IFW report highlights adviser skills clients seek

'Client goals and dreams'

Julia Bahr
clock • 3 min read

The initiative for financial wellbeing (IFW), a non-profit organisation launched in 2019, has published a white paper that investigates what clients look for in a financial adviser and why they do so.

The report, sponsored by Aegon, looked at the factors clients believe to be the most important in financial advisers.  "The standard view of the financial planning role is usually associated with performing financial projections or selling financial products," the IFW said. "However, this view ignores the central and most valuable role of financial planning, which is helping clients identify long-term objectives and counselling them in financial and sometimes non-financial issues." The report found the most sought-after competency of an adviser was trust. It suggested trust is correla...

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