Shorter SOAs for RetireInvest advisers
RetireInvest has updated the statement of advice (SOA) templates used by advisers, reducing documents to around 30 pages.
George Haramis, general manager, said: “You’ve seen all the stories — advisers getting caught up with 90 to 100 page SOAs.
“It inhibits how they deal with clients, so we’ve actually reviewed our SOA templates and made them far more efficient.
“They are a lot shorter, smarter and allow people to get on with business at the same time as clearly meeting the requirements of the regulators.”
‘Project Compliance’, the internal review of all RetireInvest policies, has been headed up by national manager for compliance and professional standards Simon Micallef.
Additional tools and professional standards were launched at the group’s recent professional development days.
The objectives of the review were two-fold - to enhance the overall compliance regime at RetireInvest as well as the sales process and client experience.
Micallef said: “These new tools allow the advice to be tailored more specifically at the initial meeting, which makes it easier for advisers to do business and ultimately improves the customer experience.”
RetireInvest has also brought its auditing process back in-house, where previously this function had been outsourced to Tribeca.
Haramis said: “We now have greater control, authority and understanding of what is required by the network.”
Recommended for you
ASIC has released the results of its first adviser exam to be held in 2025 with 241 candidates attempting the test.
Quarterly Wealth Data analysis has uncovered positive improvements in financial adviser numbers compared with losses in the prior corresponding period.
Holding portfolios that are too complex or personalised can be a detractor for acquirers of financial advice firms as they require too much effort to maintain post-acquisition.
As the financial advice profession continues to wait on further DBFO legislation, industry commentators have encouraged advisers to act now in driving practice efficiency.