Strengthening Financial Planning in Investment Sales and Advice: The Role of Front-Office Automation (Strategic Focus)

Introduction

The marketplace for investment sales and advice is about to get more challenging. Several markets are shifting from commission to adviser charging models and most are demanding greater levels of adviser disclosure. With general consumer sentiment, distributors are going to need to significantly strengthen the financial planning experience. This report examines how this should be done.

Scope

• Coverage of the investment markets across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific
• Drill-down in consumer investment demands in Australia, Germany, the UK and US
• Examination of the role of financial planning across the investment sales and advice lifecycle, including client management, origination and review

Highlights

For many advisors moving to an ongoing relationship model, managing a high frequency of client contact is challenging given the high typical client-to-advisor ratios and significant advisor compliance workloads. Firms need to support advisors by providing 'workbench'-type support platforms that combine CRM sales and client management functionality.

Regulatory attention on financial advice, in response to misselling scandals, has created a common goal of greater disclosure and desire for stronger advice. This is leading a number of countries to tackle the remuneration conflict-of-interest issue head-on, requiring advisors to move from provider commission to advisor charging models.

Reasons to Purchase

• Unique analysis of Datamonitor's Financial Services Consumer Insights study to analysis implications of adviser charging on investment distribution
• Analysis of resulting business and technology strategy requirements to strengthen financial planning and move to a true client relationship model
• Examines what functionality adviser platforms need to support now and develop for the future