Overview

The financial services industry is a rapidly and technical area that many highly qualified and skilled Chartered Accountants operate in. The industry incorporates a wide range of specialist areas and roles such as funds management, financial planning, superannuation, credit, compliance, training, banking and insurance to name a few. As such it is one of the fastest growing areas that many Chartered Accountants are becoming involved in – both as practitioners and also in business.

There are over 14,000 Chartered Accountants who provide a range of advisory services as public practitioners. Historically Chartered Accountants have provided these advisory services to their clients some of these advisory services now require various forms of licensing.

As the value of advice is further recognised as highly valuable to clients and becomes a higher profile to the government, so has the Institute increased its focus in these areas.

Specifically the last couple of years has seen extensive challenges for members and their clients . These challenges have come through high levels of market volatility and also regulatory change. These challenges will continue in the future and Chartered Accountants will need to be flexible and adaptable to ensure they continue to provide quality services to their clients.

In this area the Institute works with government and regulators extensively on policy development in the interests of their members, their clients and public in general. Additionally the Institute provides support and guidance to members through the provision of various tools.

Article last updated 3 November 2010