Special licence needed for older advisers, broker says

In a statement, Mr Tynan said there is a low likelihood that mature-aged advisers will enrol in university to complete degree qualifications.

"Rather than having this knowledge and experience lost to the industry and the next generation of advice practitioners, a new licensing regime could be created where the older adviser could move into a relationship adviser role and still receive brokage from their client register as they transition to retirement," he said.

Mr Tynan added that experienced advisers are known to have soft skills which, along with technical skills, are an important part of being an adviser.

"Modern education does not teach the interpersonal engagement skills that the more experienced advisers have in abundance. The provision of quality advice will continue to be a P2P business and the 'soft skills' [remain] essential for long-term business/practice success," he said.

"How to create a bridge between technical and soft skills advice is an issue that needs to be addressed as industry noise gets louder about there being no alignment between job skills and education."

Nevertheless, Mr Tynan still believes the industry needs a base level of education standards to be put in place, as well as continuing education.

"Although an adviser may have attained a CFP qualification, this does not mean that they have the capacity to give advice or able to manage a financial planning SME business," he said.

"Education, personal and professional development is a continuous process and no one can ever stop learning in this universal world of knowledge."