Ensombl Advice Australia

If you're an active member in the XY community, you've probably seen her name start to pop up regularly, you may have even connected with her some way, somehow. But what do you actually know about XY's newest team member, the new Community Manager – Emily Blanch? Experience wise, Emily is a mixed bag of paraplanning, online media and writing, but she is totally in her element when she is delivering an unforgettable client or customer experience. She can't tell a story without using her hands and if she could, she'd climb to a tall building somewhere and shout it out to the world that travelling (at some point in your life) is without a doubt the best thing you can do for your health, your wealth and your happiness. Amongst the travelling stories, the clichés (all of the clichés) and some of the amazing things XY Adviser has coming up this year, here's our favourite highlights: Why travelling is sometimes the best career advice you can give Clayton's greatest success emotionally with clients as a financial adviser Why a lifestyle change can open up a world of new opportunities The brand-new look and feel of XY The big names we are determined to get on the XY Podcast this year How Adrian is looking to combine the skillsets of accountants and advisers to maximise the value provided to clients And what does beer and financial advice have to do with each other? If travelling has ever been on your radar, we're pretty sure Emily's stories will have you wanting to book a ticket overseas now (apologies to employers everywhere). But if getting an employee back with a fresh perspective, a new outlook and a sense of accomplishment and motivation, we think that's a pretty good return on investment. P.S. This podcast is best enjoyed with a cold beer! And as always, a big thank you to our major partner ZURICH and also to SunSuper for the continued support.

Glen James is the financial adviser whose life does not revolve around his work. Instead, he moulds his work around his life up on the Central Coast and enjoys every minute of it. After starting his business Fortify Financial at the ripe age of 25, Glen recalls being young enough and dumb enough to think he could do it – and it turns out he could. With 8 years under his belt as a self-employed adviser, Glen has discovered what works and what doesn't work in his business and shares with us some of the lessons and ideas he has picked up along the way, like: Why he will only meet with clients on his terms (and what those terms are) Glen's guaranteed way to lock in a financial relationship with a client How to find a quality dealer group and build a strong professional relationship with them How Glen is using his '2k18 Savings Challenge' as a one to many approach and the response he is getting Why he uses the review process to re-educate his clients and how effective it is How he built his 'Sort Your Money Out' podcast from scratch Why Glen tells people he retired at 25 and what he loves about being a financial adviser Plus much, much more… This podcast is full of witty remarks, memorable one-liners and a bunch of new ideas and strategies that will have you thinking about how to shake things up within your practice and with your clients. ----- As always, we'd like to give a big shout out to our major partner Zurich and to SunSuper for the continued support.

At the age of 20, James Millard had it all figured out. He was going to make it big in the clothing industry, sell his 'Insufficient Funds' branded T-shirts to Billabong and never work a day in his life. Unfortunately for James this dream never eventuated, but fortunately for us, this failed business venture sent James down a 10-year career path in personal finance for which he now co-owns YOLO Financial Services, hustles a lifestyle blog called 'Sufficient Fundz' and shares with us a some of the cool and innovative things he and his partners are trying within their business. Amongst the many topics discussed, here's some we really liked: How YOLO developed an in-depth marketing plan and how they are catering to three very different client demographics The (really cool) types of content marketing James and YOLO are focusing on in 2018 What James thinks is one of the best business play cards you can have (hint: it rhymes with 'biting a hook') Why it's difficult for advisers to incorporate an element of 'story telling' and how to not just overcome it, but nail it Why there is a massive market for one-to-many online courses and who benefits most from this kind of business model Between juggling a financial planning business, maintaining a blog and recently adding the title 'Dad' to his repertoire, James has also kindly put his hand up to be the MC at our upcoming event in Sydney (thanks legend!) with a discussion around starting and scaling an advice business. With a power panel of speakers and an MC all with startup financial advice practices, it's guaranteed to be a night full of great ideas, advice and inspiration. Click here to grab your tickets. ---------- And as always, a big thank you to our major partner Zurich and to SunSuper for the continued support.

If straight up insight and opinion on the royal commission and areas around best interest duty, tough regulation for advisers and everything in between makes your ears prick up then this XY Podcast is exactly what you've been waiting for. With punchy lines like "are they bad advisers or just good employees", Aleks Vickovich, author of G'day USA, award-winning journalist and legend commentator in the financial services space, ignites a constructive and thought-provoking discussion that looks into what brought this Royal Commission to light, implications that are likely to arise for various stakeholders and Aleks' crystal ball prediction on the result of this 12-month inquest. Surrounding the buzz that is the royal commission, both Aleks and the XY panel also touch on other important topics affecting financial advisers like: • Why more and more advice businesses are looking to self-licence • The barriers advisers face having a responsibility to their client's but also to their employers - think professional ethics vs. KPI's. • Implications for advisers regarding best interest duty and the way it is viewed by the law versus being viewed by a judge • Why Aleks believes it's paramount that the industry differentiates between financial product salespeople and holistic advisers but why both play an important role for consumers. Aleks Vickovich is a man of many words. He is willing to say what most are thinking and backs it up with facts and figures that can only come about by surrounding himself with the political play makers and financial industry shakers. This podcast is bound to give you plenty of insight, ideas and perspective. Enjoy!

Master of 'technoclientology', financial adviser, behavioural specialist, speaker and author, there's not much that Andy Marshall can't do. It's been two years since he hosted XY's 'The Modern Adviser' event so we thought a catch up on all things finance, behaviour and everything in between was well and truly in order. In this comical and thought provoking podcast, Andy gives his insights and demonstrates his expertise by highlighting some important points surrounding the systematic and behavioural elements within the financial advice environment, some of which include: The importance of peer-to-peer networks and how this creates innovation within your business Why client's respond well to forward thinking advisers and how seasoned advisers are staying relevant How to balance the 'warm and fuzzy' goals based advice with the investment position to deliver the best possible outcomes for clients. Why sharing your own life experiences or those of other client's is extremely beneficial in building trust during the client journey The best kind of Fintech solution to add to your 'weapons of advice choice' Three things the best advice businesses are doing differently Andy Marshall is a serious wealth of knowledge who now spends most of his time with financial advisers, providing new ideas to help implement efficiency into their businesses. With a book titled 'Client Engagement for Financial Advisors' and a passion for using technology to engage with clients in a meaningful and relevant way, this is a guy you definitely want to listen to (and then google later on).

2017 has been a year full of surprises, changes and announcements. We saw a world divided over the inauguration of President Trump, the Australian Government announced a royal commission within the banking sector and cryptocurrencies appear to have become a household term overnight. For the XY community, 2017 has undoubtedly been the biggest year yet with an increasing presence of nearly 1,500 enthusiastic members driving the positive evolution of financial advice. With the Facebook group evolving into a central intelligence hub for advisers, the podcast getting a professional makeover, a new membership site on its way and events that are now moving out of Sydney and into a national agenda, it's fair to say that when it comes to XY in 2018, you ain't seen nothin' yet! To reflect on the year that was and to discuss the exciting things ahead; Clayton, Adrian, Ben and Ray all got together to shoot the breeze on things like: The hype around Bitcoin and why people want to invest in something 'sexy' (but probably shouldn't) Ideas and strategies Ben brought back from Fincon and why you should include content within a service based business to stay relevant Everything the XY community can look forward to in 2018 Different practices and systems that are working (and not working) in advice businesses What the next toy of financial advice will be in 2018 (did someone say Big Data?) …plus loads more and with plenty of laughs! XY Adviser started when a handful of people got together and asked how they could best serve their clients and the industry they love. Today, the success of XY Adviser is the result of an entire community who understands the value and benefit that comes with sharing knowledge and ideas and supporting each other. 2017 has been great, but we have a feeling 2018 is going to be EPIC! Enjoy.

Two years ago we interviewed Cathryn Gross who was just two months into launching her brand new business Twelve Wealth. Two years on from the single most downloaded XY Live podcast ever (watch it here), it was a no brainer that we had to get Cathryn back on the show to follow up and get the juicy on what it's really like building an advice business from scratch. From starting out with referrals from her hairdresser and GP to now working with upwards of 30 really engaged and sticky clients, Cathryn has developed a business model that targets a very specific niche clientele while providing a high level of service focusing on both the logical and emotional value she can add to client's lives and financial wellbeing. In this episode both Cathryn and Ben are not shy in opening up about some of the important and often personal aspects of running an advice business such as: Their pricing models Their fee structures Their client exit rates Their referral process Other ways to generate income streams and acquire new clients …and all with figures included! Cathryn also explains why she has moved away from the traditional process of trying to implement all of the different elements of a full SOA all at the same time and how she has successfully retained the client's commitment to fulfilling their implementation obligations by doing this. This episode is for anyone who has ever thought about taking the leap and going out on their own. This episode is for anyone who already owns an advice business. This episode is for anyone who wants some fresh ideas as to how they can best service their clients. This episode is for everyone in advice. Take it all in, take notes and enjoy!

Is this the most useful whitepaper ever produced in Financial Services? Benjamin Marshan is at the forefront of a digital whitepaper having just been released by the FPA and encompassing months (and months) of research looking at the marketplace relative to Fintech and the Financial Services industry. We have an accidental run-in at Bunnings to thank for the idea which kick started a project analysing over 400 Fintech startups and piecing together a document designed to act as a 'thought starter' when looking at practice efficiencies and the advice process. Ben addresses the obvious pain points being felt by most advisers like which technologies should we be implementing in our practices and questions that perhaps we haven't even considered – is there a benefit to working with Fintech companies that look to exclude the adviser? Here's our favourite takeaways from this week's XY Live: Why it's important to map out the entire advice giving process within your practice and how to address inefficiencies Ben's thoughts on advisers being replaced by robots The key area in the advice process that is lacking Fintech Why Ben wants to disrupt the way we present the SOA and how he plans on doing it How ASIC is monitoring new Fintech companies and their duty of care for clients How to decide on which technologies to implement into your practice With chapter titles such as 'Do you know how to Fintech', this interactive digital whitepaper is chock-a-block full of useful information, tips and advice which you can implement into your practice now and evolve into the future. Don't worry, there is also a paper version available here which can be downloaded, saved, opened, printed, stapled, read and then probably lost in amongst all the other paperwork floating around your office. Or, check out the digital version here and experience interactive technology in the way your client's may just be able to do so with your advice presentation soon.

Daring. Different. Disruptive. Fox & Hare are taking everything we know about the 'traditional' approach of giving advice and breaking it, re-shaping it and re-building a framework (from the ground up might we add) that is value driven and specifically tailored to help their clients live a life they aspire to. You could say Glen Hare and Jessica Brady were both crazy (and some people did) for leaving behind highly successful corporate roles to start their own advice firm and without purchasing a single book of clients. You could say they are still crazy for the 13+ hour days they put in and the Saturday morning client meetings they organise on the regular. But it's when you digest the 'whys' of what they do that you realise they're not crazy at all, they're passionate. From this XY Live, here's a summary of what two courageous and driven individuals are doing to change the way we deliver advice, straight from the Fox & Hare's mouth: How to create a manageable and productive work/life balance Lessons learnt around building an advice firm from scratch Which area of the market they saw was not being serviced Understanding their client's frustrations and overcoming them How to show the value of a client proposition and not sell it Why critiquing is so important for business growth and the best way to get valuable feedback (think focus groups) And plenty more… Glen and Jessica believe everyone has some kind of financial aspiration, but most just don't have a game plan. They are making it their mission to understand their client's pain points and then move mountains to overcome them. Enjoy!

You've heard the latest industry buzzwords popping up left, right and centre – disruption, innovation, Fintech. But what do that actually mean and more importantly, how do they relate and what benefit are they to financial advisers? Back from a recent expedition across the seas to the annual Fincon Conference and jumping on the opportunity to further understand the people and technologies that have changed the world in Silicon Valley, Pieta Diamantidis, Co-Founder of Caboodle Financial Services and aspiring 'bionic adviser' helps us to understand how far we've come since the first 'tech bubble', to what's happening (or not happening) in the industry now and where this ever-evolving digital space is headed. As this informative (and energetic) discussion coincides with the upcoming XY Adviser event 'Silicon Valley on Bridge Street'; Peita, Ray & Adrian delve down the rabbit hole of some interesting and thought provoking topics such as: Looking for ideas with applied innovation that can be effectively implemented to create real and lasting improvements to clients and/or staff and practice efficiencies Why focusing on 'creating' the marketplace around an idea and then building the product is much more effective than the other way around Companies in the tech space capturing psychological data with A.I. and how financial advisers can implement this into their advice proposition Startups creating the tools to help advisers bridge the gap between data capture and the human connection Looking for the next 'Hoover' idea and why it needs to change the way people engage with their money… Identifying such interesting and at times controversial topics, Peita is excited as ever to expand on this by asking the hard-hitting questions with guest speakers Joel Robbie (Nod Money), Ben Heap (H2 Ventures) and Clayton Daniel (Sprout Super) at next week's event. If you have a question surrounding the disruptive Fintech space, feel free to shoot it through to contact@xyadviser.com and Peita be sure to address them on the night. Or better yet, grab your ticket for the event and ask the experts yourself. It's going to be a cracker of a night!