AIA NZ to research adviser wellbeing

AIA NZ is sponsoring an independent research project to better understand the mental health and wellbeing of financial advisers in New Zealand.

The project, called the ‘NZ Adviser Wellbeing Research’, aims to understand the current state of mental health of NZ financial advisers, explore the habits and attitudes of those advisers who are currently experiencing positive mental wellbeing, and understand the mindsets and behaviours needed to evolve and manage significant market disruptions.

Sam Tremethick, Chief Partnership Insurance Officer AIA NZ, says “We’re looking to undertake a ‘temperature check’ on how advisers are going here in NZ. We know there has been a lot of change in recent times, and this research will seek to understand the key challenges experienced by financial advisers locally, particularly in light of increased regulation, operating in a global pandemic and changing client needs.”

AIA NZ is working with Sydney-based researchers Dr Adam Fraser, founder of The e-lab, and Dr John Molineux who specialise in producing reports of this nature. The pair undertook a similar research project earlier this year in Australia, which was a first-of-its-kind study into Australian financial adviser wellbeing.  Sponsored by AIA Australia, key findings showed poor levels of mental and physical health among financial advisers including:

• 73% of respondents had high levels of burnout from stress
• 67% had experienced some level of depression
• 61% had poor sleep due to stress.

“At AIA NZ we’re committed to helping people live healthier, longer, better lives, and we want to understand how we can better support the NZ adviser market to understand and improve their own health and wellbeing,” Sam says.

The research findings will highlight future opportunities and inform practical applications for improving wellbeing for NZ advisers, and will be shared widely to benefit the broader industry.

The NZ Adviser Wellbeing Research is open until 10 October 2021 to all financial advisers in New Zealand, not just those involved in the life insurance business. It is not a requirement to have previously placed business with AIA NZ.

“To encourage participation and show our appreciation, AIA NZ will donate $10 to the Mental Health Foundation for every NZ Adviser Wellbeing survey response received (up to $2,500). Please share your views today; these findings will benefit our industry as a whole, and offer valuable insights into current states of adviser mental wellbeing,” Sam says.