[GRTV] Meet Financial Advice NZ CEO Katrina Shanks

Financial Advice NZ came to life this week. In this video new chief executive Katrina Shanks talks about the association's purpose, what members need to do for the Quality Service Mark and more.

Monday, July 2nd 2018, 6:00AM 3 Comments

This episode is also available as an audio podcast. Listen now or download using the controls below:

Financial Advice NZ launched on Sunday with 1500 members.

Shanks said she saw her new role as an opportunity to do something to make a difference in the lives of New Zealanders and financial advisers.

The best outcomes would come from working with the regulator, she said, but she would not be afraid to make a stand if something happened that the association did not agree with.

It was important to try to negotiate from a place at the table, she said. "Being at the right place at the right time is really important."

Advisers would have a louder voice if they were part of a collective, she said, with better ability to influence policy.

Financial Advice NZ has asked the Minister of Commerce for a seat on the Code Working Group to represent independent advisers. Currently the group is working through 2000 pages of submissions it has received on its first formal consultation round.

There has been criticism that the group does not include any working financial advisers and is dominated by the "big end of town".

Shanks said she had written to Commerce Minister Kris Faafoi to ask for a meeting to discuss the association becoming involved with the group.

She said he had not yet replied.

A spokesman for Faafoi confirmed the request. "We do not have any comment in regard to any possible meeting at this time and it would be inappropriate to speculate on matters that could potentially be discussed should a meeting take place."

Shanks said work was continuing on the quality service mark (QSM) that would eventually be compulsory for Financial Advice NZ members.

She said it would require advisers to have a certain amount of experience and undertake set professional development - but it would not be finalised until the code of conduct was confirmed and regulation signed odd.

The regulatory requirements would form the base for advisers and the QSM would sit above that, she said.

It would not compete with CFP. Financial Advice NZ will administer the CFP mark in New Zealand, taking over from the IFA.

"The more qualifications in that space the better, as far as I am concerned."

She said the association would have to recognise every discipline in the sector and provide a value proposition for all advisers to become members.

"It's my job to ensure there is a value proposition for every single member whether they are a mortgage adviser, insurance adviser, big or small. Overall we all have the same common goal, to reach out to the public and get them to understand what the value of advice is."

To read the full transcript, click here.

To download as an audio podcast, click here.

Also available on SoundCloud.

Tags: Code Working Group Financial Advice New Zealand GRTV Katrina Shanks

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Comments from our readers

On 2 July 2018 at 8:39 pm TripleA said:

I think, given the issues across the Tasman, and the widespread concern about the makeup of the Code Working party closer to home that the views of small, independent financial adviser firms is seen to have some influence on the development of new legislation / regulation. The first round of consultation documents out of the working party have done nothing to allay the overall concerns of financial advisers.

On 3 July 2018 at 8:17 pm Pragmatic said:

Great initiative. Best of luck in redirecting the Minister’s myopic view of the industry

On 4 July 2018 at 7:07 am Good Hamish said:

We have to be careful not to assume that Australian problems exist here.

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