Commonwealth Bank Australia’s (CBA’s) dominance in the Australian independent financial advisor (IFA) space is being challenged by BT. Platforms must address the friction of serving clients rather than just being a portal to funds at wholesale prices, according to GlobalData Financial Services

In our 2016 survey of Australian financial advisors we asked who they thought had the most attractive platform package in the market. CBA’s Colonial First State was once again the clear winner, but it appears that the group is in for a challenge from BT’s Panorama platform. With Panorama’s crucial self-managed super funds offering added late in 2015 after our last survey, its impact can clearly be seen. BT significantly narrowed the gap between itself and the market leader in advisor preferences for platform packages in our 2016 rankings.

 

BT Panorama is presenting Colonial First State real competition among advisors

Q: “In your opinion, which brand/company currently has the most attractive platform package in the market?”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Source: GlobalData Financial Services’ 2015–16 IFA Surveys

BT’s focus on business efficiency and compliance help has clearly struck a chord with advisors. Indeed, this lines up strongly with our survey of advisors, who view ease of use as the single most important feature for investment platforms, narrowly beating out even the range of investment funds. Platforms are no longer simply competing on cost, access, or product range – these have become hygiene factors. Instead advisors are increasingly expecting platforms to address concerns over the time and effort they need to expend on administration and compliance. More investment platforms will need to address these issues or risk being squeezed out of the market.