FIA National Partners – Joining forces to promote the value of financial advice and intermediated distribution

Gareth Stokes, FIA communications manager at FIA.

The Financial Intermediaries Association of Southern Africa (FIA) hosted an informal cocktail function at the Johannesburg Country club to introduce its 2017 National Partners.

“On 4 May 2017 we officially welcomed Hollard, IUM (underwritten by Guardrisk), Liberty Corporate, Sasria SOC Ltd and Tracker to our inaugural National Partner programme and look forward to working with these respected brands over the coming year,” says Gareth Stokes, FIA communications manager. The FIA represents the bulk of South Africa’s intermediaries (financial advisors and insurance brokers) nationally, while the aforementioned brands have a long standing commitment to the intermediated distribution channel.

The programme is a unique opportunity for insurance and investment brands to showcase their support both for the value of advice and for intermediated distribution channels within the financial services industry. It has been designed to raise awareness of pro-advice financial services brands among consumer and intermediaries by, for example, assisting the association in organising quality events and functions.

As South Africa’s only trade association for multi-discipline financial intermediaries, the FIA aspires to create a common platform for consumers, intermediaries and partners to connect. “The national partner programme will assist the FIA in better meeting the needs of its stakeholders including FIA members, the consuming public, financial product suppliers and – of course – the regulators, National Treasury and the FSB. It is central to our 2017 strategy wherein we celebrate the consumer as the most important part of every transaction for financial product or service. With help and guidance from our partners we will place more emphasis on the consumer and pro-consumer outcomes through events; communication; education; and transformation initiatives,” says Stokes.

The partnership gets underway with the first round of the association’s 2017 Broker Power Sessions comprising four events ‘tailored’ for intermediaries. Partners will develop a series of innovative presentations that will encourage attendees to unleash their power and become ambassadors for the value of good financial advice. The end goal is to contribute to ‘‘thought leadership’ in the insurance industry and to deliver better value to FIA members, while encouraging non-members to join the association.

It is also hoped that the Broker Power Sessions will raise the level of consumer awareness about the value of financial advice. “The FIA’s long term goal, in partnership with our national partners, is to stand out as the ‘go to’ brand for both intermediaries and consumers when the topics of financial advice, service or product are discussed,” concludes Stokes.