ADVISER MATTERS
SUPPORTING YOUR BUSINESS IN 2021 AND BEYOND
2021 promises to be another year of rapid change and digital growth . Remote working looks set to continue for now and for many , probably well beyond the end of lockdown and we will all need to find innovative ways of working with new and existing customers to power the growth in our businesses .
We have one simple aim this year – to provide you , our Member and Client Firms ,
with everything you need to succeed in today ’ s virtual environment , which we will do through the combination of expert regulatory knowledge , in-depth analysis of financial products and funds , and our award-winning technology .
Our commitment is to continue to build on this , providing you with everything you need to operate your business , from financial planning and workflow software , to support with running your business .
Here to support you To ensure that we are able to deliver the support and guidance you need , all our staff have been working remotely , something we are now reviewing in light of the recent Government announcements . All our helpdesks , admin teams , technical teams and more are only a phone call or email away . To ensure you can find who to contact as easily as possible , we have created an A-Z of contacts that you can access via your website . To ensure you didn ’ t miss out on valuable learning , and that we could relay key messages of support in a timely and efficient manner , we built all our quarter one events onto our virtual platform , which once again proved extremely popular . The remaining events for 2021 have all been booked in and of course , using a degree of flexibility as the restrictions around ‘ gatherings ’ change , we will be shuffling them slightly as we go . You can rest assured , though , that there is a packed events calendar , and we will continue to deliver a high quality of learning throughout the year , with a mix of virtual and , eventually , physical events . We have further used our digital capabilities to deliver our compliance and business consultancy visits , ensuring that you continue to receive expert regulatory and business support to help you run your business compliantly and successfully . During 2020 , we delivered over 1,000 online compliance visits , which received an average satisfaction rating of 9.8 / 10 , further demonstrating the quality of our people and delivery . We continue to offer this service whilst restrictions around social contact remain but will also continue to offer them alongside our physical visits once we are able to do so .
New services We continue to enhance our core services and to introduce new ones , to ensure that you have the support you need to take advantage of the opportunities that you have highlighted and , of course , to ensure compliance with the regulator . We have already announced a number of great new services for 2021 , including :
• A new and improved learning platform – MyLearning – which was built on the already popular Competent Adviser system and provides richer content and functionality , with a choice of package to suit your learning needs ( further details can be found later in this magazine )
• New additions to the SimplyRefer programme , including a tax-efficient referral solution from market leaders Kuber , who will support your firm through the provision of a fully digitised , robust , and compliant tax efficient advice service . We are also delighted to have added Aviva to our DB transfer panel , to ensure you can meet the growing demand for advice in this area
• New additions to Centra – including new and improved attitude to risk , ESG filtering and new functionality for income drawdown .
10 | the adviser