Not just a people problem: Why adviser and paraplanner friction is a structural issue

Advisory business owners have probably observed a fair amount of friction and miscommunication between advisers and paraplanners in previous businesses and rightly want to keep such issues from developing at their growing firms.  Firms typically adopt one of two models for adviser and paraplanner support: a centralised paraplanning pool or pods – small teams often consisting of a lead adviser, one or two associate advisers, and a dedicated paraplanner.   There is a common presumption that centralisation is better because of the economies of scale it provides. However, firms who have c...