Quality of Advice Review presents opportunity to ‘rebuild adviser numbers’

In a recent webinar, AFA CEO Phil Anderson said the upcoming Quality of Advice Review (QAR) – which will investigate whether there are opportunities to streamline and simplify regulatory compliance - has an opportunity to key issues in the advice industry, including declining adviser numbers.

“We need to make sure that we have a focus on retaining as many of the existing advisers who are considering their future," Mr Anderson said.

“But we also need to make sure that we have a steady flow of new advisers coming in to the advice profession so that we can start to rebuild adviser numbers.”

It was revealed late last year that the number of Australian advisers shrank below 19,000 in 2021 and is predicted to reach 13,000 by the end of 2023.

However, a report released just weeks ago by Adviser Ratings has predicted that a further 2,387 advisers will depart in the industry in 2022.

In the webinar, Mr Anderson outlined four key objectives for the QAR:

• Reduce complexity
• Reduce the cost of advice and the cost of running advice businesses
• Improve the client centricity in the advice and services processes
• Ensure that financial advice is a sustainable profession

“Our goal in this exercise is to get as many high priority initiatives across the line as possible,” he said.

In a separate webinar last week, shadow financial services minister Stephen Jones said he believes “there is a need for us to put in place a transition arrangement” for advisers in their latter years of their career should Labor win this month’s federal election.

“So halt the large-scaled exit of advisers who are otherwise competent and have a capacity to perform a job that is needed to be done,” Mr Jones explained.

“I’m thinking largely of people who are in the latter years of the profession — they’ve had no problems, they’ve provided high level competence of advice, often thought of as mentors to others within the industry…”

Neil Griffiths

Neil is the Deputy Editor of the wealth titles, including ifa and InvestorDaily.

Neil is also the host of the ifa show podcast.