Financial planning students win big in Entireti uni challenge

Financial planning students from RMIT University and Deakin University have taken out the top prizes in the 15th edition of the Entireti University Challenge, a competition that seeks to recognise the skills and knowledge of the next generation of financial planning talent.

RMIT University student, Adele Wraith, won the competition, which required participants to undergo a test of their technical knowledge, to generate and present a statement of advice (SOA) and to present on the importance of life insurance.

The judging panel – which featured Steve Sloane from Link Wealth Group, Alisdair Barr from Striver, Lisa Sorgini from AMP, and Phil Anderson from the Financial Advice Association of Australia (FAAA) – also awarded Deakin University’s Ryan Pfitzner, Kirstie Suleman and Aislin Jones second place, and Michael Woods third place.

After first being established by AMP in 2010, Neil Younger, Entireti chief executive, said the challenge has now become part of “a broader strategy” to showcase financial planning as an attractive career path and to “identify, nurture and advance” young financial planning talent across its suite of advice businesses, including Akumin, Fortnum Private Wealth, Personal Financial Services and Entireti Alliances.

“To improve access to quality advice and close the advice gap, the industry needs to urgently increase adviser numbers, which starts by promoting financial planning as an attractive career path and actively engaging with schools and universities,” Younger said.

“As one of the largest service providers to advice businesses, we believe that we have an obligation to play a leadership role in investing in the next generation of talent coming through.”

Wraith, who is set to graduate from RMIT at the end of the year, is a Member Manager at Melbourne-based Pursue Wealth and is also a member of the FAAA’s Emerging Professionals Committee.

“This event gave me a chance to put theory into practice and tackle real-world scenarios,” she said.

“I’m passionate about making financial advice more accessible, particularly for young people.

“Eventually, I’d love to become a partner at a firm that shares my values – or maybe even start my own financial planning business one day.”