Financial advice businesses are often built around a single discipline—investments, superannuation, or retirement planning. But as client needs become more complex, a growing number of firms are beginning to expand beyond traditional boundaries.
In a conversation on The Engine Room, Prashant Nagarajan shares how his business has evolved into a hybrid model—combining financial planning with mortgage broking, delivered through a fully remote team, and underpinned by a highly structured client journey.
What emerges is a business shaped less by products, and more by clarity—clarity of client, service, and process.
Prashant’s journey into financial advice began in a way that many in the industry would recognise—at the very bottom.
After moving from India to Australia, he entered the profession through a cold-calling role, making up to 180 calls a day. The experience was demanding, but formative. It forced rapid adaptation, sharpened communication skills, and built resilience early.
From there, he progressed through advisory roles in both independent practices and large institutions, including banking environments. While these roles provided technical experience, they also revealed limitations—particularly around structure, product focus, and the lack of flexibility in delivering advice.
That contrast ultimately led to a decision to build something different.
Rather than attempting to serve a broad market, the business was built around a very specific client profile.
The “avatar” client is typically:
While each client’s situation is unique, the underlying challenges are often consistent. Clients are not necessarily lacking income or opportunity—they are lacking clarity.
Some arrive with fragmented financial positions—multiple assets, investments, and debts that are not working together. Others are approaching key life transitions and feel uncertain about how to move forward.
In both cases, the role of advice is to connect the dots.
In its early stages, the business experimented heavily with service delivery.
Initial pricing models were simple—subscription-based services with broad offerings. But over time, patterns began to emerge. Clients shared similar problems, even if their circumstances differed.
This led to a shift toward segmentation.
Rather than delivering generic advice, services were structured around specific cohorts—first home buyers, upgraders, investors, and “optimisers.” Each group had its own set of needs, and therefore required tailored solutions.
This evolution reflects a broader trend in advice: moving from one-size-fits-all models to more defined, repeatable service structures.
One of the defining features of the business is its integration of mortgage broking with financial planning.
This was not the starting point, but rather a natural extension.
As client needs became clearer—particularly around property—it became evident that financial advice in isolation was not enough. Lending decisions were central to many client strategies, and separating the two created friction.
By bringing both disciplines together, the business is able to:
While this dual structure increases complexity—particularly around licensing and compliance—it also creates a competitive advantage. As Prashant notes, the difficulty of operating across both areas is precisely what makes it valuable.
Another key feature of the business is the clarity of its client process.
Rather than offering open-ended engagement, the journey is broken into defined stages.
It begins with a short triage conversation, followed by a paid diagnostic meeting. From there, clients move into what is described as a “build phase”—a structured period of advice delivery, typically lasting around six months.
This approach achieves two things.
First, it filters commitment. Clients who engage are more likely to follow through. Second, it provides a clear framework for delivering value, particularly for clients who may be engaging with financial advice for the first time.
Importantly, the language used—“build phase”—reflects the nature of the work. Clients are not simply receiving advice; they are constructing a financial position.
Unlike many advice firms focused on scale through volume, this business operates with a relatively small, highly engaged client base.
With approximately 50 families on ongoing service, the model prioritises depth over breadth.
This is partly driven by the integrated nature of the service. Clients are not only receiving financial advice, but also ongoing support around lending, strategy, and implementation.
The result is a higher level of interaction—often involving multiple touchpoints throughout the year.
Behind the client-facing side of the business sits a distributed operations team, primarily based overseas.
This “engine room” handles much of the technical and administrative work, allowing the advisor to focus on strategy and client relationships.
Operating remotely from day one, the business was well-positioned for the shift toward digital engagement. In fact, the pandemic accelerated adoption, reinforcing the viability of fully online service delivery.
However, remote work introduces its own challenges.
Communication becomes more deliberate, trust becomes essential, and identifying problems can take longer when teams are not physically present. As a result, structured communication rhythms and a strong culture of accountability are critical.
Like many advice businesses, technology remains both a solution and a frustration.
Systems across financial planning and mortgage broking often operate independently, requiring workarounds to create a unified workflow. While tools exist for each function, true integration remains elusive.
The ideal state—real-time, consolidated client data across all financial areas—remains largely aspirational.
In the meantime, the business relies on a combination of platforms, internal tools, and manual processes to bridge the gaps.
This reflects a broader industry challenge: technology has advanced rapidly, but cohesion across systems still lags behind.
Beyond systems and strategy, one of the most consistent themes is alignment—both within client relationships and within the business itself.
From a client perspective, misalignment between partners can be a significant barrier to progress. Ensuring both individuals are engaged and aligned is critical to delivering effective advice.
Internally, alignment comes through culture and delegation. As the business has grown, shifting from control to trust has been essential. Empowering team members to take ownership of processes has not only improved efficiency, but also strengthened the overall operation.
The next phase of growth is focused on expansion—particularly through bringing on additional advisors and scaling the model.
However, this growth is being approached cautiously. Maintaining culture, service quality, and process integrity remains the priority before accelerating further.
There is also potential to expand further into lending through acquisition, highlighting the flexibility of a model that spans multiple disciplines.
Prashant Nagarajan’s business reflects a broader shift in financial advice—away from fragmented services and toward integrated, client-centric models.
Key themes emerge throughout the conversation:
Ultimately, the model demonstrates that modern advice businesses are not defined by the tools they use, but by how effectively they bring together people, process, and purpose.
In an industry still evolving, that clarity may be one of the most valuable advantages of all.