It has been axiomatic for some years now that financial services firms must engage with their clients online, both in order to ensure their services are not overlooked and, increasingly, as a primary method of transacting business.
For the past six years, the FTAdviser Online Service Awards have recognised the product providers that offer the highest levels of service to their adviser clients, based on votes from the intermediaries themselves.
The awards have hitherto, however, omitted any recognition of the online efforts being made by the advisory community, something that is coming into sharper focus in a post-Retail Distribution Review world where the value offered by adviser firms is coming into sharper focus.
Until now.
This year FTAdviser’s flagship awards, being held at a gala dinner on 20th June at London’s Science Museum, are for the first time set to hand awards to the adviser firms that provide the best online proposition.
Adviser firms voting in the awards this year were given the opportunity to submit an entry for why their firm should be considered for this prestigious prize, with the category split into two covering large firms of more than 20 employees and smaller adviser businesses.
We will also be giving awards to the networks that offer the best online service to their adviser member firms. These were voted for by their adviser members based on criteria including the functionality of back office systems, training and compliance resources and links to wraps and platforms.
The network prizes will be revealed on the night and will be awarded in the usual fashion, with firms given a rating of between one and five stars. Those winning the top five-star rating will receive a trophy at the dinner.
The adviser firm categories will be judged by an expert panel, with a shortlist of firms being whittled down to an outright winner and a highly commended runner-up.
The shortlists in the two categories are below, best of luck to all!
Update: Due to an error on the submission forms, Alan Steel Wealth Management was incorrectly listed as a ‘small’ advisory firm when it is correctly a ‘large’ advisory firm employing more than 20 staff.
Alan Steel has been added to the large firm shortlist and John Eames Ltd, one of the firms on the reserve list, has been included in the shortlist for the small firms award. Both awards will be judged by an independent panel in the coming weeks. We wish both the best of luck.
Large adviser firm
• Alan Steel Wealth Management
• Entire Wealth Management
• Key Retirement Solutions
• Lighthouse Financial Advice
• Smith & Pinching
• St James’s Place
Small adviser firm
• Cawley Financial Services
• John Eames Limited
• Plan Money
• Scotia Wealth Management
• Worldwide Financial Planning
