PFAN on the national stage at Advice Policy Summit 2026

It was wonderful to have PFAN represented at this year’s Professional Planner Advice Policy Summit, held at the iconic National Press Club in Canberra — one of the most significant gatherings in the Australian financial advice calendar.

PFAN deputy chair Natalie Kleibert took to the stage with a message that felt both timely and hopeful. While much of the conversation across the day focused on the challenges facing the advice profession, Nat offered a different perspective: that the answer to rebuilding community trust is already happening, and pro bono advisers are at the heart of it.

“We’ve talked about the profession being reactive to bad actors … let’s lead with the good advisers and what they’re doing,” she said.

Nat spoke about the ripple effect that pro bono advice creates — how the people who receive it become genuine advocates for the profession in their communities, helping to shift perceptions one relationship at a time. She also shared something that never gets old to hear: that at conferences, between 30 and 40 per cent of delegates approach PFAN wanting to know how they can get involved.

That enthusiasm is real, and it matters. It’s a reminder that so many advisers genuinely want to give back — they just need a pathway to do it.

Thanks to our media partners Professional Planner and Conexus Financial for the opportunity to be part of the conversation