InterPrac Financial Planning’s (InterPrac) National PD Conference attracted nearly 200 practice managers, advisers and support staff to Melbourne for the dealer group’s annual event with the attendees overwhelmingly praising the high calibre speakers, informative main platform presentations and opportunity to network with fellow professionals during the two gathering held in Melbourne last week.
Focus on adviser support and assisting them to build robust professional compliant client centric businesses was the main theme of the National PD Conference. The agenda was crafted to provide a diversity of concepts and ideas that attendees could personalise and implement within their respective practices with plenty of time provided for advisers to engage with other practitioners, speakers, industry representatives and InterPrac management and support staff.
Main platform speakers included Chris Caton from BT Funds Management, Tim Hewson ING Direct, Wes Gillett HUB24, Alicia Fauor OnePath, Roy Prasad Australian Unity, Christopher Joye Smarter Money, Louise Biti Aged Care Steps and Adrian Young BT Life.
InterPrac MD Garry Crole led the final session of the conference with Jeff Middleswart from Ranger International and Michael Glennon from Glennon Capital on current investment trends and strategies to assist clients to maximise diversified financial bases needed for retirement and beyond.
The InterPrac Adviser Panel on day 2 was particularly well received as advisers Mary De Angelis of MD Financial, Robert Veitch of SMSF Specialists and Phillip Scandizzo of Concepts & Results Financial Management provided insights into their respective practices. This session highlighted the diversity of InterPrac advisers and how their very individual marketplace offerings are able to be accommodated and supported by the dealer group said Garry Crole.
Commenting on the success of the PD event, Garry Crole said the growing number of attendees reflected not only the quality of the program and presenters – but also the dealer group’s adviser expansion across Australia.
“InterPrac has enjoyed much success since it began operations in 2001 dedicated to assisting members of the National Tax and Accountants’ Association (NTAA) grow their businesses through the provision of compliant professional financial advice and related services.
Garry Crole pointed out that InterPrac is the only dealer group endorsed by the NTAA and recommended licensee for members offering direct to public financial planning advice. Also, InterPrac’s broad APL and independence of institutions and product manufacturers are key considerations required by accountants as they enhance the provision of professional advice and services to their clients.
InterPrac currently has over 160 accountant advisers operating across Australia predominantly in the eastern states with growing interest being received from South Australia and Western Australia. Historically growth has been a very steady increase of approximately 12 practices / advisers annually.
With the SMSF accountants’ exemption only a matter of months away, InterPrac has been receiving a greater number of enquiries over the same period last year from accountants seeking details of InterPrac’s marketplace offering and services.
“Although very pleased to be receiving so many enquiries, our growth has – and will continue to be managed carefully to ensure that new advisers are a cultural and business fit within the network and I expect our increase for 2016 will be slightly higher than the past annual average”, added Garry Crole.
Looking to the future, Garry Crole confirmed that the NTAA relationship and endorsement was a high priority and the InterPrac management team would continue to develop and deliver innovative and relevant service offerings and solutions for accountants expanding into the provision of financial advice.
