Financial Adviser Market Insights, September 10, 2026
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Adviser numbers fell by 3 for the week, moving from 15,159 to 15,156.
The nine week run of gains has come to an end, though the pullback was modest and the underlying picture remains broadly balanced. 25 licensee owners recorded net gains against 22 with losses.
Ironbark continued consolidating its advisers onto a single licence, with a further 31 advisers moving across to LFC Group this week, taking that licensee to 63 advisers in total. All 31 switched from Akumin Financial Planning, and because both licences sit inside the Entireti & Akumin family, the group's own net movement was barely affected, down just one.
Elsewhere, Hunter Green was down by four advisers, two joining Picture Wealth Group’s licensee Capstone and two joinging and closed most of its business to Picture Wealth Group and Count Limited, while Strategic Financial Planners wound down entirely, with all three of its advisers moving together to newly formed Elect Wealth Management.
This week 108 advisers left or changed roles, including 4 new entrants to the register.
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Key Adviser Movements for the Week
15,156 current advisers
Net change of advisers: (-3)
New Entrants: 4
New licensees commenced: 4
Licensees ceased: 3
25 licensee owners had net gains
22 licensee owners had net losses
Net Change Calendar 2026 YTD: +101
Net Change Financial Year 2026/27 YTD: +274
Net change last 12 months: +237
Growth - Licensee Owners
Elect Wealth Management up by three to 11, a newly formed licensee built entirely from Strategic Financial Planners, which has now closed (see Losses).
Picture Wealth Group up by three to 382, two advisers joined from Hunter Green (The G & A Hunter Family Trust) and one from Entireti & Akumin's Hillross Financial Services licence.
Count Limited up by two to 551, two advisers joined from Hunter Green and one from True Wealth Financial Group.
Lee Anthony Clarke up by two to 14, taking one adviser from National Financial Services and one from Entireti & Akumin's Akumin Financial Planning licence.
A tail of 21 licensee owners up by net one each, including Bell Financial Group (183, a new entrant), Lifespan (309) and Forest Wealth Holdings (14).
Losses - Licensee Owners
Hunter Green (The G & A Hunter Family Trust) down by four, its business splitting between Picture Wealth Group and Count Limited (see Growth).
Strategic Financial Planners down by three and reduced to zero advisers, with all three moving together to the newly formed Elect Wealth Management (see Growth).
Four licensee owners down by two each: Centrepoint Group (600), Perpetual Group (76), Mercer (Australia) (28) and Infocus Group (185), with none of the departing advisers yet reappointed.
Entireti & Akumin Group down by just one on a net basis to 1,092 — a figure that masks a much busier week, with 31 advisers moving internally from Akumin Financial Planning to the group's own LFC Group licence as part of Ironbark's continued consolidation onto a single licence. LFC Group now stands at 63 advisers.
A tail of 16 licensee owners down by net one each.
The Financial Adviser Market Report - get your copy now - No Fee
The Australian Financial Adviser Market 2026 is Padua's data-driven read on the state of the profession. Drawing on the ASIC Financial Adviser Register and adviser exam data, it maps six forces behind a market that has stopped shrinking but is far from recovered: 15,012 advisers, ageing fast, against 3.6 million Australians who need advice. The conclusion is a shift in the question itself, from how to grow the workforce to how to get more from the one we have.
