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
Net cash flow on AMP’s platforms saw a substantial jump in the last quarter to $740 million, while its new digital advice offering boosted flows to superannuation and investment.
Insignia Financial has provided an update on the status of its private equity bidders as an initial six-week due diligence period comes to an end.
A judge has detailed how individuals lent as much as $1.1 million each to former financial adviser Anthony Del Vecchio, only learning when they contacted his employer that nothing had ever been invested.
Having rejected the possibility of an IPO, Mason Stevens’ CEO details why the wealth platform went down the PE route and how it intends to accelerate its growth ambitions in financial advice.