Question:
Is the adviser course aimed at demonstrating competency? Given I’ve years of experience (with business figures from year dot) & I’m currently doing hours of financial coaching plus qualifications in Executive Leadership, I’m unsure what the fast-track course will provide. I appreciate that I’ll need to learn cash flow modelling and will benefit from peer support through the annual membership. Perhaps another chat would cover the details.
Answer:
We’re not a course, we’re an advice network.
It’s hours and hours of personal one-on-one mentorship support, all the materials you need as an Advice-only financial planning start-up, and peer group membership of the Academy (for less than the price of a typical course). The aim is to leverage all that fabulous know-how of yours to create a successful business asset for you.
The fast-track element is to have you up and running in three months (well ahead of Consumer Duty deadlines, if that’s relevant).
You have a great deal of experience and qualifications. We don’t have a business when we return from a training course on a Monday morning. The critical objective of mentorship and membership is to help you set up and run a successful business. That takes a relevant support system of materials, peer groups and personal mentorship.
You mentioned three talents shaping your customer proposition: financial adviser, financial coach, and executive coach. The Academy can support you in shaping those three talents (and more) into one compelling customer proposition with a go-to-market strategy.
The trouble most financial advisers face when transitioning from regulated investment advisers to advice-only financial planners is this. The public has been trained to expect your process to be free, for example, free initial meetings, fact-find, and suitability reports. Adviser fees were all contingent on a product sale. Remove the product, and the rest is free.
Forget that process. It can now be done in 15 seconds for free. Vanguard commoditised the market. See:
“It takes 15 seconds to do what it might take an adviser 15 hours,” – Sean Hagerty, Vanguard.
(3) “OMG! What just happened last week?”, the Intermediary. | LinkedIn
The question asked is, how do I get my clients to pay my fee? What you need is something different. Something comprehensive. What you need is a process clients value and will pay for. And that is proper financial planning.
What is proper financial planning?
Proper financial planning is much bigger than regulated investment advice.
Proper financial planning includes leadership, strategic direction, goal clarification, emotional support, perspective, confidence, accountability, trusted resource, expertise, timesaving, education, empowerment, peace of mind, security, freedom, monitoring, scorekeeping, course correcting, ongoing discovery, and new opportunities.
Regulated investment advice is proactive investment management.
See: Transition Your Financial Planning Firm | LinkedIn
Proper financial planning includes lifetime cash flow modelling. But customers also expect you to be a concierge for all their financial services: wealth transfer advice (while still alive), general investment management advice, trust services, estate planning advice (for after your death), tax planning advice, non-liquid asset management, long-term care insurance advice, loan and credit management, life insurance advice, education financial advice, business succession planning, real estate advice, banking services, property and casualty insurance advice, and health insurance advice.
And not just on regulated financial assets but on all your assets. Not just saving assets you have already made but plans to make assets. Not just plans for wealthy people but plans for everyone. Not just plans on tangible assets but plans on how to leverage intangible assets to create financial assets. Not just financial plans but life plans. Not just about buying or selling products but about planning your finances. Not just your basic needs but also your growth desires.
Not just wealth in your bank account, but in every area of your life.
When you combine these things, you see a big difference between you and your potential. And that’s what this programme at the Academy aims to deliver.
Financial coaching prepares you for financial planning
We use financial coaching in the Game Plan. At actions and execution.
Financial coaching helps people who struggle with their finances overcome fears and tends to be a lower ticket than planning. Planning is growth desires and a life you love. Executives, I would imagine, in general, will be in a better position with their finances, and therefore there will be greater demand for financial planning.
I think you need a financial planning process that executives will value and pay for and where you use your financial coaching skills to help them overcome obstacles and execute.
I think your executive leadership will also include personal and commercial inspiring goal-setting. What we call growth desires.
Mid-career professionals are at a stage in their psychological development often referred to as a mid-life crisis. You can be there for them and guide them successfully through the following chapters of their life. Forever helping them to choose their favourite future. Helping them to manage their finances with the proper support. Saving them a fortune in fees along the way.
The process I am describing is the Game Plan.
We package the Game Plan up for you; materials are provided and are free to use without licenses or IP issues. The whole training pack is free to download when you register for our mailing list.
See: AoLP | Advice-only Financial Planning Network (academyoflifeplanning.com)
We charge for access to peer group support and personal one-on-one time with me to take you through your Game Plan, accredit you as a Game Plan practitioner and tailor your practice development support to your unique needs and requirements.
Fast-track is 12 hours of me taking you through your Game Plan in 12 weeks. In the end, you will have a business plan and a business tailored to your values and your unique gifts and talents. Plus, 12 months of additional mentorship support, one hour per month one-on-one.
The whole thing is packaged up and made available to you for less than the price of a standard group training course because we are creating a movement at this world’s first award-winning advice-only financial planning network.
Hopefully, you see we are more than a course. We are a comprehensive adviser support network offering an entirely new way of planning. Check out the full range of offers in our Shop.
AoLP | Shop For Financial Planning Courses and Coaching (academyoflifeplanning.com)
Here are some examples of how our members implemented the Game Plan and what they had to say about us.
Home – Kenwell FLP UK (kenwell-flp.com)
AoLP Network | Meet Our Planner Members (academyoflifeplanning.com)AoLP | Best Life Planning Network For Advisers (academyoflifeplanning.com)
Academy of Life Planning 