Thousands of prospective clients to use FPA online advice service
By Kathleen Payne | 17/01/2013 12:00:00 AM | 0 comments
Last year people took to their computer to ask advice in a non-confronting, stress free space as part of the FPA's 'Ask an Expert' campaign.
Financial Planning Association CEO Mark Rantall said the campaign was a vital way to encourage consumers to seek financial advice, at a time when it is needed more than ever.
He said there were about 25,000 searches a month using the FPA's 'Find a Planner' search engine.
“Our sense is that the numbers of people getting advice are few and far between, but people thinking about it and not knowing where to go or who to trust are increasing, and that’s why we’ve re-launched ask an expert.”
With thousands of people acknowledging that they need advice, there is a lot more financial planners can do to encourage them to get it, said Rantall.
“One of the best ways financial planners can encourage consumers is to be heavily involved in their local community and to get involved through media, through writing columns…running events and information evenings, and many financial planners are already doing that. Bringing financial planning back to the community is a great way to promote [it] in local areas.”
Rantall said planners were taking for granted the knowledge bank they had and that they needed to remember the vast majority of the population don’t have that knowledge.