Summer Newsletter 2023 - Foresters Financial

Sustainable Investing In The Spotlight

Environmental, Social and Governance issues have remained front of mind for many investors in 2023, and will continue to be topical with Australia’s largest energy producer – Origin – subject to an increasingly acrimonious takeover from offshore fund managers Brookfield & EIG Partners.

The 2023 AGM season for listed companies is coming to a close and we have seen increasing activism from institutional investors, holding boards and management to account for poor strategic decisions and bad capital allocation. It appears that we are finally witnessing the emergence of true activists in Australia with a group of prominent institutional investors publicly advocating for management and board renewal – likely after private discussions did not have the desired effect.

On the policy front, 2024 will be a busy time for ESG investors, with the government’s Green Bond program coming to the market and the Climate Change and Energy Minister’s recent announcement of a “Capacity Investment Scheme” that will help underwrite an estimated 32GW of new green energy projects.

Foresters has advocated for greater access to Green Bonds and support National Seniors Australia’s call on the government to open this new market to retail investors.

With our Sustainable Funeral Bond having a strategic asset allocation of 60% to defensive assets, it will naturally participate in financing many of these new projects through its investment activity.

We have continued to see strong demand for our Sustainable Funeral Bond option. Out of the investors who chose a market-linked investment option in the September quarter, we saw $1 out of every $2 going into sustainable investments.

Foresters also offers sustainable investment options across its entire suite of market-linked investment products, including our Education Bonds and Investment Bonds.

Forms Manager: Automating Data Capture

If time is money, speed then, is wealth. Speed enables volume, efficiency, productivity and reduces waste and cost. Automation has the ability to reduce processes from 10 to 2 steps and data capturing from 45 minutes to 15 minutes.

Our Forms Manager captures your clients’ details and signatures on our application forms and transfers their information directly into our fund management system within minutes, reducing several steps and minimising processing time should a paper application form be scanned and emailed to our team, let alone posted.

Automation allows for data integrity, compliance, and accuracy as part of the application process. Technology has the ability to validate data as it is captured or update changes in real-time to reduce error rates.

Here's what our members are saying:

Being able to access, create and submit applications through Forms Manager has greatly increased my efficiency and productivity whilst in client appointments and reduced the paperwork to manage afterwards. The system is user friendly and everything you need to assist your clients is at your fingertips.

I would highly recommend using Forms Manager; I haven’t looked back since I switched over.

Kimberley Davies, H Parsons Group

Forms Manager has really helped us to streamline our entire process. It’s been handy having everything in one place so we can manage the overall process as we look after our client families. Anything that saves us time and makes our work life easier is always appreciated!

James Clarke – Bethel Funerals VIC

Forms Manager gives us more flexibility, allowing families to sign on their own device whilst with our Planners, and the ability to upload signed documents into the portal, rather than having to send these to Foresters once signed. Management can track each contract and application’s status, and make notes on the portal pertaining to any communication with the family.

All of this has created more efficiency for our Planners, and made for a smoother prepaid process.

Megan Maxfield – Salvos Funerals

Forms Manager will guide you step by step through the application process, validate your client’s data as they are entered and allow for changes before being submitted. As no further intervention is required, your client’s data is kept accurate, and compliant with no further human interaction with straight through processing.

Client experience is an essential part of any business, and it often is the differentiator that sets organisations apart. Automation allows staff to engage with clients with patience and care, while it takes care of the process. Automation allows our staff and yours, to be sensitive to families and ensure a hospitable experience when they are at their most vulnerable.

Forms Manager assists with allocation of work, workflow and makes these processes visible to all, without waiting on a single staff member, should they be engaging in a sensitive conversation.

If any of the above benefits of automation are needs or requirements in your business today, contact us to find how we can add Forms Manager, without cost, to your working day. We have a training consultant available to implement and provide face-to-face or remote training, along with videos and content for your team to successfully adopt Forms Manager into your business.

To find out more, please contact us at service@forestersfinancial.com.au or call us on 1800 645 326.

To book a training session, please contact David directly: davidl@forestersfinancial.com.au

Introducing Education Bonds: A Holistic Approach to Family Care

We are excited to share that we have extended our commitment to supporting families beyond funeral plans and have expanded our offerings to also include Education Bonds.

An Education Bond is a tax effective investment product, specifically designed to help individuals and families save for education expenses, whether for yourself or a beneficiary.

An Education Bond can be used for a wide range of education expenses such as:

Key Benefits of Our Education Bonds

Structured savings

With disciplined saving, families can systematically build a fund dedicated to the educational needs of their children and grandchildren.

Tax Advantages

Families can benefit from potential tax advantages associated with Education Bonds.

Flexible Options

Our Education Bonds offer flexibility in contributions and withdrawals, ensuring families have more control over their investment.

Non-contestable legacy

Families often see education bonds as a way to create a lasting legacy for future generations by providing for the educational needs of the children and grandchildren.

If you would like to find out more about how our education bonds can benefit you and your family, please call Jen Liakopoulos on 0499 865 203.

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