Financial adviser sets up barrister-like practice

Nathan Fradley, formerly a senior adviser at Tribeca Financial, has launched a self-named brand called Nathan Fradley Advice, which he said would enable him to focus on complex cases that require specialist attention.

“Most of my day-to-day advice work is actually spent in a couple of key specialist areas. Those are normally aged care, complex divorces, and complex estates,” Fradley said.

“The common thread in all these different cases is there is a level of technical nuance that needs to be adhered to. There are rules, regulations, and tiny details that make an enormous amount of difference to that client situation.

“But the added complexity on the emotional side is where I really specialise. My job in all these areas is to take what is potentially a harrowing situation, bring the temperature down and get them back to some level of comfort.”

How this will work, he explained, is by acting almost like a barrister would in a legal setting – where they bring a level of expertise in specific areas that many lawyers would not normally operate in.

“What I won’t be doing is any ongoing advice. In practical terms, this means one of two things,” Fradley said.

“Either I’m working with that person directly, or what I think will be most common, is I’m working with financial advisers with their clients, kind of a bit more like a barrister.

“This means I can continue doing what I love, serving the people I most enjoy working with, continuing to hone my craft, but I’m also very flexible and malleable so I can move to the demands of where my time needs me the most.”

One of the driving factors in the decision to take on this unique role, he said, is to explore the opportunities available through focusing on a particular niche within financial advice.

“I’ve had this hypothesis that if advisers really started niching, the profession as a whole would prosper. So, I decided to test it out,” Fradley added.

“Normally, an advice practice will start building together a group of clients that they love working with and provide them services on an ongoing basis. I’m going to do things a little differently.”

Fradley, who is also co-director of Ethos Impact Australia, will be licensed under the PlanningSolo licence.

“I’m rapt to have Nathan joining my licence. I know what a great adviser he is and how deeply he cares for those he works with. I really look forward to seeing him delivering for them as our newest independent financial adviser,” said Jordan Vaka from PlanningSolo Licensing.