Top insurance companies merge

Stewart Financial Group executive director and founding principal Don Stewart said the six advisers joining Plus4 would be beneficial for both advisory groups and their clients. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay's leading wealth and risk management specialists have elected to join the national insurance broking and financial adviser group, Plus4 Insurance Solutions.

Stewart Financial Group executive director and founding principal Don Stewart said: "As a privately owned, nonaligned and values-based organisation, Stewart Group has much in common with Plus4.

"While we will continue to operate under our existing brand, joining forces with Plus4 provides both entities with greater scale which is not only mutually beneficial but is also in our client's best interests," he said.

Like Plus4, Stewart Group's investment and insurance advice was tailored to client's individual circumstances, he said, which allowed them to provide a financial solution which was directly aligned to their personal, business and lifestyle goals.

Executive director and general manager Nick Stewart said they had elected to join Plus4 for a number of reasons, all of which would ensure they provided better services to their clients.

These included collegiality with other "like-minded" advisers, and with significant changes in legislation it was beneficial for advisory groups to have a central voice to communicate with government.

Located in Hastings since 1986, Stewart Group have six professional financial advisers, five who are authorised financial advisers, and provide full investment and risk management services including KiwiSaver.

Together, the group's professional adviser team have more than 120 years of combined experience in the financial services industry.

The team also has access to a "back office team" of professionals to ensure that the firm is effective and fully compliant with the financial adviser regulatory regime.

Plus4's chairman Grant Uridge said the announcement marked a milestone in Plus4's development.

"As a result, the group will not only substantially increase its presence in Hawke's Bay but also signal its growing presence to the wider financial sector that it is a growing force in the market," he said.

"With the six Stewart Group advisers joining the group, we now have 38 advisers across the country from Whangarei to Invercargill."

Established in 2008, Plus4 Group members, who have no affiliations to any specific insurance provider, use independent research to identify the solutions that best meet their individual and business clients' requirements.

Plus4 members work predominantly with small- to medium-sized enterprises, their owners and their accountants.