Welcome to the Challenge the Standard podcast - a podcast for financial advisers, by financial advisers.
Your hosts, Nathan Fradley and Jordan Vaka, will examine the biases, fixed thinking and status quo in advice. In every episode, we'll dive deep into the world of financial advice, questioning the norms, sparking new ideas and exploring how we could do things better.
Our goal is to elevate our professional practices and 'uphold and promote the standards of our profession.
So, whether you're a seasoned adviser or a bright new entrant to the Australian market (and beyond), this is where we challenge the standard, together.
This week, we're flashing back many, many years to a more innocent time. A purer time, where both hosts were fonts of positivity, optimism and naivete.
Joking.
Because this week we're discussing this video (The Single AR Challenge) that a younger, but more hirsute, Nathan released into the void back in the early 90s. Or three years ago. One of them.
Where he expounded on where he saw the Single AR market heading in the future.
Going back, checking what he said and comparing it to where we are today was fun and, hopefully, useful.
Especially with an extra section on pricing our advice, and why it's so damned important to get it right.
Plus, a new quote from Jordan that both he and Nathan were quite chuffed by.
You can now get CPD points for listening to two knuckleheads (and guests!) wax lyrical about financial advice for an hour at a time. (Yep, they're BACK!)
CPD For this Episode: https://quiz.ensombl.com/CHAL-26100805-00030001
Thanks again to the team at CPD Check for letting us publish our episodes using their AI-CPD certifying engine. Check out Clayton's episode on the pod for more info.
Nathan:
advice@nathanfradley.com.au
www.nathanfradley.com.au
Jordan:
jordan@planningsolo.com.au
www.planningsolo.com.au
LinkedIn:
Challenge the Standard in Financial Advice (Podcast): Overview | LinkedIn
The information contained in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. You should consider whether the information is appropriate to your needs, and where appropriate, seek professional advice from a financial adviser.
Jordan and Nathan are both authorised representatives of PlanningSolo Licensing, AFS Licence 526143.
Nathan:
advice@nathanfradley.com.au
www.nathanfradley.com.au
Jordan:
jordan@planningsolo.com.au
www.planningsolo.com.au
LinkedIn:
Challenge the Standard in Financial Advice (Podcast): Overview | LinkedIn
The information contained in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. You should consider whether the information is appropriate to your needs, and where appropriate, seek professional advice from a financial adviser.
Jordan and Nathan are both authorised representatives of PlanningSolo Licensing, AFS Licence 526143.
1 Oct 2026
S9E2 AI v VA
Putting aside their avowed determination to stop talking about AI, this week Jordan and Nathan explore the growing role AI is playing in adviser businesses. The rapid escalation of AI's position in advice reminds them both of the way hiring Virtual Assistants (VAs) took off in the mid 2010s.
They're particularly interested in the overlap between the different options advisers face to grow their business.
But before we can even discuss that - it's key to define just what problems you're trying to solve.
Throw in some ranting, existential dread and Jordan's admission about what he's doing on public footpaths, and it makes for a pretty standard episode of CTS...
Nathan:
advice@nathanfradley.com.au
www.nathanfradley.com.au
Jordan:
jordan@planningsolo.com.au
www.planningsolo.com.au
LinkedIn:
Challenge the Standard in Financial Advice (Podcast): Overview | LinkedIn
The information contained in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. You should consider whether the information is appropriate to your needs, and where appropriate, seek professional advice from a financial adviser.
Jordan and Nathan are both authorised representatives of PlanningSolo Licensing, AFS Licence 526143.
24 Sept 2026
S9E1 PI Insurance with Richard Silberman
"Sorry, our PI insurer says you can't do that - we're not covered."
"Our PI says we need to have this 27-step process in place before you can recommend an industry super fund."
"That's what's so good about wholesale advice - PI doesn't care, it's not covered!"
Nathan and Jordan have long suspected the PI insurers have been used as a convenient boogeyman for lazy, or perhaps dodgy, licensees to threaten advisers with.
The kind of ogre that only the licensee can speak with, because advisers couldn't possibly understand the intricacies of professional indemnity insurance.
Which is why they asked Richard Silberman of Numerisk Insurance Brokers to come on to the show, and unpack some of the realities of the insurance we all have to have - but might not always be clear on. Richard's helps us understand:
Why underwriting is such a critical skill within insurers
The issues with insuring to the lowest common denominator
The power of the human emotion to 'get' the big premiums onboard
The depth great brokers go to when assessing the multiple, cascading clauses built into a policy (get ready for nightmares here, licensees)
The single question you should ask your broker to work out if they understand this weird and wonderful profession we're in.
It's a fun, deep discussion - Nathan and Jordan enjoyed it and reckon you will too.
Richard's Details:
richard@numerisk.com.au
Website (https://www.numerisk.com.au/)
Nathan:
advice@nathanfradley.com.au
www.nathanfradley.com.au
Jordan:
jordan@planningsolo.com.au
www.planningsolo.com.au
LinkedIn:
Challenge the Standard in Financial Advice (Podcast): Overview | LinkedIn
The information contained in this podcast is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. You should consider whether the information is appropriate to your needs, and where appropriate, seek professional advice from a financial adviser.
Jordan and Nathan are both authorised representatives of PlanningSolo Licensing, AFS Licence 526143.
Who has been a guest on Challenge the Standard in Financial Advice
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Patrick Flynn
Glen James
James Wrigley
Clayton Daniel
Phil Thompson
Reach and audience
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Spotify
4.9 / 5
17 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 56 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
92
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
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