We are the advisory arm of an accounting practice. Both Adam Roberts and I, the two advisers, are Chartered Accountants as well as financial advisers. We started our firm when the accountants’ exemption ended nearly eight years ago. At the time, we realised that not incorporating financial advice into our firm would be too restrictive, so we began our journey into financial planning. We’ve grown from there, starting with two advisers, a junior adviser, a paraplanner and three client services team members.
The main difference is that accounting is always looking back, whereas planning looks forward. As an accountant, you often wish you had been involved earlier in clients’ decisions to make a difference. In financial planning, you’re the first point of contact when clients are thinking about their future. It’s incredibly rewarding to help clients navigate big decisions and manage the stress around finances, rather than just looking back at what’s already been done.
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a financial adviser is helping clients during some of the most challenging times in their lives. For instance, I recently had a client, a c-level executive, who was made redundant. She called me, concerned about whether she needed to find a job immediately or if she could take some time off. Being able to reassure her that she could take a break because of the financial groundwork we had done together was incredibly fulfilling.
Before I became a financial planner, I completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Who would have thought it would be so useful in this field. Transitioning into retirement, for example, is a massive psychological shift for many people. Moving from earning to spending is much harder than most anticipate. My psychology background helps me understand and support clients through these transitions, ensuring they feel confident and secure in their financial decisions.
When we took over our practice, it was a small, manual, paper-based operation. We explored our options, and BT Panorama stood out for its beautiful, user-friendly interface and strong backing behind the scenes. Over the years, as our practice has grown – almost 20% YoY – we’ve received significant support from BT, which has been instrumental in improving our efficiency and maintaining high-touch customer service.
We weren’t using the digital ROA capability until our Relationship Manager pointed it out to us. Discovering this feature was a game-changer – now instead of going through multiple steps, we can simply send an ROA to a client electronically, they approve it, and the process completes automatically.
“BT’s customer service and training have been instrumental in helping us streamline our processes.”
Younger clients want more information in a format that’s easy to digest, preferably through their smartphones rather than a computer. We’re focusing on making advice more accessible. There’s a growing demand for a different kind of adviser, so we’re continually refining our services to deliver what we do best at a price point that works for the next wave of young people coming through.
Our growth will continue to be organic, driven by referrals and word of mouth. We’re passionate about empowering our staff and continuously upskilling them. Technology plays an important role in this, as automating routine tasks allows us to focus on what truly matters – understanding our clients and helping them achieve their financial goals. BT’s commitment to high standards and continual improvement aligns with our vision for the future, so we can continue to provide the best possible service to our clients.
From dreamers to achievers: We meet Senior Client Service Specialist Leah Steele to find out why client service is an art form and how BT is helping Strategy First make financial dreams come true.
From supporter to strategic leader: Michael Hutton reflects on 25 years in wealth management and how BT Panorama is helping HLB Mann Judd’s wealth division lead the way.
Information current as at August 2024.
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