Financial planners told to make FOFA irrelevant
Successful financial advice practices should look to make upcoming Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) regulations irrelevant by ensuring they have the correct systems in place, according to the managing director of Securitor and Licensee Select, Matt Englund.
Speaking at the Association of Financial Advisers Sydney road show, Englund recommended advisers "corporatise" their thinking.
By running a client-centric but commercially focused business - one that knows what it does and who it serves - advisers can take the power over the success of their business out of the hands of the regulators, Englund said.
It is important to "know your numbers", especially in a multi-disciplinary practice, he said.
Englund encouraged advisers not to be afraid to charge for what they do.
So long as advisers can demonstrate value, clients will be prepared to pay for that advice, he said.
By taking a long-term view, financial advisers can set up a practice to succeed through generations - but it would also mean having those tough conversations with business partners, Englund said.
Successful businesses would be those that are prepared to lead and those that put their clients first, he said.
Look at the business and ask "what would my clients say", Englund said.
This is a time of unprecedented opportunity for those with a clear view of the future and who are able to make FOFA irrelevant to their businesses, he said.
Recommended for you
While M&A has ramped up nationwide, three advice heads have explored Western Australia’s emergence as a region of interest among medium-sized firms vying for growth opportunities in an increasingly competitive market.
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority has reported an 18 per cent increase in investment and advice complaints received in the financial year 2025, rebounding from the previous year’s 26 per cent dip.
EY has broken down which uses of artificial intelligence are presenting the most benefits for wealth managers as well as whether it will impact employee headcounts.
Advice licensee Sequoia Financial Group has promoted Sophie Chen as an executive director, following her work on the firm’s Asia Pacific strategy.

