AMP’s new financial planning centre located in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta is already close to being full despite only hosting its official launch yesterday.
The new centre has the capacity to house a maximum number of 20 advisers and has so far reached agreements with 16 individual financial planners to have them operate their practices out of the facility.
AMP financial planning centre manager Ian Pascoe said he expected all of the office positions to be filled in either October or November this year.
The majority of the 16 advisers who have already agreed to be housed in AMP’s financial planning centre are young professionals taking the first steps toward setting up their own practices. The remaining practitioners are experienced ones looking to rid themselves of the administrative burdens of running a small business.
Having a mix of planners in the centre will help service clients better and give the advisers a more complete working experience as well, according to AMP Financial Planning director Michael Guggenheimer.
“While it is a great opportunity for consumers to come and see our financial planners who are located in this centre, there is also a second reason we’ve considered this as a concept and that is the camaraderie I believe that the 20 financial planners working out this centre will be able to build,” he said.
AMP financial planning and advice director Steve Helmich said there is an additional element of being able to provide younger planners with experienced role models within the one business unit.
“They want to hear what other planners are doing and pick their brain and share ideas with them,” he said.
Consumers entering the financial planning centre for the first time will be allocated an appropriate adviser based on their individual circumstances and the experience and business model of the adviser.
Financial planners operating out of the centre will pay a flat fee each to AMP for the cost of overheads.
