ING Direct's Living Super customers will be able to access advice through a pilot national adviser partnership with the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA).
The program, which starts next month, will connect Living Super clients, who request comprehensive advice, with a CFP professional with an FPA Professional Practice, FPA chief executive, Mark Rantall said.
"The ING Direct partnership agreement has been modelled on the successful Cbus advice referral program and will help the FPA open more pathways to connect Australians to quality financial advice," he said..
"I am very happy that we have been able to reach this agreement with ING DIRECT as it strengthens our ties with the superannuation sector and brings us one step closer to achieving the FPA's vision that through our members, we stand with Australians for a better financial future."
ING Direct national partnership manager, residential and wealth, Tim Hewson, said the program would help Australian plan for their retirement.
"In recent years we've seen an uptick in super consolidation and switching and increased demand for transparency and control," he said.
"Australians want to get ahead with their super, which aligns with our proposition about helping our customers to get ahead through value, fairness and transparency.
"We see professional, independent, face-to-face financial advice as increasingly important to our customers in preparing for retirement, and we're delighted to be able to offer this service as more Australians take up Living Super."
Under the partnership, the cost of the first FPA adviser consultation will be at no cost for Living Super customers, with initial participation in the pilot referral program set to be limited, based on geographic requirements.
While the Financial Advice Association Australia said it supports a performance testing regime “in principle”, it holds reservations about expanding this scope to retirement products.
In a Senate submission, the Financial Services Council said super funds should be able to nudge members on engaging with their super and has cautioned against default placements.
The Joint Associations Working Group, which counts FSC in its ranks, has issued an urgent warning to the government.
Senator Jane Hume will join the speaker lineup at the inaugural Australian Wealth Management Summit.
Add new comment