Online sign-ups close soon for Auckland's 28 July advice policy event
Online registrations are closing soon for Financial Advice New Zealand's inaugural Advice Policy Summit, to be held on 28 July at the Hilton Viaduct in Auckland, with the organisation urging advisers to secure a place before sign-ups shut.
The advice gap driving the event
The one-day event will run alongside the Asia-Pacific Forum, convened with the Financial Planning Standards Board, bringing international leaders together with New Zealand's advice profession.
Financial Advice New Zealand framed the timing as significant, saying "the future of financial advice isn't shaped by regulation alone. It's shaped by the choices we make as a profession."
The organisation pointed to the scale of the issue behind the summit, noting that "too many New Zealanders are making KiwiSaver, mortgage, insurance, budgeting, and retirement decisions alone," adding that the cost to their financial wellbeing is significant.
That concern is backed by regulatory findings: the FMA's Access to Financial Advice Review found Māori, Pasifika and lower-income households the most underserved, pointing to structural and operational barriers — including adviser uncertainty about how to tailor advice scope to different client circumstances — as key obstacles.
Regulatory flexibility under the spotlight
Financial Advice New Zealand said "our regulatory framework gives us flexibility," and that the Financial Advice Code "enables us to apply professional judgement." The organisation framed the sector's task as deciding how to use that flexibility to reach and serve more New Zealanders who need advice but currently go without it.
FANZ chief executive Nick Hakes has previously put the scale of the problem in stark terms: "The data is unequivocal. Only 28% of New Zealanders accessed financial advice last year, despite 63% thinking about their finances at least weekly. If we are serious about closing the advice gap, it will require a unified and consistent response from the profession."
Register before sign-ups close
For mortgage advisers, the summit's focus on the advice gap is directly relevant, given mortgage decisions were specifically named among the choices New Zealanders are making unsupported. Full programme details and registration are available via Financial Advice New Zealand's website.
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