The Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) has opened four New South Wales chapters and welcomed an influx of young planners.
Newcastle’s new chapter is run by Julie James and Yvonne Neilson, Norwest Sydney is run by Christine Matthews, Central West is chaired by Paul Toshack and mid-North Coast is headed by Peter Bentley and Nick Blue.
This brings the total number of chapters to five in NSW and 23 nationally.
“It’s all about grass roots,” AFA chief executive Richard Klipin told InvestorDaily.
“It’s about what happens close to where members are – relevant issues and relevant topics are different for advisers in Cairns, Townsville or Toowoomba as opposed to the big city chapters. It’s taking the AFA to where the members are.”
AFA membership has swelled by 28 per cent this year.
Of new the new members, 70 per cent are in the AFA GenXt age bracket, which is under 40-years-old.
“It’s really encouraging; the message of ‘by advisers, for advisers’ is resonating,” Klipin said.
The AFA GenXt roadshow will hit Perth on May 7 and Tasmania on May 8.
The peer-led learning event also took place in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in February.
Around 650 young planners will be given answers to key issues facing them in succession planning, buying into practices, pricing businesses and client engagement.
Speakers include Kenyon Prendeville directorStephen Prendeville and NAB business financial planning banking national manager Malcolm Arnold.
In association with car manufacturer Audi and Channel Ten, the group will hold the Audi AFA MSquerade Ball in Brisbane on April 19 to raise money for MS Australia.
