Two Victorian advice firms complete merger



Two financial advice practices based in Victoria have merged and rebranded as the combined firm realises the benefits of added scale.
The merger of Forbes Fava Financial Planning and Finanalyze Financial Planning, first announced in December 2023, has now been completed.
The new advice organisation has rebranded to Forbes Fava Saville Financial Planning, and operates from two offices in the Geelong and Melbourne area.
Cameron Forbes, chief executive and senior financial planner, noted the immediate benefits brought on by the merger, such as increased productivity and access to growth opportunities.
“Most importantly, our commitment to a boutique personalised approach to the provision of professional financial advice, service and support delivered at a local and accessible level has been strengthened as we now have a presence in both Geelong and Melbourne,” he said.
According to Forbes, the firm’s higher profile gained from the merger has been the catalyst for a steady stream of succession planning enquiries from business owners and financial planners expressing interest in potential growth opportunities.
Michael Fava, senior financial planner, commented: “This is understandable considering the ongoing industry changes and the benefits of Forbes Fava Saville Financial Planning’s industry knowledge, structure, administrative framework, flexibility and scale.”
However, Forbes said the firm is not focused on growth for growth’s sake. Instead, Forbes Fava Saville is committed to carefully managing growth while continuing to provide personalised advice.
Craig Saville, senior financial planner, also noted: “All clients of the new practice have been the first to benefit with access to a broader team of financial advice professionals and range of specialist financial services.”
Forbes added that the firm is focused on recruiting more financial planners in order to gain additional scale, as well as implementing training programs to continually upskill their advisers and staff.
Beyond organic growth, joint ventures and alliances with professional advisory businesses remain an area of interest for Forbes Fava Saville to boost its growth trajectory.
The CEO continued: “I firmly believe that partnering via joint ventures or alliances with accounting groups, legal firms, finance providers and fellow financial planning practices will be a significant growth opportunity with the benefits measured in a more comprehensive range of services for clients.”
Recommended for you
Sequoia Financial Group has declined by five financial advisers in the past week, four of whom have opened up a new AFSL, according to Wealth Data.
Insignia Financial chief executive Scott Hartley has detailed whether the firm will be selecting an exclusive bidder for the second phase of due diligence as it awaits revised bids from three private equity players.
Insignia Financial has reported a statutory net loss after tax of $17 million in its first half results, although the firm has noted cost optimisation means this is an improvement from a $50 million loss last year.
With alternative funds being described as “impossible” for fund managers to target towards advisers without the support of BDMs for education, Money Management explores the evolving nature of the distribution role.