A cricketing legend, a behavioural psychologist, and AI specialists are set to deliver three days of learning, innovation, and connection at this year’s FAAA Congress.
Now in its third year, this November’s event is themed Ahead of the Curve, and on the agenda are four content streams – develop, navigate, strategise, and expand.
The opening keynote will feature FAAA CEO Sarah Abood on the state of the profession and the leadership needed for the future.
Milo Wilkinson will explore how neuroscience and behavioural futurism can help advisers better understand how people think, decide, and connect in a changing world.
Strategist and change management expert Patrick Flynn, along with compliance consultant Nadia Docker, will lead a session on how client experience, compliance, and operational efficiency can align to drive business performance.
The closing plenary, Ahead of the Game: cricket & financial planning – lessons from the legends, will feature award-winning broadcaster Liam Bartlett in conversation with cricket icons Adam Gilchrist and Isa Guha.
Together, they will explore the mindset and skills needed to lead, collaborate and pivot with purpose, on the pitch and in the practice.
Attendees will also hear from FAAA leaders in a panel session exploring policy, advocacy and regulatory change, and what it all means for the future of advice.
Abood said Congress 2025 – to be held on 18, 19, and 20 November – has been designed with its members “front and centre”.
“It will deliver practical tools and insights to help navigate today’s complex technical and regulatory landscape, while providing valuable opportunities for advisers to connect, collaborate, and learn from peers across the country and internationally,” she said.
Early bird pricing is available until 30 September, with FAAA member tickets at $1,210 and non-member tickets at $2,345. Click here for more details and to register.
Maybe it's time that the FAAA stops going for conferences and actually does its job and advocates for advisers.
Issues to advocate on behalf of advisers (not an exhaustive list, just a starter):
1. Scrap ASIC adviser fees – let ASIC be funded via the Minister of Financial Services.
2. Get the government out of being involved in setting price and allow the free market (supply and demand) to let life insurers decide who much they want to pay advisers. In New Zealand, it's 200% upfront commissions and they do not have an under insurance epidemic – chew on that Phil Anderson.
3. ALL AFCA complaints must be lodged with a $1000 refundable bond which may be forfeited if the AFCA complaint is found to be frivolous or vexatious. The $1000 refundable bond can be reduced or waived on a case-by-case basis if financial hardship can be demonstrated.
4. Strongly push back against the New Class of Adviser (NCA) (lipstick 💄 on the pig previously known as the (un)Qualified Adviser!) instead of rolling over like a lap dog!
If the FAAA would just remember their mission to advocate to for advisers and government would just be prepared to listen to advisers instead of pandering to vested interests such as life insurance companies and industry super funds, they would realise that the introducing NCAs (the cane toads of the financial advice world) will cause other unintended consequences. A more elegant and natural solution can be very easily implemented under the existing framework:
5. Allow Financial Advisers to provide general advice (for life insurance, Superannuation contributions, etc) where the client acknowledges that they have received general advice and not personal advice.
The benefit of the general advice model for advisers is that they do not need to produce a Statement Of Advice (SOA) and there is a reduced compliance burden. However if the client still wants personal advice rather than make a decision on their own (after having received the education as part of general advice) they can agree to pay $3000 for a Statement Of Advice (or whatever BullS*!t 'lipstick 💄 on a pig' name is given to the new SOA document that will still require as much work to produce to defend against an AFCA Complaint!) and receive personal advice which then 'buys them the right's to make an AFCA complaint (should the need arise)!
6. For any advice to be considered personal advice, the consumer needs to pay at least $1 for a Statement Of Advice (SOA). If they do not pay at least $1, the are deemed to have not received personal advice and thus are not eligible to make an AFCA complaint about personal advice. This will stop mud-slingers and their ambulance-chasing lawyers from trying to see what sticks by lodging and AFCA complaint because the AFCA complaints handling process process is punishment in itself!
So here are a few things you should be spending my FAAA membership fees on rather than junkets for Sarah and Phil
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