Mentor Education founder and MD Dr Mark Sinclair has announced an exclusive technology alliance and partnership with Suitebox. Mentor Education is leading the way in the financial services sector with a best of breed approach for the delivery and assessment of education and training programs.
Financial Planners must become more tech savvy. The new generation of advisors will be digital natives, using technology they take for granted. The Suitebox alliance brings together excellence in education and technology.
The first Mentor training programs to be supported under Stage 1 of the Suitebox alliance are the Higher Education Programs; the Bachelor of Financial Planning and the Masters of Financial Planning. Stage 2 will introduce Suitebox to VET students studying the Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning.
Stage 3 is anticipated to provide an education portal available to students, the financial planning community and educators to promote and engage involvement in the development of new initiatives in financial services education.
Units of study at all levels will be supported with Suitebox in real practice and encompass all aspects of not just ‘best’ practice but ‘next’ practice in the fact-finding process, meetings, document management, recording of transactions, securely signing documents, the Complex Statement of Advice and other financial planning recording and reporting.
Commenting further, Dr Sinclair said without doubt, the use and effective application of technology is the ‘game changer’ in the provision of financial advice in the post FOFA LIF era.
“Not only will technology improve and enhance client/adviser interaction, engagement and capacity, it will do so with adherence to the highest standards of compliance, record keeping and cost effectiveness”.
Both Dr Sinclair and Mentor Education Chairman & Non-Executive Director Dr Jim Taggart OAM are adamant that now more than ever, time is the currency of the future. Time is the factor that impacts the most on the provision of advice and the efficient profitable running of a financial advice business.
To meet the needs of now and future markets, advisers need to embrace and use technology to ensure the long term financial success of their businesses.
Unfortunately, those advisers that continue to cling to outdated practices of the past will find their careers cut short with unsaleable businesses that will fail to attract a buyer.
Suitebox Head of Sales for Asia Pacific, Mr Andy Marshall said Mentor was a natural fit as the group sought a partner that would support its endeavours to meet the advice needs of the modern client. “Mentor has as its mantra education and great outcomes for advisers and their clients and ticked all our boxes as the preeminent industry education provider”.
“By using and applying technology for client engagement within the Mentor curriculum our joint objective is to increase standards and efficiencies in the provision of advice and in doing so, increase access to financial advice for more Australian consumers”.
Suitebox does not regard itself as simply a technology provider but as a thought leader in client/adviser engagement – the very same attributes of Mentor which in turn made the coming together of the two organisations so easy.
From its inception, under Dr Sinclair’s leadership, Mentor has never regarded itself as just another an education and training provider that dispenses degrees, diplomas and other qualifications – but a true partner that delivers at every stage of an individual’s financial industry career. This also includes dealer groups and operational staff.
Both Mentor and Suitebox are confident that this collaborative alliance will provide the opportunity to develop new products, offerings to stakeholders and students in the financial services sector and, solutions in the Suitebox environment and the Mentor curriculum.
Dr Taggart concluded, “Over my extensive career I can honestly say that I’ve never been so excited and ‘bullish’ about the future and prospects for the financial advice profession as I am today.
“This new era will be see the ‘old world’ quickly replaced by practices owned and operated by business professionals/entrepreneurs that will build and enhance consumer confidence and trust in the sector and industry as a whole”.

SOURCE: Mentor Education

 

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