Passion for people & personal values drives Michael Carmody FPA Professional of the Year

MELBOURNE, Australia - Dec. 5, 2018 - PRLog -- Against an often-heated environment filled with negative commentary directed against financial services, it's refreshing to see a dedicated professional rise above the static and receive an award that not only recognises their own personal attributes but acknowledges the backbone of the advice sector said Sentry Group chairman and MD Murray Hills.

Commenting further, Murray Hills said Viva Wealth Director Michael Carmody's FPA Certified Financial Planner Professional of the Year 2018 award was an acknowledgement of his immense individual competency as a practitioner in the provision of the highest levels of financial advice and client service / care.

Michael doesn't operate from a glamourous mid-city office, it's very much a two-person practice administered with his wife Vanessa who embarked on this joint venture together in July 2016.  Their business goal was to have less clients and work with each client more intimately.

"I have an immense passion to provide the very highest standards of client experience and in doing so, assist clients to achieve their life goals and aspirations – hence my own dedication to ongoing personal and professional development and learning.

"This also extends to giving back to the industry as an FPA WA Committee member, mentor to new industry entrants and established practitioners; and supporting community / charitable activities.  They are inseparable", said Michael Carmody.

Michael started his working life as an educator before embarking on a career change into financial services in 2006.  He joined Byfields Accountants & Financial Advisers and had advanced to Partner and Senior Financial Adviser by 2009.

However, it was 2016 that he decided it was time for a new undertaking and established Viva Wealth financial practice in the Perth suburb of Ardross, as a Corporate Authorised Representative of Sentry.

Viva means 'long live' and that has been the mission of the practice since its inception – to firstly intimately understand and appreciate the individual aspirations unique to each client and then create a financial plan to assist them achieve those all-important long-term life objectives.

Viva has also provided Michael and wife Vanessa a quality of life away from the business to be devoted parents to their three daughters and also enjoy many personal and social pursuits.

"I grew up in Western Australia's wheatbelt and the values and passion to excel that were instilled in me by parents, family and community have been my personal bedrock and underpinned both my personal and professional life journey", continued Michael Carmody.

"Hence it is our client centric approach that has proven to be highly effective for the holistic capability it provides clients to achieve their ideal life".

It was an immense honour to be awarded FPA's highest award – but more so that the rigour and thoroughness of the award assessment framework was validation of our processes and competency in the provision of professional financial advice affirmed Michael Carmody.

It's imperative to intimately understand and appreciate each and every client which is why Michael devotes time to helping clients improve their personal financial literacy in order to better understand and appreciate their wealth creation, lifestyle protection or retirement plan.

Although there are many technological aids available, Michael prefers to document meeting and interview notes personally as it provides an opportunity to reflect on the discussions and better appreciate and understand each individual client.

Looking to the future, Vanessa's skills as a qualified coach will be utilised more extensively in Viva Wealth as desired by their clients.

Vanessa's coaching capabilities will be utilised to help clients better understand their emotions and emotional intelligence associated with money, thus helping them to visualise and document what an enriched life truly means to them.

The work that Vanessa does with each client sets a solid foundation for Michael to develop "Financial Life Planning" strategies that are unique to each individual client. It results in advice that is truly personal financial advice and not a cookie cutter approach.

Michael expects the practice will continue to grow through clients acting as brand ambassadors referring Viva Wealth to family members, friends and business associates.

"Change, upheaval and living more complex lives is now the new norm – however, the importance of financial advice has never been more important.  The fundamental purpose as financial planners remain unchanged – to help clients plan for the future and effectively use time to achieve those long-term life goals", concluded Michael Carmody.

ENDS

Issued by Sentry Group   www.sentrygroup.com.au

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