Two financial planning member organisations to merge
Members of the Authorised Representatives Association (ARA), which represents around 90 Charter Financial Planning advice businesses and approximately 250 advisers, have voted to close the 40-year-old association and join The Advisers Association (TAA).
The merger, which will be effective from 1 July 2022, was decided following a vote from ARA members to close the association in April.
TAA chief executive, Neil Macdonald, said: “We are very much looking forward to representing ARA members and supporting them as they help clients achieve better financial outcomes.
“Our two associations have a long history of working closely together via numerous consultation groups and this merger will give us an even stronger voice in what continue to be challenging times for advisers.”
Macdonald said the merger would also allow for greater collaboration.
“As we have consistently said, in order to move forward, the financial advice community needs to genuinely collaborate,” he said.
“The merger will enable us to deliver a more united message in our ongoing communications not only within our own community, but also with the media and with the government.”
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.