IOOF, MLC practices join Count Financial

In a statement, Count Financial said Sydney-based practice Plan Protect, previously from Godfrey Pembroke, had joined the dealer group.

Count said the firm had a “strong reputation for providing strategic advice” and was “very much a family business”, with practice principal Janne Ashton’s son Byron Pritchard currently undergoing his professional year under Count’s program.

“Changing licensees is a significant decision for any business, so we started with an open mind and spoke to a number of options in the market,” Ms Ashton said.

“In the end, you hear a lot of similar rhetoric, but after speaking with the Count team it was clear they are a full-service licensee committed to helping us offer the best service to our clients.”

Count chief advice officer Andrew Kennedy said business support had been a key factor in Ms Ashton’s decision making.

“Janne and the team at Plan Protect have a reputation for delivering exceptional client outcomes so we’re extremely happy to have them coming on board,” Mr Kennedy said.

“I know one of their key reasons for joining us was the succession opportunities we can provide, and we will work closely with them so that can eventuate in the years to come.”

In addition, the firm had added two previously IOOF-licensed firms: Financial Stability, led by Melbourne adviser Sonia Turkovic; and holistic advice firm YS Financial Planning, founded by Yasu Kuramochi in 2015.

“Sonia and Yasu are quality advisers that bring experience and expertise to our network and they will be a great cultural fit for the Count Financial community,” Mr Kennedy said.