Press, podcasts &
independent coverage.

M&A vs organic growth: What is the best way to grow adviser numbers?

A Money Management feature on how advice groups are expanding adviser numbers as the profession shrinks, with the Financial Advice Register down to about 15,000 from roughly 28,000 at the time of the Hayne Royal Commission. AGS features among the firms profiled, alongside larger networks like Entireti and Shaw and Partners. Co-founder and director Alex Berlee is quoted on the gap between a smaller planner pool and steady client demand, pointing to the firm's September acquisition of Hartley Financial as a way to grow its advice team beyond the advisers it develops internally.

Featuring: Alex Berlee

AGS Financial Group's acquisition of Hartley Financial

The adviser trade press covered AGS Financial Group's full acquisition of Hartley Financial and Tax & Wealth, a deal combining offices across Sydney and Melbourne and expected to add around $2.6 million in group annual revenue. CEO Paul Bolstad said what drew AGS to Hartley was a shared integrated model of planning, tax, accounting and lending under one roof, and matching values focused on the client relationship rather than the single transaction. Co-founder and director Alex Berlee said the main gain was geographical presence in areas where AGS had contacts but no local office, alongside the need for qualified advisers in a market thinned by post-Royal Commission standards. Clients on both sides keep the same advisers, phone numbers and offices, with continuity the priority through the transition.

Featuring: Paul Bolstad , Alex Berlee

AGS on the managed accounts boom

Alex Berlee was quoted across the adviser trade press on AMP North's Managed Portfolios Insights Report, which found managed portfolios now make up 30% of advised funds under advice in Australia (up from 16% in 2021), with North's platform rising 31% to $28.3 billion over the year to June 2026. Across the coverage he pointed to AGS's strong take-up of separately managed accounts and the firm's retirement-specific SMAs: income-focused portfolios built to reduce volatility for retired clients, using a bucketing approach that splits growth and defensive assets into separate SMAs.

Featuring: Alex Berlee

The Aged Care Conversation #1

Matthew Lloyd and Alex Berlee launch Ensombl's new Aged Care Conversation series with host Sarah Leslie. They unpack how recent aged care reforms have raised complexity and cost, how home care packages, RADs and co-contributions now interact, and why advisers must lift their aged care capability or partner with specialists to serve clients through the transition.

Featuring: Alex Berlee , Matthew Lloyd

Also on: YouTube , Apple Podcasts

A new lens on retirement: helping clients live — not hold back

Alex Berlee is quoted on setting client expectations through market volatility — clients who understand the structure aren't rattled by short-term bumps because they trust the plan.

Featuring: Alex Berlee

Lifetime Income Series #3 — Innovative Retirement Income Streams

Alex joins the final installment of Ensombl's Lifetime Income Series with Ben Hillier of AMP, discussing how innovative retirement income streams (IRIS) can help clients manage financial and emotional risk and confidently transition into retirement.

Featuring: Alex Berlee

Meet the advisers pioneering the profession's AI adoption

Paul Bolstad (CEO, AGS Financial Group) is featured discussing AGS's ~$500k annual IT investment, in-house developers customising Salesforce to automate client meetings and document preparation, and how the ~80-person Sydney firm scales advanced AI/automation without the enterprise cost base.

Featuring: Paul Bolstad

The pros and cons of debt recycling strategies

Alex-authored piece on debt recycling — when the strategy works, the tax mechanics, and where it fails. Published in Firstlinks Edition 593.

Featuring: Alex Berlee

AFR Smart Investor — Top 50 Financial Planner

Alex Berlee was named a Top 50 Financial Planner by AFR Smart Investor Magazine six times — in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 — recognising sustained technical excellence in financial planning.

Featuring: Alex Berlee

Case Study — Paul Bolstad

Financial Standard FS Advice journal white-paper case study featuring Paul Bolstad. PDF hosted on Financial Standard's Rainmaker media library.

Featuring: Paul Bolstad