Dealer group Lifespan Financial Planning has launched a support service for existing self-licensed advisers and financial advice businesses and those planning to held their own individual Australian Financial Services licence (AFSL).
Lifespan chief executive Eugene Ardino said the new service was designed to meet the increase in demand for individual licensing sparked by the financial services royal commission.
“We experienced a marked increase in interest for individual licensing across 2019. The greater degree of freedom that it allows is certainly appealing for many advisers, but we recognised an opportunity to add to that proposition by offering the security and convenience of best-of-breed ancillary services,” Ardino said.
The privately owned adviser network announced its new Lifespan Partnership service, led by Lifespan national practice consultant Jill Tunkin, would provide current and aspiring self-licensed advisers with modules in the areas of virtual services, practice consultancy, compliance, and education and training.
All four modules would be available as pre-packaged bundles catering to the self-licensed adviser’s level of experience and amount of support required for them to complete their transition to an AFSL, Lifespan stated.
In addition, a partnership program consisting of around 40 additional service providers covering areas such as paraplanning, investment consulting and marketing would be included as part of the offering.
Tunkin said the new program was designed to meet self-licensed adviser’s demand for a support service that catered to their specific needs.
“The advisers I spoke to invariably voiced their desire for services that suited their individual needs and preferences. They wanted a vast network of peripheral services and contacts to be provided at their fingertips and an engagement level that they wanted to control. So I have endeavoured to provide this in the Lifespan Partnership offering,” she added.
