Count Financial welcomes Affinitas
Affinitas Financial Planning has joined Count Financial as its newest corporate authorised representative.
The arrangement represents a resumption of growth for Count Financial following its acquisition from the Commonwealth Bank by CountPlus.
Brad Peters, Affinitas managing director, said the decision to move to Count was done by “speed dating then short-listing” 14 different licensees.
“No-one moves licensees for fun – but post Hayne Royal Commission, this was very much a decision about the future of our business and the broader financial planning industry,” Peters said.
“Count’s size, compliance focus and overall support offering, plus the strength of being backed by the CountPlus listed entity, were all definitely factors in our final choice of licensee.”
Peters said supporting financial planning businesses that worked as part of an accounting practice was part of the DNA of Count, which is more evident now that it is part of CountPlus.
Andrew Kennedy, chief advice officer of Count Financial, said the announcement showed the model introduced by CountPlus to support their network of firms was already working.
“Count Financial has transformed as a business, and while we’re proud of what we’ve achieved in the past six months, we have a busy agenda of new initiatives to continue to roll out,” Kennedy said.
“We not only enable our advisers to focus on providing more valuable services to clients, but we are a quality licensee and partner for firms in these times of unprecedented change.
“Being able to secure a business like Affinitas as our newest member firm illustrates the appeal of working with a licensee that is driven from the top by people who know the power and value of financial planning.”
Brisbane-based Affinitas Financial Planning was part of the wider Affinitas Group, which provides individual and small business clients with tax, finance, investment and personal insurance advice.
Peters was a 30% senior partner in the Affinitas Accounting Practice and 100% of Affinitas Financial Planning.
Recommended for you
Platform HUB24 has reported $100 billion funds under administration in its latest quarterly results, helped by a 90 per cent rise in platform net inflows.
Progressing digital advice and seeking breakeven in the advice division are part of AMP’s goals for the upcoming financial year as it approaches 1,000 financial advisers in its licensee.
The Rask Group, in partnership with InvestSMART’s new investment platform, has announced three ETF strategies, aimed at empowering financial advisers to create and manage their own ETF portfolios.
Research by Wealth Data has found exactly half the number of advisers who have worked at closed AFSLs in the current financial year remain on the ASIC FAR.
