Mortgage Intelligence adviser update: Making the most of the admin role
National Protection Sales Manager Bernie Buron looks at whether advisers could be getting more out of administrators and paraplanners within the firm, whilst also highlighting what they generally can and cannot do.
I have had many enquiries from advisers asking exactly what an administrator/paraplanner can and can’t do within an adviser firm. This is an important question to ask, with many advisers rightly erring on the side of caution as to how best utilise administrators within such a tightly regulated sector. But with advisers so very busy at the moment, they are eager to ensure they are getting the most value out of their resource.
I already hear of success stories where the right set up with an administrator can be a godsend to advisers, especially during busy times. But it surprised me that some advisers do not even have an office administrator, and one or two are finding the workload becoming a big challenge.
So what can an administrator/paraplanner do?
Administrators, sometimes referred to as paraplanners, are utilised by a lot of advisers to free up more time to spend with clients. In some cases, opening up the admin role can even be a good way for them to become an adviser themselves through the firm, by learning more about the role the adviser does.
I have spoken to many advisers who have fully ensured their administrators/paraplanners are helping to free up time where possible, which gives the advisers in turn more time to spend with clients and deliver great advice. Here are just some of the ways that administrators have been helping out advisers with their protection, general insurance and mortgage business levels:
Freeing up time by chasing quotes | Handling general client queries | Preparing quotes ready for client discussion | General research on client cases | Calling the protection desk on behalf of the advisers | Underwriting and pre-underwriting | Retrieving and submitting Iress quotes | Chasing medical information from clients to receive the best terms
What can’t an administrator or paraplanner do?
What an administrator should not be doing as part of an adviser firm falls into two main categories:
Advising
Advising would include discussions of appropriate terms, rate type, best lenders, C&I vs IO, suitable amount of life cover, whether it is best to go pure life or relevant life etc. It is important to recognise when a role becomes advisory and ensure this is done by a qualified adviser. This includes certifying documents which must also be done by the adviser.
Fact Finding
Fact finding is slightly more difficult to define categorically, but collecting hard facts (name, DOB, address etc) is generally ok for administrators/paraplanners to do. However, retrieving softer facts strays away from what is allowed. This may include, but is not restricted to, asking a customer their view on interest rates or questioning how they intend to repay an Interest-only mortgage.
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