Caroline Bell named in Australia’s top 50 financial planners
Caroline Bell, Principal and Representative of Summerhill Financial Services, has been named in the top 50 financial planners in Australia, in the “Masterclass for Financial Planning 2007”, as voted by The Australian Financial Review Smart Investor.
The Masterclass exam, held annually for the past nine years and open to planners around the country, is a 60-minute online questionnaire set by financial-services industry leaders. The questions test technical expertise and applied knowledge, including in real-life scenarios.
In an article on the Masterclass top 50, published in The Australian Financial Review Smart Investor magazine, author Karin Derkley writes, “Forget investment advice — these days a planner needs to be a whiz with in-depth knowledge of the myriad laws and rules that govern our financial affairs, as well as the nous to use that knowledge to work out strategies to come up with the best results for their clients. That’s the kind of knowledge we test every year in our Masterclass for Financial Planning.”
Since the Masterclass began, changes in the profession have been profound. Regulations, such as the Financial Services Reform Act, have pressured firms to raise advice standards. Instigating Masterclass was a response to inquiry from readers (of the then Personal Investor magazine), who were “begging for recommendations for financial planners they could trust with their financial affairs”.
This is the second year Caroline Bell has been named in the top 50 — and the second year she has entered.
Interestingly, only nine of the Masterclass top 50 are female.
“When I established Summerhill Financial Services in early 2006, my aim was to provide personalised, high quality financial advice. To do this I felt it was vital to be a fee-for-service business, which means I also rebate clients with any investment product commissions Summerhill receives.”
Gaining her own Australian Financial Services Licence, not linked to any fund manager or other financial institution, was fundamental to that.
It’s a string of differentiation points of which the Certified Financial Planner, who’s practiced here and abroad, is proud.
“My clients are very comfortable with all these points. So much so, that word of mouth is by far the best source of new business for us. Already we have clients Australia wide and from a range of family, financial and business situations — right up to high-net-worth individuals. The thing all of them have in common is the desire to have an enjoyable, affordable lifestyle that still allows them to build for the future. Summerhill helps people build, manage and protect their wealth; the value of our service is providing the financial discipline and guidance to help them get to where they want to be. With no affiliations to any institution or product provider, we can develop the most appropriate strategies for each client.
“I very much enjoy every aspect of that.”
* “Masterclass for Financial Planning 2007”, was published in The Australian Financial Review Smart Investor magazine, February issue, pp40-46.