As the winner of the FPA Financial Planner AFP® of the Year Award, Crystal Bobir CFP® participates in industry awards as an opportunity to benchmark herself against her peers.
Crystal Bobir CFP® is making a habit of winning awards. Having won the 2018 PlanPlus Global Financial Planning Awards, as well as being a finalist in the 2016 and 2018 Money Management Young Achiever of the Year Award, she has backed up by taking out the 2019 FPA Financial Planner AFP® of the Year Award.
It’s not a bad record for this talented professional, who recently completed the CFP® Certification Program in November 2019, but was only eligible to stand for the FPA Financial Planner AFP® of the Year Award due to the closing date of entries for the 2019 FPA Awards.
The judges were clearly impressed with Crystal’s client relationship skills and her ability to demonstrate how her advice was in the best interests of her client. According to the judges, Crystal has the skills that new financial planners aspire to have, as well as the natural ability to simplify complex matters for her clients.
As the winner of the 2019 FPA Financial Planner AFP® of the Year Award, Crystal’s energy and enthusiasm for the profession is infectious. Having joined Brisbane-based Tupicoffs in 2012, she prides herself on providing exceptional advice and helping clients achieve the best outcome possible for themselves and their families. Her commitment to excellence is reflected in her client outcomes, as well as her impressive tally of awards she has chalked up.
However, Crystal confides that she enters industry awards not so much to win them, but as an opportunity to test herself to see how her advice stacks up against her peers.
“I am constantly aiming to learn, so participating in awards’ processes is an invaluable way to make sure I’m on track with where I need to be, as well as providing the necessary self-reflection that enables me to improve, both as a professional and as an individual,” she says.
Motivate and inspire
So, what does winning the 2019 FPA Financial Planner AFP® of the Year Award mean to Crystal?
“It really is fantastic recognition of all my hard work,” she says. “The last couple of years have been fairly hectic. I was studying, working and starting a family all at the same time.
“I hope that by winning this award, it will give prospective new clients confidence that they are working with a professional who is skilled and dedicated to providing high quality advice.”
Crystal also hopes to use her award to help motivate and inspire other women within the profession to push themselves and achieve excellence in what they do.
“It can be difficult for women in the workplace, as they juggle the demands of a career, while managing the responsibilities of raising and caring for a family. So, I hope I’ll be able to encourage more women to excel within the profession.”
When talking to women about a career in financial planning, Crystal emphasises the importance of being a “people person”.
“The soft skills are perhaps the most important part of succeeding as a financial planner,” she says. “The technical part of planning is something anybody can learn. We’ve got all the tools available to help you with your calculations and modelling. But mastering the soft skills, like being able to connect with others and build relationships, is much harder. These soft skills are a fundamental part of being a financial planner.”
Adapting to change
Crystal believes that winning the 2019 FPA Financial Planner AFP® of the Year Award has been the culmination of everything she has been working towards over the past few years. So, when it comes to looking at the horizon towards her next challenge, she freely admits she’s ready to take a break from the demands of studying.
“With the CFP® Certification Program done and the FASEA exam ticked off, I think it’s a good time for me to take a break from study, reflect on what I have achieved, and just take the time to enjoy working with my clients,” she says.
But with the unprecedented level of change the profession is currently experiencing, Crystal concedes she won’t be able to reflect too long on what she has accomplished.
“Technology is forcing the profession to change quite quickly, by providing consumers with much more access to information and services that they never had access to in the past. As a profession, we have to adapt to changing technology and continue to provide value for our clients, which will be challenging in the coming years.
“People are getting a sense that they can do financial planning more easily themselves. So, we need to continue to show consumers the importance of working with a planner and the value of advice we can provide them.”
But adapting to change is something that does not phase Crystal, who advocates for practitioners to stay the course during this period of change and transition.
“Financial planning is an incredibly rewarding career. There are few jobs where you can make such a tangible and beneficial difference to the lives of people. For planners who are prepared to embrace technology and change, both they and their clients will thrive in the years ahead.”
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Name: Crystal Bobir CFP®
Educational qualifications: BCom (Financial Planning and Accounting)
Position: Financial Planner
Practice: Tupicoffs
Licensee: Tupicoffs
Years as a financial planner: Four years
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