Mercantile Mutual gears for distribution

10 March 2000
| By Samantha Walker |

Mercantile Mutual says its distribution networks are ready for the spate of market changes expected later this year with the company’s inhouse brokerage and dealer group Mercantile Mutual Broker Services being rebranded as AustAdvisers.

Mercantile Mutual says its distribution networks are ready for the spate of market changes expected later this year with the company’s inhouse brokerage and dealer group Mercantile Mutual Broker Services being rebranded as AustAdvisers.

Chief general manager of retail distribution Les Clayton says AustAdvisers is still “in its early stages”, having only being launched this month. It currently has 40 ad-visers licensed to it but the group hopes to bring more advisers on board.

“There’s probably 80 practices which might be attracted to this solution,” Clayton says.

Mercantile Mutual managing director Rod Atfield says, apart from this, there will be no changes to his group’s distribution strategy.

“We will continue to allow our advisers to choose their products. Some groups are almost trying to push their advisers into tied distribution. We’ve always believed in the independent adviser market,” Atfield says.

"Although it’s a commonly held belief that you must control your distribution to be effective, we believe we can capture retail margins in our master trusts and wraps.”

Atfield remains nonplussed about cross endorsement requirements under CLERP 6, saying the issue is a non-event.

“This is a furphy that goes a long way back. There’s never been a problem with cross endorsement,” he says.

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest news and developments in wealth management industry

MARKET INSIGHTS

This verdict highlights something deeply wrong and rotten at the heart of the FSCP. We are witnessing a heavy-handed, op...

1 day 19 hours ago

Interesting. Would be good to know the details of the StrategyOne deal....

6 days ago

It’s astonishing to see the FAAA now pushing for more advisers by courting "career changers" and international recruits,...

3 weeks 4 days ago

Insignia Financial has made four appointments, including three who have joined from TAL, to lead strategy and innovation in its retirement solutions for the MLC brand....

2 weeks 6 days ago

A former Brisbane financial adviser has been charged with 26 counts of dishonest conduct regarding a failure to disclose he would receive substantial commission payments ...

4 days 23 hours ago

Pinnacle Investment Management has announced it will acquire strategic interests in two international fund managers for $142 million....

4 days 2 hours ago