[The Wrap] A global view of financial planning

What a week it's been. This week has been spent at the Million Dollar Round Table annual meeting in Miami. Yep a tough gig, but an amazing insight into financial planning worldwide.

Saturday, June 15th 2019, 3:00PM

MDRT Flag Ceremony

First, to put it into perspective, MDRT isn't all about life insurance as many think. I lost count of how many speakers had CFP after their name.

With 10,000 financial advisers from all corners of the world, you get a good insight into the size and diversity of the financial planning profession.

As for a conference - well I've been to a lot over the years and this totally eclipses anything I have been to before. I probably heard more than 40 speakers and not one of them was a dud.

Refreshingly, as it was a global event, there was nothing about regulation as that is so specific to each country.

But the world over the issue is the same. It's looking after clients; making sure they have the right products and maintaining a long-term relationship.

I hear all this talk from regulators that advisers just flog a product and then move to the next sale. They need to get to the coalface and see and hear these advisers and their passion and dedication to client care.

From a New Zealand perspective, we had first timers as well as people like Peter Choat who have been to about 30 MDRT meetings over the years. The consensus is clear. Attending MDRT helps them run a better business.

One of the very cool things about MDRT is that it is really a big family and it embraces a "whole person concept". This is all about a work life balance, or as one adviser said it's work/life harmony. This covers lots of aspects of an advisers life and includes giving to others. Indeed MDRT raised over US$200,000 for The Hunger Project during the meeting.

An upcoming issue of ASSET will have full coverage of the event. But big thanks to MDRT's New Zealand chair, Katrina Church, for organising my attendence and to Partners Life who have helped.

Tags: MDRT