Dealer group Charter Financial Planning continues to have a positive outlook for 2009 despite the global financial crisis and expects to increase its adviser numbers before the end of the year.
“Our goal for 2009 is net adviser number growth in both Axa and Charter of 65 advisers. Charter’s share of that will be about half, so that will be about 32 or 33 additional advisers each,” Axa and Charter Financial Planning national director Paul Williams said.
“It’s relatively modest growth but we don’t want to grow by 100 because we don’t want to put pressure on our resources,” he said.
From a client perspective, Charter has identified its capital protected product North as a key element in retaining its advisory clients and attracting additional clients in the current market downturn.
The number of applications for the product increased by 50 per cent over November and December last year, and this trend has continued into the new year.
To further aid its network of advisers, Charter is also planning to improve its proprietary online statement of advice production tool.
“We launched a new online system late last year and we want to make further changes to this,” Williams said.
“These will be in the form of simplification of language to clients and the ease upon which the document is produced by the adviser or their support staff.”
