CompaniesJul 9 2015

Zurich doubles platform specialists team for advisers

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Zurich doubles platform specialists team for advisers

Platform provider Zurich has more than doubled the number of platform specialists that support advisers using its retail platform.

Zurich said the team, which is based in its Leeds branch, has grown from eight to 17 in response to the increased number of advisers using the platform.

The team will provide training and technical support to advisers and will work alongside Zurich’s 50 strong face-to-face team that already supports its UK-wide network of adviser relationships.

Alistair Wilson, Zurich’s head of retail platform strategy, said: “We have continued to see strong inflows onto our platform, which have been boosted further by the recent pension freedoms.

“To support the increased numbers of advisers now using the platform, we have expanded our team of specialist frontline support.

“The team was set up to help advisers get the most out of the platform, especially when they use new functions such as our discretionary fund management service, pension freedom tools or client reporting suite.”

Earlier this year, Zurich reported nearly 10x its normal daily level of enquiries on the first working day of the new freedoms which was Tuesday (7 April), taking around 3,000 calls.

It said more than 90 per cent of callers were asking about withdrawing a single or partial lump sums from their pension pot, while only a small number of customers were looking into drawdown or purchasing an annuity.

ruth.gillbe@ft.com