Benefit for advice businesses that offer general insurance to HNW clients goes beyond good service
I have read many articles over the years about servicing High Net Worth (HNW) clients in the financial services industry; however, most businesses that put together a HNW Best of Breed service model do it without looking through the eyes of their clients. In fact, very few businesses have a model that effectively and comprehensively services the needs of HNW clients. HNW individuals, professionals, families and business owners, typically have considerable estates with complex accounting and taxation requirements. This complexity requires a broad range of financial services, a clearly articulated value proposition and the ability to work in tandem with the client's accountant, lawyer, life insurance advisor and finance provider. HNW clients also tend to stay with their planner for the long term and are often brand ambassadors for the planning business referring the practice to their network of peers, friends and family members. Hence, HNW clients can be both challenging and rewarding as they want their planner to intimately understand their personal, business and family dynamics as well as their estate planning aspirations, cash flow, assets, liabilities, taxation situation, etc in order to manage their account holistically. HNW clients own many valuable assets and possessions such as larger homes, fine art, antiques, jewellery, etc. that require the need for asset protection – and yet many accountants and planners fail to provide a general insurance service as part of their Best of Breed offering. In these times where business growth is a scarce premium – expanding the HNW client offering should be as easy as increasing your service offer! I raise this perspective because, over the last few years, there has been an increase in M&A activity within the general insurance market from overseas businesses. This mirrors their past interest in accounting and financial planning businesses. Recently, I have been approached by overseas buyers looking to purchase general insurance broking businesses from $1M - $20M in revenue. I have also helped to facilitate general insurance brokers into high-net-worth accounting/Financial Planning businesses to service their HNW clients. At the present time, general insurance broking firm valuations have EBITDA multiples higher than both accounting and financial planning businesses. Sometimes the best opportunities are simple and, by offering comprehensive and holistic financial services that include general insurance, ensures all aspects of the client's financial picture are considered and integrated into a cohesive plan. Not only does this comprehensively address each client's unique challenges and goals, it increases the value of the practice and reputation of the business.
