Paraplanners say hybrid advice would save time on key processes

1 December 2021

Adoption of a hybrid advice model into adviser businesses would help paraplanners save time on key advice processes such as client onboarding, completion of fact finds, diagnosis and recommendation, and suitability report writing. This was the result of recent poll amongst paraplanners in which 100% stated this view.

In addition, 91% believed their senior management would either be very likely (29%) or somewhat likely (69%) to consider a hybrid advice model for their business.

The poll was taken at the end of a Professional Paraplanner Technical Insight webinar, presented by Wealth Wizard’s Head of Advice Nick Hall, in which he explained how hybrid advice worked within an advice business.

Nick Hall says: “Paraplanners are right in the thick of the issues faced by adviser firms – such as incomplete fact finds, slow onboarding of clients with communications going back and forward to obtain the information required, writing long, repetitive suitability reports and systems not talking to one another.

“Hybrid advice, utilising self-serve capabilities, automation and digital services, can cut through the inefficiencies that are being suffered at present and make paraplanners’ lives a lot easier.

“By digitally onboarding clients, including use of chatbots to help them through the process, clients can be guided to the type of advice they need. They can complete a fact find in the process – user case studies show 95% of clients who undertook a fact find digitally completed it pre the first meeting allowing the adviser and paraplanner to focus on the soft facts, dreams and aspirations of the client – and the data that is input into the fact find can be used to not only automatically populate the client’s record but build the suitability report.

“For paraplanners, using an algorithm to self-populate a suitability report, can significantly reduce the time to produce a report aligned to the advice firm’s policies. It can help to cut out repetition and make the report more streamlined, easier to read for the client whilst also being compliant under FCA rules.

“As the results of our poll show, paraplanners were quick to get how removing these time-consuming tasks alone could massively impact their working day and allow them to focus on the aspects of their role that deliver the most value for the client and their advice firm.”

The full webinar on hybrid advice is available to view HERE. 

Professional Paraplanner