Questus to work with Adelaide's AAA in financial advisor alliance

Applecross-based financial services company Questus Capital Group has signed a strategic alliance with Adelaide's AAA Financial Group, aiming to establish a national affiliation of financial advisors.

The alliance will encompass AAA's stockbrokers, life advisers, mortgage brokers and financial planners and Questus' financial planning and funds management (Questus Funds Management) businesses.

The companies will combine back office operations and support services, as well as prividing an expanded network of advisors with access to a wider range of advisory services.

Questus chairman David Somerville said the alliance provided a tremendous opportunity to streamline the operations of Questus and AAA.

"This alliance will bring benefits across the Questus group, and is expected to provide significant opportunities for our EPIC financial planning group by allowing EPIC to participate in a wider financial advisory network, gain access to new products and services whilst delivering back office economies of scale and cost efficiencies," he said.

"I am extremely proud of the work that Trevor Wise and Sue Viskovic have done in recent months to cement EPIC's reputation as a leading financial planning group and this alliance will further enhance that reputation whilst providing new opportunities for our member firms."

"We look forward to working with AAA to deliver significant benefits and to boost the growth of both groups."

The full text of a joint company announcement is pasted below

Adelaide-based boutique financial group AAA Financial Group and integrated Western Australian financial services group Questus Capital today announced the signing of a wide ranging strategic alliance.

Under the strategic alliance, AAA and Questus have agreed to establish a national affiliation of financial advisors.

The alliance will encompass AAA's stockbrokers, life advisers, mortgage brokers and financial planners and Questus' financial planning and funds management (Questus Funds Management) businesses.

The strategic alliance is expected to deliver significant synergies through a combination of back office operations and support services, ensuring that both AAA and Questus advisers benefit from a comprehensive range of services including the latest practice development assistance, strategic planning tools and adviser training services.

In addition, the strategic alliance provides the expanded network of advisors with access to a wider range of advisory services with the capacity to develop and offer innovative new investment products for clients.

Commenting on the announcement, AAA Managing Director Errol Rabaud said the alliance would become one of the largest non-institutionally aligned financial planning and risk advisory networks in Australia.

"AAA currently has almost 120 advisers around Australia and the opportunity to work closely with EPIC's 40 financial planners will allow AAA and EPIC to significantly strengthen their financial advisory operations," Mr Rabaud says.

"Questus has an outstanding reputation as a leading financial services group and we are delighted to combine our strengths in research with EPIC's strengths in practice development and advisor training to the benefit of both firms."

"AAA is on track to achieve its growth targets and I believe that this alliance with Questus will be a major boost to AAA's growth in the years ahead."

Questus Chairman David Somerville said the strategic alliance provided a tremendous opportunity to streamline the operations of Questus and AAA.

"This alliance will bring benefits across the Questus group, and is expected to provide significant opportunities for our EPIC financial planning group by allowing EPIC to participate in a wider financial advisory network, gain access to new products and services whilst delivering back office economies of scale and cost efficiencies," he said.

"I am extremely proud of the work that Trevor Wise and Sue Viskovic have done in recent months to cement EPIC's reputation as a leading financial planning group and this alliance will further enhance that reputation whilst providing new opportunities for our member firms."

"We look forward to working with AAA to deliver significant benefits and to boost the growth of both groups."