The FAAA Masterclass Series has been designed by financial planners for financial planners to offer high quality professional development to support planners in building a sustainable business and deliver good and affordable advice for the benefit of their clients. This year we are offering two series of Masterclass.
The 2023 FAAA Masterclass Series 1 is now available on demand and covers the following in depth:
- Tax financial advice
- Aged Care
- Ethics and professionalism
The new FAAA Masterclass – The Business of Advice is now available to purchase and takes a deep dive into:
- Building a client-centred practice
- Building an ethical practice
- Building a sustainable practice
Format
- 15 virtual sessions across three streams presented from September 2023 to November 2023
- Each session is 1 hours.
- Watch live or on-demand – your choice!
- Masterclass available on-demand for 12 months afterwards for flexible learning.
Price
Register for the full package or purchase individual streams that suit your professional learning needs.
Full series package (15 sessions across 3 streams)
CFP Member – $199
FAAA member – $229
Non-member – $499
Price per individual stream
CFP Member – $89
FAAA member – $99
Non-member – $299

Understanding what makes your client tick | This session draws upon leading research in psychology, neuroscience and behavioural finance to explore three critical ‘pillars’ of a client centric approach; communication, core values and beliefs and managing investment risk. We introduce you to four ‘financial personalities’, each one with its own unique set of attitudes, beliefs and behaviours to help you deliver a tailored advice experience. We outline the preferred communication style of each and the three primary communication channels (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic) for communicating with greater clarity and impact. Next, we discuss the important role of client values and beliefs, and how they inform both your portfolio construction and establish the foundation for a deeper and more resilient client relationship. And we explore the importance of understanding your client’s ‘risk appetite’ as one component in creating a risk appropriate portfolio, and ‘risk tolerance’ for managing your client’s emotions when markets are volatile. And finally, we explore the emerging role of behavioural finance and how biases undermine your client’s ability to make rational investment decisions. We unpack the top cognitive and emotional biases that can dramatically skew your client’s decision-making and how to mitigate their impact. |
Tuesday 5 September 2023, 12pm-1pm AEST |
StorySelling | Making the unknown known, by using the familiar. Highly persuasive financial professionals often engage clients by translating Wall Street jargon into Main Street values, using metaphors, analogies, anecdotes, and illustrations. This communication style may allow them to better serve their clients’ financial needs – and sell more effectively in the process. |
Tuesday 12 September 2023, 12pm-1pm AEST |
Priceless | How to better communicate your value to your clients, using research-based language. Invesco Global Consulting conducts ongoing research into the language used in financial services, with the goal of helping advisers have better conversations with clients. We conducted a 6-month language study on what investors think. What do they value and how should their advisers respond? Do they want low costs or high value? A financial plan or financial planning? Are they happy with their review meetings or dissatisfied? The study included advisor interviews, investor dial-sessions and a survey of over 1,000 investors. The research uncovered new “cries” from investors and resonating responses from advisors when defending, defining, and delivering value. |
Tuesday 19 September 2023, 12pm-1pm AEST |
The Referral Code | We have found that financial professionals often recognize that lawyers and accountants have clients that they would like to have themselves. However, cracking the code on how to build a strategic partnership that leads to a steady flow of referrals can be difficult and frustrating. “The Referral Code” is the culmination of years of research on how top financial professionals have succeeded at this process as well as our own field level experience coaching financial professionals on this topic. |
Tuesday 26 September 2023, 12pm-1pm AEST |
The Golden Hour | It’s not the clients you win, it’s the clients you keep. Losing a top client is never a pleasant experience. Worse still, research shows that 72.7% of advisers lose one top client per year. This makes everyone run harder just to maintain present production levels, and it hamstrings organic growth. However, research shows it does not have to be this way and that it is surprisingly simple and easy to maintain top clients—the very clients that form the foundations of the viability of advisers’ businesses. In fact, by breaking one bad habit and making another, advisers can easily maintain client relationships for their careers. |
Tuesday 3 October 2023, 12pm-1pm AEDT |

The ethics of advice documents | Join Cheyenne Walker, Managing Director of Australia Independent Compliance Solutions, as she dives into the significance of thorough file documentation at all stages of the financial advice process. Learn how comprehensive record-keeping enhances client relationships, ensures regulatory compliance, and guarantees practice efficiency. We will also explore the ethical considerations surrounding file documentation, ensuring client confidentiality, and maintaining professional integrity. Gain practical insights and best practice tips to streamline your documentation process while adhering to the highest ethical standards. |
Thursday 14 September 2023, 12pm-1pm AEST |
The ethical approach to CPD | In this session, Phil Osborne CFP® shares the best approaches for maximizing your ongoing learning in ethics. Learn how your duties relating to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) are not mere compliance checklist but rather a moral imperative. Explore practical strategies to integrate ethics seamlessly into your CPD journey and enhance your professional competence while maintaining the highest ethical standards. Don’t miss this opportunity to take your profession practice to new heights through responsible continuous learning! |
Thursday 21 September 2023, 12pm-1pm AEST |
Ethical dilemmas | Join Michael Miller CFP®, James Cotis CFP® and Claire Mackay CFP® as they unpack a series of ethical scenarios from actual cases & real-life dilemmas submitted by FAAA members. Explore complex themes, including the delicate balance between professional and personal relationships, and your professional duties to multiple counterparties. Witness how these experts navigate through challenging situations while upholding the highest ethical standards. Gain invaluable insights and practical strategies to confront ethical quandaries in your own practice. Don’t miss this interactive session to enhance your ethical decision-making skills and elevate your ethical practice to new heights. |
Thursday 28 September 2023, 12pm-1pm AEST |
The ethics of conflicts – case studies and Q&A | As a continuation of A guide to navigating conflicts in 2023 Masterclass Series 1, we delve into the complex world of conflicts in financial planning, exploring ethical principles guiding their resolution. Join Phillip Davies, Deputy Chair of the FAAA Conduct Review Commission, as he unravels in-depth case studies and illustrates real-life scenarios, shedding light on the challenges faced by financial advice practitioners. Join us for a thought-provoking and interactive session to gain practical tools for your practice and learn how to apply effective conflict management principles with integrity and professionalism in your practice. |
Thursday 5 October 2023, 12pm-1pm AEDT |
Developing an ethical philosophy for your practice | Join two seasoned leaders as they share their journey crafting an ethical philosophy for a financial advice business. Discover practical steps to integrate ethics, unlock trust, and navigate challenges with finesse. Witness the tangible benefits that arise from embracing an ethical approach. Don’t miss this opportunity to revolutionize your financial practice for a brighter and more responsible future! |
Wednesday 11 October 2023, 1:30pm-2:30pm AEDT |

Resilient Advice Business Strategies for 2024 | The most successful advice firms in the future will be those who are able to balance working in their business, with working on their business; and taking advantage of the tremendous opportunities today while continually evolving for tomorrow. Great in theory, but with all of the complex issues facing advisers, it can be a challenge to know where to focus your time for the best ROI. In this interactive workshop, learn about business strategies that have proven to result in greater success for advice firms, as measured in both EBIT and owner satisfaction. |
Tuesday 10 October 2023, 1pm-2pm AEDT |
Effective pricing models | Despite the fact that fee for advice has been the norm for many years, pricing remains one of the most challenging elements of running a successful advice firm. Join Elixir Consulting as they share the key highlights from the sixth edition of their Adviser Pricing Models Research Report. In addition to learning how much your peers are charging for a variety of client case studies, you’ll also discover the qualitative elements of a sustainable pricing model. Structure, timing, variables, underlying charge-out rates … you’ll discover what’s working for other firms, and pick up a host of ideas to help refine the right model for your clients and your firm. |
Tuesday 17 October 2023, 1pm-2pm AEDT |
How to attract and retain your dream team in a competitive market | Resilient advice firms recognise that their staff are not only their biggest cost in the business, they are also their biggest asset and pose their biggest risk. Just as your Client Value Proposition (CVP) defines what your clients will pay you for, your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is what will attract and retain quality people. In the midst of a global skills shortage, applying a conscious focus to invest in your biggest asset and build your EVP is imperative. In this session, we’ll explore a host of successful strategies to help you build your firm’s EVP, then create your recruitment plan to find and inspire the best talent to join your team. Once you’ve found them, you’ll then need a plan to induct them, reward them, and keep them inspired and satisfied for the long-term, as you build your business together. You’ll discover a host of tips in this insightful session, to help you at every stage of building your dream team. |
Tuesday 24 October 2023, 1pm-2pm AEDT |
The Secret Sauce of high-performing back-office teams in advice | One of the biggest challenges in every advice firm is how to get their ‘engine room’ operating at maximum efficiency. With the increased administrative burden hindering productivity and increasing the cost of advice, Elixir Consulting conducted the first research into Advice Support in 2023. In this session, we’ll explore how successful advice firms have broken through their efficiency barriers, reduced the cost of advice, and increased the quality and quantity of services each adviser can deliver. Leverage the collective wisdom of leading firms and discover what combinations of techniques and practices will contribute to operational improvements and heightened productivity. |
Tuesday 31 October 2023, 1pm-2pm AEDT |
Implementing practice policies for vulnerable clients | In this Masterclass, we cover how we can implement policies that can assist those suffering financial and economic abuse. In the past, advisers may have been able to ‘walk away’ from these tricky situations, but we do a deep dive here on what are our obligations and what does AFCA expect? We look at how to recognise the signs and what we need to include in our practice policies to combat economic abuse. Most advisers ‘just want to help people’ and recognising and responding correctly for vulnerable clients means we can do just that. |
Thursday 9 November 2023, 1pm-2pm AEDT |
Speakers
Robert Kimberley
Head of Professional Standards | Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA)
Rob has been working with the FAAA since March 2021 and is responsible for delivering the FAAA’s professionalism function.
He has over 15 years’ experience in the financial services industry in Australia and internationally, working in both the public and private sectors, for wealth management firms, top tier banking groups and regulatory bodies, specialising in dispute resolution and advice review.
Jacquelyn Mann
National Manager | Invesco Global Consulting
Jacquelyn Mann is the National Manager of Invesco Global Consulting in Australia, a US-based group dedicated to helping financial advisers get new clients, keep the clients they have and grow their businesses. Jacquelyn is responsible for leading the strategy and delivery of numerous research-based programs to the Australian Market and is a keynote speaker at various industry conferences and professional development days
Jacquelyn has over 10 years’ experience working with advisers, focusing on the client experience. She has detailed knowledge on the advice process and draws on her ability to uncover adviser pain points to provide unique insights and actionable strategies.
David Peake
CEO | i-Adapt Business Consulting
David is an Organisational Psychologist with over 25 years of practical experience in strategy, leadership and change management. For the past five years, David has been working extensively in the financial advice industry to help financial practices increase their revenue and profitability. David was the first psychologist in Australia to apply the principles of behavioural finance to the financial advice industry back in 2003. David has recently launched Investor DNA to help advisers manage the ‘human factors’ of the advice process.
Phil Osbourne CFP®
With over 30 years in the financial services industry Phil has experience in a wide range of roles. From adviser and educator through to Responsible Manager his last corporate role saw him appointed to the role of General Manager – Compliance for Synchron; at that time Australia’s 3rd largest overall and largest independent advice group. Having reviewed a wide range of AFSLs while operating his compliance consultancy he has seen what works and what doesn’t, bringing about his view that there’s no “one size fits all” solution. It’s this approach that is taken with the management of the AFSL of which he is Director; Dirigere Advisory Pty Ltd. Having recently returned to postgraduate study at Bond University, Phil’s area of research is how ethics can be used to effectively govern the financial services industry, and how this will impact the future of financial advice provision.
Michael Miller CFP®
Director | Capital Advisory
Michael Miller is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and director at Capital Advisory, a combined financial planning and accounting firm based in Canberra.
He has also been appointed as an Adjunct Research Fellow at Western Sydney University, and panel member for the Australian Financial Complaints Authority and FAAA Conduct Review Commission.
Michael has had articles published on a range of financial planning topics in trade publications, academic journals, and is the co-author of Ethics & Professional Practice in Financial Planning, published by LexisNexis.
James Cotis CFP®
Director & Adviser | Logical Financial Management Australia
James has been involved in the financial services industry for over 40 years and a financial planner for over 30 years.
James provides you with holistic, honest, forthright and highly personalised recommendations that meet your unique needs. James is dedicated to learning about your personal goals, and recommending strategies which will stay in line with your personal values.
James is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®) – the highest certification available to financial planners worldwide. James holds a Diploma in Law (Sydney University), Diploma in Financial Planning (Deakin University and RMIT). James is also one of Australia’s first accredited Self-Managed Superannuation Fund specialist adviser (SSA) and was made a Fellow SMSF Specialist Adviser (FSSA) of the Self- Managed Super Fund Association in February 2020.
James is a member of the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) and currently sits on the Professional Standards & Conduct Committee and the Conduct Review Commission of the FAAA. He is a founding member of the SMSF Association.
James is a frequently requested speaker and workshop convener for accounting conferences and tax discussion groups, such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants and CPA Australia, who seek his expertise and guidance navigating the complexities of SMSFs. He has also been a guest lecturer at the UNSW ATAX program.
Claire Mackay CFP®
Principal Advisor | Quantum Financial Services Australia
Claire Mackay has over 16 years’ experience in private wealth management providing tailored financial solutions to high net wealth and ultra-high net wealth private clients at Quantum Financial.
Mackay is the only financial planner to hold the peak qualifications in tax, accounting, law and Self Managed Super fund advising. In 2015 she was recognised as the Money Management Financial Planner of the Year, the youngest ever recipient of the award. In 2014 Mackay was awarded Excellence in Financial Advice and Investment Advisor of the Year.
Prior to Quantum Financial, Mackay worked at Macquarie Bank and PwC, specialising in structuring and tax for corporate and high net wealth clients. Mackay sits on the External Advisory Panel of ASIC, the Board of the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board, the CA ANZ SMSF Committee and the Grants Committee of Future.
Mackay is a CA (FP & SMSF Specialist), Certified Financial Planner, Graduate Member of AICD, Chartered Tax Adviser and holds a LLB and BCom (Macq) and an LLM (Sydney). She was admitted to the NSW Supreme Court and is a commissioned office (inactive) in the Australian Army Reserves.
Sue Viskovic
Managing Director | Elixir Consulting
Sue Viskovic is a proud mother of four; the founder of national consulting business Elixir Consulting; a popular speaker; a business coach; and an author of a number of books, research reports and programs designed for advisers.
An award-winning advocate for financial advice and small businesses, Sue and her team specialise in helping advisers to improve their businesses with a firm focus on delivering better outcomes for their clients.
As an independent Consultant to the financial advice sector, Sue is highly sought-after for her depth of knowledge, her strategic thinking, and her ability to inspire others with her passion for improving the profession of advice.
Graham Burnard
Senior Consultant | Elixir Consulting
Graham Burnard is a Senior Consultant at Elixir Consulting, and with more than 25 years of experience across the financial services industry, he has developed the knowledge, skills and experience to help successful advice businesses to grow and prosper.
Graham enjoys working with advisers who seek to take today’s challenges and transform them into tomorrow’s opportunities. Utilising skills in human performance and business growth, he has an ability to get to the heart of what’s happening in a business, and guide both great decision making and accountability.
Graham has a passion for client engagement and sales skills and uses this to help advisers improve the way they engage with both new and existing clients, and to boost their ‘people skills’ to the next level – enabling them to deepen their client relationships and also the outcomes they can help their clients achieve.
Lana Clark
Founder | GSD Lab
Lana Clark is a change-maker, strategist & efficiency seeker with a passion for small business and loves to help advisers navigate difficult times and get back to what they do best – all while challenging them to find a better way.
Lana is a Speaker, Coach and Consultant, with over 25 years experience in Financial Services. As Co-Author of the Elixir Consulting Adviser Pricing Models Research, as well as a published author on practice management and business development, Lana leverages her industry knowledge to assist her clients through the challenges of change and business evolution.
Lana is the Founder of GSD Lab the home of strategy implementation and project management for advice businesses – the most recent addition to Elixir Consulting. Since early 2020, Lana has been a non-Executive director and is the current Chairperson for The Centre for Women & Co, a not-for-profit organisation that exists to educate, support and empower women and their families through Domestic and Family Violence in South-East Queensland.
Phillip Davies
Deputy Chair | FAAA Conduct Review Commission
Phillip Davies is the Deputy Chair of the FAAA Conduct Review Commission.
He is also currently the Tolling Customer Ombudsman and former Senior Partner with Mallesons Stephen Jaques / King & Wood Mallesons.
Phillip brings significant legal experience to his roles. He combines business experience as the Chief Executive of Advanced Paediatric Life Support, a not-for-profit company, with decision-making roles on the Victorian Building Appeals Board, the Hearing Panel for Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria, and the Disciplinary Boards of both Greyhound Racing Victoria and the Education Department of Victoria.
Phillip is a graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course and a member of the Law Institute of Victoria. He is also a Fellow of the Tax Institute of Australia, the Financial Services Institute of Australia and of the Centre of International Legal Studies.
Amanda Cassar
Director & Adviser | Wealth Planning Partners
Amanda Cassar is a financial Adviser based on the Gold Coast, Australia. She has a small family business and runs her practices, Wealth Planning Partners and Trusted Aged Care Solutions from her offices in Robina.
She holds a Master of Financial Planning and specialist accreditations in Aged Care and Self-Managed Superannuation funds.
Amanda has volunteered for many different roles and loves giving back to the financial planning profession. She enjoys public speaking on topics such as financial abuse and spreading financial literacy in schools. She has served as the Australian Chair of MDRT; QLD Chair of AFA Inspire, and for 10 years was the Gold Coast Chapter Chair of the AFA (Association of Financial Advisers.)
Amanda is also the course writer of the Financial Abuse Specialist accreditation, now being rolled out globally by Standards International, United Kingdom.
Amanda is also an author and a podcaster for the series Financial Secrets Revealed. She is currently preparing for Season 3 – Meet the Experts

The 2023 FAAA Masterclass Series 1 is now available on demand.
Aged Care
Aged care landscape and living options | Aged care is undergoing a transformation, largely driven by the Baby Boomer’s demand for quality. Innovations are seeing aged care being delivered in different forms and creating new opportunities. This session will focus on how financial planners can support clients with planning for their future needs, including: · Separating decisions on where to live and how to access care · Accommodation decisions: advice implications for granny flats, joint ownership (parent & child), retirement communities and residential care · Care decisions: navigating the differences with out-of-hospital-care, transitional care, Commonwealth Home Support Program, Home Care Packages and NDIS · The future of dementia care · Creating support within the community · The role of the financial planner and what advice covers |
Available On Demand |
Home Care Packages Program | In the 2021-22 Federal Budget, the Government announced it would spend $7.5bn on home care as part of the 5 pillars over 5 years aged care reform plan. 80,000 additional home care packages will be released, support for informal and family carers will increase and there will be more pricing transparency through My Aged Care. Considering the expected growth of home care, in this webinar we will look at the structure of home care, the process to receive a home care package and strategies to fund aged care services at home. By the end of the webinar, attendees will be able to: · Understand the structure of subsidised home care in Australia · Explain the process to apply for and receive a home care package · Understand the funding available from a home care package · Implement strategies to fund aged care services at home |
Available On Demand |
Giving Advice to clients | This is a technical strategy session, focussing on key advice strategies for funding residential aged care. These strategies include: · Borrowing and equity release · Managing the former home · Impacts for clients with structures e.g., family trusts, private companies, and farms · Strategies for higher net wealth clients. |
Available On Demand |
Mistakes we see advisers make | This session shares our experiences in working with financial planners. We analyse and explore some of the common mistakes we see, and outline steps that advisers can take to minimise falling into the same traps. Common mistakes to be explored include: · When couples both need to move into residential care · Implications faced by low means clients · Changes in protected person status · Decisions made after a person moves into residential care. · Other cases we have seen. |
Available On Demand |
Tax Financial Advice
International Tax Toolkit | This session will address international tax knowledge and will emphasise the importance across a broad range of advice issues including residency of individuals and super funds, CGT, treatment of income streams and the impact of DTAs. |
Available On Demand |
Tax technicalities and practicalities | This session will help participants to understand the important differences between business structures and how they each provide tax opportunities, but also how they also present potential pitfalls advisers need to be wary of. |
Available On Demand |
Tax and small business CGT concessions | Given the large number of small businesses in Australia and the growing number of advisers running their own business, this session will outline the complexities of the various concessions including what’s available, who qualifies for them, exemptions, how discounts are applied, file notes, lodgements, and elections. |
Available On Demand |
There’s nothing more sure than death and taxes | With proper planning, tax on death can be significantly minimised, yet, in many circumstances it simply can’t be avoided. This session will outline the plethora of issues advisers should be aware of and how at death, accountants and advisers working together provides great comfort to clients. |
Available On Demand |
Ethics & Professionalism
Ethical Leadership – how to model ethical behaviour | As professionals, financial advisers and planners are often called to take the lead in their practice and profession as a whole. In this session, we will introduce the ethical responsibilities that arise from leadership and learn how we can all take responsibility for creating a culture that supports ethical conduct, with practical tips to assist with this. Join Rhett Das, Managing Director of Integrity Compliance, as he delves into the complexity of ethical decision-making, the difference between ‘business ethics’ and ‘professional ethics,’ and extrinsic motivations for ethical conduct. Explore the psychology of wrongdoing and the impact of environmental factors on ethical decision-making, through a variety of case studies and examples. |
Available On Demand |
Professional Judgement 101 | ‘Professional judgement’ is a core skill that is exercised every day by practices and their planners, but what exactly defines ethical practice? Join Robert Kimberley, Head of Professional Standards at the FAAA, as he dives deep into the relationship between professionalism and judgement, and shares how we can make ethically informed decisions in our professional practices. |
Available On Demand |
An ethical lens on AFCA decisions | This session will delve into the role of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) and explore the importance of applying an ethical lens to their decisions. Join Thomas Cavanagh, Special Counsel at Wotton + Kearney, as he discusses AFCA determinations and case studies, and which Code standards are applicable in different situations, in areas such as life insurance, risk, and retirement savings. |
Available On Demand |
A guide to navigating conflicts | Encountering conflicts of interest or duty is an expected experience within financial advice, but appropriate management is a critical part of ethical practice. This session, we will define the concept of conflict and explore its two types – manageable and unmanageable conflicts that should be avoided, as applied against Standard 3 of the Code of Ethics. Join Phil Davies, as he discusses ways to identify and differentiate between the two types, examines the consequences of not managing conflicts effectively, and provides various management strategies for effective ethical practice. |
Available On Demand |