Crest Financial Services recently took part in Akumin’s Professional Development Days, held across five major cities, with advisers Jessica Deamer, Thomas Hoy, and Rhys Higgins representing the team in Sydney.
The event delivered a full day of forward-thinking insights, practical strategies, and meaningful conversations designed to elevate the quality and impact of financial advice. The day was full of learning and networking with some key highlights mentioned below:
The day opened with Akumin’s executive team sharing their strategic vision and service enhancements, reinforcing their commitment to innovation, growth, and adviser support. This set the stage for a series of sessions tailored to providing professional advice to achieve the evolving financial planning needs of clients.
The second presentation of the morning was spent looking into the transformative role of artificial intelligence. Attendees explored how AI is being used to build scalable, efficient advice businesses that deliver quality client experiences on a consistent basis.
Followed up by a technical update, with expert panels unpacking recent legislative changes including aged care reforms and the division 296 tax. These insights helped advisers stay informed and prepared to guide clients through complex regulatory shifts.
Following lunch, the afternoon kicked off with a session moving into risk advice, presented by the insurer AIA Australia, examining the strategic and practical elements associated with providing insurance advice to protect our clients and their families.
The afternoon had more to unpack regarding risk, with the Zurich Insurance team presenting their Cost of Care volume 2 – which explored the often-unseen implications and costs associated with significant health events, and the ongoing value of partnering with an advice professional.
They analysed the average costs for individuals who experience significant health events in their life, including out of pocket medical costs, time off work and on-going treatment. These can vary depending on your age and gender. A few examples they covered include:
- The average lifetime cost for prostate cancer – the most common cancer among Australian men is $42,130 – with a recovery period of 6 weeks from surgery and treatment daily for 4 to 9 weeks.
- The average lifetime cost for breast cancer – the most common cancer among Australian Women is $41,260 – with 3 to 6 weeks of radiotherapy treatment and a recovery period from surgery 6 to 8 weeks for women.
- The average lifetime cost for a heart attack is $95,728 – with a recovery period of one week in hospital and 6 to 12 weeks ongoing recovery.
Giving the team a critical reminder of the out-of-pocket costs many Australians experience when dealing with significant health events.
The day concluded with a forward-looking economic and investment outlook panel, where leading strategists shared their views on global trends and portfolio implications. An open Q&A allowed attendees to engage directly with the experts, rounding out a day rich in insight and connection.
In an ever-changing financial services industry, the Crest team remains dedicated to maintaining a high level of knowledge in all areas of advice and keeping up to date with current regulatory changes. The Professional Development Day provided the team with a renewed insight on familiar areas of advice, the opportunity to network among other advisers and an insight into future advice considerations for our clients.