MenuThe FPA’s ‘Ask an Expert’ Week officially kicks off on Monday, connecting financial planners to Australians seeking financial guidance through the FPA’s free online channels.
The national event is a week-long initiative (3 – 9 Feb) that aims to improve access to financial advice for consumers and educate the public about the tenets of quality advice.
Speaking about Ask an Expert Week, Mark Rantall, CEO of the FPA, said that consumer outreach initiatives like this one are key to the FPA community’s mission of transforming financial planning into a trusted and universally respected profession.
“We’ve made much progress during the past several years on the regulatory front and we believe that equally important in the journey towards becoming a recognised profession is bringing consumers together with our community of financial planners.
“By educating consumers about what to look for in a planner and by introducing them to the tangible benefits of quality financial advice in a low risk environment, Ask an Expert Week aims to convert consumers into long term financial planning clients for our members.”
The FPA has witnessed a growth in consumers’ seeking advice as a combined result of last year’s Ask an Expert Week and Financial Planning Week, with over 10,000 hits to the ‘Ask an Expert’ site during the last campaign.
“Based on the response from consumers in the past, there is a clear desire to seek out trusted financial planners. Ask an Expert Week is one way that we are able to connect those looking for financial guidance with the experts in our FPA community, and in doing so, expand access to advice to all Australians.”
Mr Rantall went on to outline the consumer resources on offer in Ask an Expert Week:
- The ‘Ask an Expert’ forum gives Australians the opportunity to ask their financial questions in their own words, and have them answered by an expert financial planner for free. ‘Ask an Expert’ is an online forum on the FPA website, (www.fpa.com.au/askanexpert).
- Questions can also be posed via Twitter to @FAAA_Au and are already being accepted.
- A blog containing useful tips and advice from expert financial planners (www.fpa.com.au/blog)
- ‘Find-A-Planner’ (www.fpa.com.au/findaplanner) is a directory of reputable financial planners by area, which is available via the FPA website all year long.
Mr Rantall concluded by saying, “The FPA community is actively working to engage consumers with the financial planning profession. We invite members and non-members alike who wish to be involved to share the Ask an Expert resources with friends, family and clients to spread the word about the benefits of seeing a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional.”
