As the classic saying goes, if you’re not green and growing, you’re dead and dying. In an age where disruption is the new ‘black’, financial planning advisers and wealth management companies that are not on the innovation curve may find themselves a step behind the bold, disruptive players. With Fintech businesses and new software applications on the rise, the financial …

When you’re selling your financial planning practice, it’s easy to let emotions get the better of you. You may have spent years or even a lifetime growing your planning firm, and it is probably your most valuable asset. Unfortunately, many financial planners leave money on the table when the times comes to put the business up for sale – either …

Are you a baby-boomer financial planning advisor thinking about succession planning? Perhaps you want to acquire a financial planning practice as part of your growth strategy? Or maybe you’re going through a corporate breakup and it’s time to take stock. Whatever the reason, knowing the value of your firm, where you stand in the marketplace and what to expect from …

As noted in Investor Daily, professional services businesses can be tough to value. It’s hard to place a dollar value on the relationships clients have built up with the Principal over the years and the overall goodwill of the practice. Still, there’s a few matters you need to consider before you get that precious cheque in hand. Here’s a ‘cheque’ …

To sell your financial planning firm, you need to think about more than just the numbers. You’ve only got one shot to sell to the right buyer. The entire process can turn into a daunting experience if you lack the understanding of how to identify the ideal type of buyer and without the experience and industry connections to find the …

Warren Buffet says that “risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing”. You may be running a successful and thriving financial planning practice but do you know how to sell it to the right buyer at the right price? If the perfect buyer strolled through the door tomorrow, would you be ready to launch into the sales process? Many practice …

Following on from our article earlier this year that examined the results of the Centurion Industry Snapshot, we thought we’d take another look at this data and whether the size of a practice, specifically its revenues, had an impact on the planner’s views of the market, growth targets and potential exit strategies. The survey asked our clients a number of …

Financial planners, like many others in the professional services space, are in the business of selling ‘advice’. Advice around how, where, when, why and what decision making is required to accumulate and protect assets at various stages throughout their lives. Often this advice is about assisting clients to avoid making poor decisions and choices. Often, the most critical time for …

While buyer activity levels will always fluctuate due to a myriad of factors such as the economy, industry reforms, changing regulatory conditions and seasonality, there are also some clear consistencies when it comes to buyers’ behaviour and sentiment. The best way for me to explain this is to share the two questions I ask every buyer I meet and the …

Benjamin Franklin said there were only two things certain in life – death and taxes. And while many of us make healthy choices to extend our lives as long as possible, there is not a whole lot that can be done to avoid paying tax. Tax that seems to be ever on the rise. However, in what is a pleasing moment, last week …