Movement from within the tied and aligned adviser space is highly likely this year as planners become more proactive in their search for greener pastures.
"Advisers that are part of a big group and have been unloved are more of a number than a name," Australian Unity Personal Financial Services (AUPFS) head of financial advice Craig Meldrum said.
"We're finding some advisers are looking very closely at some of the big mergers that have happened recently and asking, 'do I want to be part of a big bank-owned conglomerate or a small service-driven, non-aligned dealer?'"
AUPFS yesterday announced former Aon-Hewitt financial adviser Murray Kaye, along with his team of two authorised representatives, had joined the company to service the Adelaide and Barossa areas.
The recent additions brought its total adviser numbers to 93, but AUPFS planned to grow further, Meldrum said.
"We're not looking to be a massive licensee by any stretch where advisers don't get the service that we're providing, but we've got an idea of how big we want to be - it's more about the quality than the quantity of the advisers we're finding," he said.
As well as increasing its financial planning numbers, AUPFS's Accountant Partnership Program is also expanding.
"It's growing at a faster rate than what our adviser numbers are so it's really good for our advisers. Three months ago we had about 170 accountants and here we are today with about 210 accountants," Meldrum said.
"Accountants like independent, non-aligned groups, but say you're working for a big aligned dealership, those advisers don't need external centres of influence because they've got a ready-made bucket of clients to service from the in-house products, so to speak.
"But certainly for us and in the space we're in, it really works."
