Australian Unity takes stake in financial advisory practice
Australian Unity Personal Financial Services has partnered with corporate financial advisory firm Certainty Financial, establishing a joint venture and taking a majority interest in the practice.
Certainty has 22 staff in Melbourne and four in Sydney, including directors, and $500 million in funds under advice.
It has a "quality corporate client base", according to Australian Unity Personal Financial Services general manager Steve Davis, who said there would now be opportunities to provide those clients with access to a broader range of services including Australian Unity's corporate health insurance programs.
"Certainty Financial is a highly successful business that has substantial revenue, funds under advice and clients. Certainty Financial will be a significant contributor to increasing the scale and strength of Australian Unity Personal Financial Services," Davis said.
Australian Unity described Certainty as a high growth corporate advisory firm specialising in superannuation and group insurance solutions
"The addition of Certainty Financial will better position Australian Unity Personal Financial Services to take advantage of opportunities arising from the significant regulatory and environmental changes impacting financial services such as the Future of Financial Advice reforms," Davis said.
Certainty Financial will continue to operate as a stand-alone business with its existing management team and staff, according to Australian Unity.
Recommended for you
The FSCP has announced its latest verdict, suspending an adviser’s registration for failing to comply with his obligations when providing advice to three clients.
Having sold Madison to Infocus earlier this year, Clime has now set up a new financial advice licensee with eight advisers.
With licensees such as Insignia looking to AI for advice efficiencies, they are being urged to write clear AI policies as soon as possible to prevent a “Wild West” of providers being used by their practices.
Iress has revealed the number of clients per adviser that top advice firms serve, as well as how many client meetings they conduct each week.