working under a single umbrella.
• What the financial advice environment will look like over the next decade.

Ahead of the Women in Finance Summit and Awards 2023, we’re catching up with some of the leading women in the financial services space.

In this episode, we chat to Anjali Crossette, manager of motor operations at non-bank lender Liberty, about breaking barriers and misconceptions about car finance and why she believes the industry needs to showcase gender diversity across every rung of the career ladder.

Tune in to find out:

• Why the finance industry is an attractive industry to work in for women.

• The progress being made in gender diversity in car finance.

• How Liberty is leading the way by example.

And much more!

• The impact of regulation on advisers and how the Quality of Advice Review will play out.
• How younger advisers can enter the industry with banks no longer a pipeline.
• How an increase in mergers and acquisitions will impact the industry.