Count Financial adds Sydney practice

The appointment is the latest for CountPlus, reporting it has added 50 advisers to its national network since January.

Small & Gunn director John Small said the move had been made easy when he discovered Count’s business model had similar values.

“When we met with Count’s leadership team, they clearly explained the vision and purpose of the business – particularly with regards to running a transparent model which is free of institutional conflicts,” Mr Small said.

“The advice and professional standards model focuses on strategic advice that is in the best interests of the client. This resonated with our own values as a business, because we’ve always believed in delivering exceptional client outcomes rather than selling products.”

He added compliance and professional standards team has adopted a “more pragmatic approach” than some other licensees.

“It was also very clear that there’s an incredibly experienced head office team that properly understands high-quality financial advice and how to effectively navigate the challenges of changing reputation and market volatility,” Mr Small said.

The onboarding process with Count Financial took six weeks.

Small & Gunn founders Cassandra Gunn and Mr Small have provided advice on the Sydney lower north shore for more than 20 years.

Count chief advice officer Andrew Kennedy said the addition of the firm was a boost for the licensee, with the practice holding a “strong reputation”.