You can count on it

IFA cover story

By Vishal Teckchandani
Mon, 05 May 2008

Page 1 of 2

Count Financial is on track to reach its growth targets after securing the most advisers in the last six months to December 2007.

Listed dealer group Count Financial grabbed the mantle for the most advisers gained over the six months to December 2007, the latest IFA Dealer Group Survey shows.

The Sydney-based group gained 31 planners to total 926 for the period.

"More people are coming to talk to us about being a part of Count and I think it is primarily because of our equity scheme arrangement," Count chief executive Marianne Perkovic says.

"Also I think given our best practice compliance and research standards we have avoided all the financial disasters."

Perkovic says that while the group's focus is to grow, it does not have a set target of advisers it wants by the end of the year, preferring the quality of firms.

However, its acquisition arm, Countplus, is constantly attracting accounting and financial planning firms interested in listing.

Securitor says rebranding and reinforcing its message last year was one of the proponents of gaining advisers.

The St George Bank-backed dealer group added 25 advisers in the six months to December 2007, bringing its total number to 443.

"We rebranded in the middle of 2007 and what that involved was taking a very detailed look at the existing business, including talking to a large number of our advisers around what the business relationship was all about and what they thought of Securitor," Securitor head Neil Younger says.

You can count on it

IFA cover story

By Vishal Teckchandani

Page 2 of 2

Through discussions with its advisers, the dealer group forged its identity and is very clear on its value proposition when recruiting advisers, Younger says.

Initiatives, such as a new recruitment program called Growth Through Partnership, and growing popularity of Securitor's business coaching tool, Business Torque, and the firm's integrated platform, AdviserNetgain, also attracted advisers.

Securitor is confident it can grow its advisers and wants to have 480 advisers under its belt by the end of the year.

"We are in a phase of extending and rolling out our Business Torque programs and getting our advisers to realise the efficiencies of AdviserNetgain," Younger says.

One of the surprises of the dealer group survey was the impressive gain by Telstra Super Financial Planning (TSFP), which gained four advisers or nearly 10 per cent to 46 for the six months to December 2007.

TSFP, which provides financial planning for the telco giant and its subsidiaries employees, their families and ex-employees, experienced a 60 per cent jump in adviser numbers for the whole of 2007.

It had no aggressive recruiting strategy; in fact, it is planners who are vying to join the business because of its attractive value proposition, according to the group's general manager, Steve Grinter.

"The culture we have is a family friendly one and we actually provide strategic advice and we do not sell on commission," Grinter says.

"We do not incentivise our planners to sell products, we actually incentivise them to see people."

Grinter indicated the dealer group is retaining gen Y planners successfully due to promotion prospects within the business.