Start with Your Goals for the Best Financial Advice, Not Just a Product

We are entering a new phase in financial advice where the focus will increasingly shift from the products offered to an advisor’s capability in guiding clients through the complexities of modern living.

This was a prominent theme during the 2026 Momentum Financial Planning (MFP) Achievers Conference, which carried the theme The Living Grid: Advice That Connects the Lines.

The conference convened the top 100 financial advisors from Momentum Financial Planning, along with business partners and leading industry figures to discuss the evolving financial landscape for South Africans and its implications for the future of professional advice.

Advisors are urged to reassess their roles considering longer life expectancies, shifting family dynamics, economic pressures, and a more intricate financial environment.

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The Living Grid is centered on a straightforward concept: every life unfolds in phases of growth, uncertainty, accumulation, and legacy, with each moment interconnected.

Our responsibility as advisors is evolving beyond merely responding to isolated financial choices; we must assist clients in comprehending how these choices influence all aspects of their financial situations.

Throughout the conference, speakers consistently highlighted that financial advice is transitioning away from being centered on specific products and increasingly focused on helping clients see how every financial decision links to another.

A change in career impacts retirement planning. An expanding family alters protection requirements. A health issue influences household cash flow. An inheritance shifts investment strategies. No financial choice stands alone, and neither should the guidance surrounding it.

The value of financial advice is evolving

A significant theme discussed at the conference was the ongoing transformation in the financial advice industry. While financial products become more accessible, and technology reshapes financial services, clients crave more than what technology alone can provide. They seek context, judgment, and assurance.

Even though technology will continue to simplify access to products and enhance information availability, mere access does not translate to clarity.

Clients require someone who comprehends the entirety of their lives and can help them link their present decisions to the futures they aspire to create.

Read: Balancing AI efficiency with human expertise in asset management

Advice needs to encompass the entire household

The conference urged advisors to broaden their understanding of who their clients are. Financial planning discussions too often center around the individual managing the household finances. However, when unexpected life changes occur, it is frequently the partner or spouse left to navigate crucial financial decisions.

A particularly memorable concept introduced at the conference was the “9 o’clock client.” This term refers to the spouse or family member who reaches out to an advisor following a significant life event, asking, “Are we going to be okay?” This moment serves as the true benchmark for financial advice.

The Momentum Group/BMR Financial Advice Research Report supports this notion, revealing that consumers desire advisors to fully comprehend their circumstances before dispensing advice. This highlights the necessity for financial planning to consider the entire household, not just one individual.

Advisors must engage with more than just the individual who typically leads financial conversations.

The quiet person in the room today may be the one facing crucial financial decisions tomorrow. Effective advice prepares all household members, not merely the policyholder.

This is particularly pertinent for women and widows. When an advisor relationship is primarily established with one spouse, the surviving partner may not have developed a connection with the advisor, emphasizing the importance of building trust, understanding, and rapport with both parties from the outset.

As financial matters become increasingly intricate, sound financial advice is more crucial than ever.

The conference also addressed broader forces impacting financial planning, including evolving client expectations, competing financial priorities, regulatory changes, and advancing technology.

Read: Your wealth is impressive – your structure should not be confusing

Speakers concurred that while these transformations are reshaping the profession, they also enhance the value of professional financial advice.

Today, individuals face an unprecedented array of financial options, information, and complexities. Yet, many households remain financially fragile.

Data from the South African Reserve Bank shows that South Africa’s household savings rate was at -1.30% of disposable income in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring the ongoing challenges many households encounter.

Amidst this environment, advisors have an expanded role in assisting clients in prioritizing their financial goals, making informed decisions, and preparing for unforeseen events.

Advice that integrates everything

The conference underscored that the future of financial advice centers on aiding clients in recognizing both their current actions and the repercussions these choices will have on their future.

Clients do not experience life through products; they navigate careers, families, health challenges, opportunities, retirement, and loss. It is our duty to help them interconnect these experiences into a singular financial plan that adapts alongside them over the years.

Ultimately, the conference highlighted that the true value of financial advice is not gauged by policy signings, premium payments, or investment transactions.

It is evaluated in the moments when life takes an unexpected turn, and a family can confidently respond, ‘Are we going to be okay?’ because the right discussions were held in advance.

Aldert Brink is the CEO of Momentum Financial Planning.