Advisers call for exam, standards clarity

I think it's called, reinventing the wheel again again!

So we continue to become a country of over regulation and checking with no positive outcome.

These ill conceived government changes in respect to risk advisers had 3 major objectives as I understand it:

- they were meant to stop churning and reduce premiums (by slashing adviser upfront remuneration).
- but premiums continue to rise and this will not stop "churning " assuming churning exists to the levels they portray and I dont believe it does and could have easily been fixed if the insurers showed some desire to fix it.
- advisers must be degree qualified - the inference being this will lead to better advice and ethics - hasnt worked for accountants and lawyers has it.
- better advice to clients - despite the continued intrusion of compliance processes and the cost of "checking" clients are now in a worse position than ever - advice statements have become so de-personalised and paper-heavy that people are simply not reading them and hence the advice outcomes are heavily compromised.

As for adviser education, what a joke this is for risk advisers - any course I have been forced to attend on retaining risk qualifications is top heavy with everything but risk training that would assist in helping a risk adviser achieve better standards.

Stop meddling and let an industry, albeit not a perfect one, get on with its important role in the community or risk advice will end up in the hands of the bank, industry super funds, online insurers and TV providers - what a disaster that has proven to be.