Evergreen by Calton, a newly-launched self-employed financial planning proposition has welcomed its first intake of planners as the profession continues to grapple with attracting and developing new adviser talent.
Launched earlier this year and led by Hayley Rabbets alongside Calton founder and CEO Tom Ham, Evergreen has recruited six planners from a range of financial services backgrounds.
Four are working towards Competent Adviser Status (CAS), while others have entered from non-advisory roles or different careers.
The launch comes amid ongoing industry discussion around barriers to entry for aspiring advisers, particularly those seeking support towards achieving CAS or transitioning from paraplanning and other financial services roles.
With many firms continuing to look at how they develop future adviser talent, creating clearer pathways for paraplanners, administrators and career changers remains a key focus across the profession.
Evergreen has designed to support planners at different stages of their careers, from newly qualified advisers building their first client relationships to more experienced professionals seeking greater autonomy.
Several of the proposition’s first recruits are career changers. The inaugural cohort includes individuals moving into advice from banking, financial coaching and business ownership backgrounds.
For those entering the profession, access to support while working towards CAS was cited as a key attraction. James McHugh, who moved into financial planning following a career in banking, said limited routes to achieving CAS had been one of the main challenges he encountered when exploring a move into advice.
Others highlighted the appeal of a self-employed model that combines independence with access to support from peers and the wider business.
Simon Lloyd, who previously ran his own wine business, said he was looking for an environment that aligned with his approach to holistic financial planning.
The proposition has also attracted advisers looking to build specialist client propositions. Bex Welthy, an adviser with 10 years’ experience, joined as she prepares to develop a practice focused on supporting vulnerable clients, while financial coach Leticia Fonseca said the opportunity to learn from fellow planners while growing her business was a key attraction.
Leading Evergreen, Hayley Rabbets said the proposition was built to address some of the challenges facing advisers at different stages of their careers.
“We set out on a mission to provide a home for financial planners at all stages, to reduce friction and allow them to concentrate on providing excellent service to clients.”
The first intake of planners is expected to be completed by the end of September.
Hayley said the mix of experience within the group had already demonstrated the benefits of bringing together advisers at different stages of development.
“Just a short while later we have a number of brand new planners working alongside more experienced ones, supporting each another in building their own businesses.”
She added: “That is truly collaboration in action and has been an absolute joy to see it all come to life.”
The development reflects wider efforts across the profession to create alternative pathways into advice. While career changers form part of the picture, many firms are also exploring how paraplanners and other existing financial services professionals can be supported in progressing towards adviser roles and achieving CAS.
With adviser recruitment and succession planning remaining key challenges for many firms, new models designed to support planners as they establish their careers continue to emerge across the market.
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