COVID and the rise of two adviser mindsets

I was asked a question recently whilst giving a short interview for FPA Money & Life on the impact of COVID on advisers.

I think it's impossible to look at the impact of COVID in isolation.

It's been the most recent of five significant events that have demanded a lot of us all.

• Royal Commission
• FASEA
• Exit of the banks and the shutdown of multiple Licensees.
• Uncertainty around Code of Ethics.
• COVID.

Ironically (and maybe something certain bureaucrats should hang their head in shame about), I feel that COVID has been the one that's been easiest to predict.

After all, when there's a crisis that's when we know how to go to work, right?

As the conversation progressed though an idea started to form.

I realised that like never before you can segment every adviser and every practice I've spoken to quite neatly into one of two categories -  optimistic or pessimistic.

It's interesting to me how such similar events can affect people so differently.

One group believe it's the end of the industry as we know it.

The other see it as the biggest opportunity for advice in decades.

Check out the video and I'd love to know how you see it.