ClearView removes advice cross-subsidies

ClearView has signalled its intention to end the cross-subsidisation of its advice groups on the basis of fundamental changes it sees occurring within the industry in the wake of the Royal Commission.

The publicly-listed insurer and which operates ClearView Financial Advice, Matrix Planning Solutions and LaVista licensee solutions and boasts more than 200 planners has used an investor briefing to point to the changes it sees occurring in the financial planning industry.

Pointing to the strategic nature of its LaVista licensee solutions offering, the ClearView briefing said: “We’re seeing vertical disintegration across the industry with some institutions voluntarily selling or spinning off their wealth businesses”.

“At the same time many professional financial advisers are agitating for greater independence by leaving institutional dealer groups and gaining their own Australian Financial Services License,” it said.

ClearView said operational efficiency would become another attractive component of the LaVista offering, as the overhaul to commissions and other ‘conflicted remunerations’ were ultimately removed.

“The future state for dealer groups requires the removal of cross-subsidisation between the manufacturer and advice business and replacement of grandfathered commissions and rebate revenue streams that has driven economic value in the industry for some time,” it said.

“ClearView is focused on supporting financial advisers through an industrial strength back office to help make their practices compliant and more efficient either when they are licenced by our dealer groups or alternatively where they operate their own licence.”