David Sharpe

Early Bird pricing for the second annual Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) Congress will finish on 30 September.

The Congress, to be held in Brisbane from 27 to 29 November, will have the theme “Power Up” and feature a comprehensive agenda of technical workshops and specialist sessions designed for all participants in the financial planning profession.

Members can currently take advantage of an early bird price of $1,210 before the end of the month, and non-members pay $1,995.

Delegates will be able to earn up to 13 CPD hours at the event, going up to 34 hours with exclusive post-event video content.

David Sharpe, chair of the FAAA, says the event will give delegates invaluable insights into the latest developments in the profession, as well as practical ideas and tools to support them into their work with clients.

“Financial planning is an ever-changing and ever-challenging profession, and the Congress is designed to help advisers not only manage these changes, but grow and succeed with them.

“With an FAAA practitioner membership costing just $595, this means becoming a member will more than cover the difference in a ticket to Congress.

“Aside from the formal sessions, where I often find the most value is the opportunities to network with colleagues, whether that be during the breaks or around the sponsor stalls. I’ve found members are always willing to share their successes and failures. We have an amazing generosity of spirit in financial advice and Congress provides the largest opportunity each year to share with your peers from right around the country,” Mr Sharpe says.

Sessions will include:

• Regulatory, policy and advocacy update with ASIC’s Alan Kirkland and Leann King from AUSTRAC, along with the FAAA’s general manager – policy, advocacy & standards Phil Anderson, and senior manager – government relations and policy George John.
• The crucial art of scoping advice in a post DBFO world​ with Cheyenne Walker from Australian Independent Compliance Solutions​.
• Leadership Matters with Peter Baines OAM.
• Mind the Gap in Navigating Diminished Capacity with Rhett Das from Integrity Compliance, Ann Janssen from QLD Law Society, Simone O’Hara from RI Advice Moreton, and psychiatrist Angus Finlay.

In addition, the third Plenary session has been confirmed, focusing on the actions advisers can take now in advance of legislative reform to move ahead and enhance their client’s experience of financial advice.

Ahead of tranche 2 of the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes reform, including implications for the consolidation of advice documents, this session will look at how practitioners can deliver advice efficiently, compliantly, and effectively.

Speakers will include Shail Singh (Lead Ombudsman Investment & Advice, AFCA) as well as a panel of industry experts in compliance and advice, and will explore key questions such as:

• What do clients want to see in the delivery of advice and their advice documents?
• How can clients better understand the advice and how can they be empowered to take action to implement the recommended financial advice?
• How can advisers simplify their advice process and documents (i.e. SoAs that are concise, “fit for purpose” advice records)?
• What will the client file look like, and what needs to be considered to ensure the compliance elements needed for advice to be defendable are included?

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Sarah Abood

The inaugural Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) Congress will give financial advisers the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the many changes currently taking place in the financial planning profession.

Under the theme “Grow together”, the FAAA Congress will be held in Adelaide from 20 to 22 November and will include the first FAAA Awards Gala Dinner on Tuesday 21 November, recognising and celebrating members who deliver the highest standards of professional and trusted advice to Australian consumers, as well as those who are going above and beyond to support their local communities.

FAAA chief executive Sarah Abood says advisers at the Congress will have the opportunity to collaborate with their peers and gain knowledge to help succeed in today’s rapidly evolving financial services landscape.

“The FAAA Congress offers a platform for advisers to exchange ideas, insights and knowledge over three days, in the largest national event in the calendar for the advice profession,” Ms Abood says.

“In the keynote session, attendees will hear from former Time Magazine editor William Green, who has plenty of insights gained over his 25-year career interviewing the world’s most successful investors.

“There is also a packed schedule of presentations from experts in their fields as well as interactive sessions and networking opportunities that will inspire attendees to take their practise to the next level.”

FAAA chair David Sharpe says advisers attending the FAAA Congress will leave the event more confident about running their practice in a time of constant regulatory and technological change.

“The content has been carefully curated by members for members, with many sessions accredited for CPD points across the range of legislated CPD areas,” Mr Sharpe says.

“In line with this year’s theme, we will ‘grow together’ as advisers, navigate the profession’s challenges, seize opportunities, and inspire one another to reach new heights.”

As well as the keynote session from William Green of Time Magazine, other sessions of note include:

• Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones will be joining us to outline the latest government views and regulatory developments in the advice area, with a particular focus on the status of the Quality of Advice Review reforms.
• A plenary session on the inevitable growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in the advice profession, featuring futurist Ross Dawson, CEO of Advice Intelligence Jacqui Henderson, Financial Planning Standards Board chief executive Dante De Gori CFP®, and expert in AI tools Laurel Papworth.
• The closing plenary featuring ultra extreme open water and ice swimmer adventurer Ryan Stramrood, who will present.
• PushPastImpossible: including insights on mindset, goal setting, believing in yourself and the power of determination.
• An update on the policy and advocacy objectives from the FAAA’s Phil Anderson and George John.

Breakout sessions will include:

• Engaging and enriching client relationships.
• Growing the next generation of financial advisers.
• The blueprint for the successful advice firm.
• Strengthening standards for the global profession.
• Applying digital advice in practice.
• Hottest topics and latest info in SMSFs
• The future of risk advice following the Quali.ty of Advice Review ​.
• The ethics of risk profiling.
• De-risking client financial decision making in estate planning​

The CFP® Professional Connect specialist workshop will make a return this year, on Monday morning before the FAAA Congress kicks off, providing exceptionally high-quality technical content in a session hosted by a panel of leading CFP® professionals and subject matter experts.

There will be a number of pre-Congress sessions during the afternoon before the official opening on Monday 20 November, including the Gen Next Session for paraplanners, emerging professionals and students, and the FAAA Professional Practice Session, focused on succession planning and how to retain key people.

A networking welcome reception will be held on the evening of Monday 20 November following the first keynote session, and the Inspire breakfast on Tuesday morning features sustainable fashion expert Natalie Shehata, discussing how we can use the medium of clothing to express ourselves unapologetically through conscious styling.

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