Contact

News & Insights

What Award-Winning Financial Advice Really Reflects: Experience, Consistency and Client Focus

Industry awards are not won overnight.

They are typically the result of years — often decades — of consistent service, strong governance and a commitment to client-focused advice. As Blacktower marks 40 years in financial planning, industry recognition reflects a broader story about experience and standards.

What Awards Actually Represent

While awards differ in focus, they generally recognise:

  • Quality of advice
  • Client outcomes and experience
  • Governance and compliance standards
  • Adviser professionalism
  • Consistency over time

Importantly, awards tend to reward sustained excellence rather than short-term success.

Experience You Can’t Fast-Track

Longevity matters in financial planning. Advising clients through multiple market cycles, regulatory changes and economic conditions builds institutional knowledge that cannot be replicated quickly.

Over time, this experience shapes:

  • More robust advice processes
  • Stronger risk management
  • Better communication during uncertainty
  • A culture of continuous improvement

Award recognition often reflects this depth rather than any single initiative.

Client-Centred Advice as a Foundation

At its core, long-term success in financial planning depends on client trust.

Award-winning firms tend to share common traits:

  • Advice tailored to individual circumstances
  • Clear communication
  • Transparent processes
  • Strong governance frameworks
  • Ongoing reviews rather than one-off recommendations

Over 40 years, Blacktower’s focus has remained on long-term relationships rather than transactional outcomes.

Recognition as a By-Product, Not a Goal

Awards are not the objective of financial planning — they are a by-product of doing the right things consistently.

They provide reassurance to clients that a firm’s standards, processes and culture are recognised by the wider industry.

Final Thought

In an industry where trust is paramount, recognition built on experience and consistency matters. Four decades of advice, combined with independent recognition, can offer clients added confidence when making long-term financial decisions.

This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.

Other News

40 Years of Regulation: The Importance of Strong Regulatory Footprint

Financial regulation has transformed significantly over the past 40 years — and with good reason. From light-touch oversight in the 1980s to today’s highly structured regulatory environment, the evolution of regulation has reshaped how advice is delivered, governed and monitored. The Changing Regulatory Landscape Since 1986, advisers have adapted to: Each development has raised expectations […]

Read More

Blacktower at 40: What Four Decades of Change Mean for You

By John Westwood, Founder and Executive Chairman, Blacktower Financial Management When you place your financial future in someone else’s hands, experience matters. Trust matters even more. As Blacktower reaches its fortieth year, I often reflect not just on how much the financial world has changed, but on what those changes mean for the people we […]

Read More

Select your country

Please select your country of residence so we can provide you with the most relevant information: