New website to assist Australians to make better financial decisions

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To continue helping Australians to make informed financial decisions, the Financial Planning Association (FPA) is proud to unveil a new consumer website, fpadifference.com.au.

The new and improved website is part of the FPA’s Financial Planning Week (20-26 August) and was launched this week. The initiative aims to encourage, educate and empower Australians to address their financial situation and discover the positive difference that sound financial advice can make.

Independent research released today by Investment Trends* shows that:

• A quarter of Australians who intend to seek a new financial adviser say they would use the FPA website to find one
• When consumers were asked: If you were selecting a new adviser today, how would you expect to search for such an adviser? More would use the FPA website (27%) than do a Google search (24%) or check the ASIC website (16%).

“The research shows that the FPA website and our industry-leading Find-a-Planner directory are highly sought after by consumers,” says Mark Rantall, FPA CEO.

“It is important for us to invest in the website to refresh it regularly and provide practical tools, useful information and multi-media aids for consumers.

“With 10,000 members who are equally committed to our consumer advocacy cause, the new website also provides a valuable tool for members to use with their clients.”

The easy-to-navigate site is full of useful insights and speaks in jargon-free language for people looking to gain more understanding about financial planning. It includes practical tools such as:

• New real-life story video clips to bring the benefits of financial advice to life
• A new ‘Ask an Expert’ online forum for consumers to put their questions to FPA financial planners which is already attracting high levels of interest
• A new consumer guide explaining financial advice in plain English. Consumers can also order a free brochure to be sent to them
• ‘Find-a-Planner’ directory that allows consumers to search for an FPA member or FPA Professional Practice in their region
• A plain English guide to the FoFA reforms to explain what the new laws mean to consumers in simple language.

Mr Rantall concluded, “We believe that our plain English guide to the FoFA reforms is the only resource of its type available to consumers. This is just one example of the effort we have applied to ensure that consumers can be made aware of the progress of the profession and the higher standards of our members, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® professionals.”

The FPA website receives up to 150,000 hits from 35,000 unique visitors each month, including up to 30,000 Find-a-Planner searches.

*Source: Investment Trends August 2012 Advice and Limited Advice Report, surveying over 1,400 Australians