Infocus unveils refreshed adviser partner model

Infocus has detailed its newly revised national adviser business model, with a comprehensive retooling of its service offering for advice partners.

The 30-year-old advisory services firm hailed the refreshed model as a “progressive step for the advice sector”, one which would “empower sustainable growth and flexible operations for financial advisers, advisory practices, license holders, and advisory enterprises across Australia”.

Touted for its “unique end-to-end structure” and improved integration of core services, the revised service offering focuses on three key delivery areas: advisory, technology and investment management.

Among the changes include a new flexible partnership model.

For instance, a Member Model promises partners – regardless of whether they are Infocus-licensed or self-licensed – “on-demand support”.

A more comprehensive Partner Model will see Infocus acting as capital partner, as well as providing technology, investment solutions, and operational support to advisers.

Alongside the revised partnership model, Infocus has also moved to improve integration of its client services, promising advisers a “fully client integrated advice, technology and investment framework”.

Centred around the Platformplus wrap platform – promoted as the “industry’s only fully integrated advice technology ecosystem with the client at its heart”, partner firms will gain access to a comprehensive suite of services supporting AFSL compliance, practice and client relationship management, and financial advisory processes.

Infocus also spuiked its knowledge- and resource-sharing capabilities, with its goal of fostering a “collaborative national community” for advisers, employees, and stakeholders.

Infocus founder and managing director Darren Steinhardt hailed the changes as “an exciting and important chapter” for the firm – which has its roots in regional Queensland – one which is “uniquely designed for the evolving advice professional”.

“We are today a national advisory firm with multiple new touchpoints, service and execution options for financial advisers and their clients.

“At the heart of this is a carefully constructed commercial approach that seeks to deliver high-quality advice outcomes and hand hard-working financial advisers greater freedom to choose intuitive options in support of their own commercial success and partnerships with us.”

He added: “Advisers don’t just gain access to our proven market-leading technology that is also award-winning, and NPS positively rated. They also benefit from advanced functionalities coming through our system – like one of Australia’s best financial modelling tools.”

“We are perfectly placed to enhance the support our existing 200-plus advisers receive and welcome many more advisers, advisory firms, or self-licensed firms seeking a better model,” Steinhardt concluded.

Founded in 1994 on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Infocus boasts an Australia-wide network of more than 230 advisers, with offices in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, in addition to its home base.

In addition to its advisory services, the firm provides investment management solutions via its wholly owned subsidiary Alpha Investment Management.

Infocus recently completed the acquisition of Madison Financial Group from Clime Investment Management.