A well designed advisor environment enables and encourages the growth of sizeable, sustainable books of business, the deepening of member relationships, and promotes the development and retention of top-tier Advisors.
There are four main entities that contribute to the advisor environment; the Credit Union, the Dealer, the Regulator(s), and Third-party Providers. Each of these has a significant impact on the advisor environment and are briefly described below.
Credit Union: The Credit Union provides the core framework for member acquisition, sales fulfillment, leadership, personal development, and compensation.
Dealer: The Dealer provides the systems, platforms, tools, resources, services and support required to conduct the sales and fulfillment process. The Dealer also has a major impact on the Credit Union’s ability to attract, develop, and retain quality Advisors. Selecting the right Dealer, is a key strategic decision.
Regulatory Oversight: Regulators and licensing agencies dictate many of the requirements of Advisor / Member interactions and the sales process. Deciding on which of these entities to partner with is a function of the nature and breadth of the Credit Union’s product and service offering (i.e., Securities and/or Mutual Funds, Fixed Income, Insurance, and Financial Planning), as well as the business opportunity in the marketplace.
Third-Party Providers: Rounding out the Advisor environment are the peripheral resource and service providers that can further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the sales process and the deepening of member relationships. Priority should be given to providers whose solutions have both the desired functionality, and the technology to integrate with existing systems.
For further information, or support in validating your advisor environment, please contact us.