Financial Planning Week begins


Promoting the value of advice and improving consumer confidence are some of the main goals of this year's Financial Planning Week, according to Financial Planning Association (FPA) chief executive Mark Rantall.
The national event, which starts today, will promote the importance of working with a qualified, professional financial planner, Rantall added.
"The [Future of Financial Advice] reforms were a step in the right direction when it came to improving access of financial advice to Australians, and the FPA is dedicated to turning the financial planning industry into a profession for the benefit of qualified and trusted financial planners, and ultimately for the benefit of consumers as well," Rantall said.
During the Financial Planning Week, the FPA will once again offer free scaled financial advice through its 'Ask an Expert' online initiative.
Ask an Expert is a forum where consumers pose questions to FPA members, who then provide information and/or a one-off piece of advice to the consumer.
Also on offer, will be new consumer guides explaining financial advice in plain English and a website providing jargon-free information.
"Research shows that people with a dedicated financial planner are more likely to feel financially secure and more confident in dealing with their greatest financial concerns than those without," Rantall said.
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