A 25-minute watch.   

Anthony Villis is MD of First Wealth, and in his long-form interview with Lee Robertson, talks through his company’s ‘three pillars’, bringing planning to the masses, and how planners and advisers stack-up in his business.

Evidence based decision-making is key in Anthony’s business, and the point rapidly arises around the fact the “evidence is over-whelming that active management does not add value over time.” As such, the business is a big supporter of passive investments.

Villis has also seen the evolution from transactional selling to lifestyle planning: “Planning is the bit that really adds value to the client”.

He talks of his awareness that some potential investors are excluded however: “We want to evolve our business to make great financial planning available to as many people as possible”, and points to First Wealth’s competitive annual costs.

The company is also an avid user of social media: “A lot of stuff on social media is leading to younger interactions – the question is how do we scale that?”

Also in the interview are his thoughts on what’s working and what isn’t for the industry, and why planners are so vital.

Villis has also written on the need for businesses to have continuity plans, as well as asking – what matters most?