A new software platform has launched today to offer back-office, training and business support to Financial Planners.

PlanHappy has been designed by Financial Planner Neil Parker, founder of Teesside financial adviser Joslin Rhodes.

The fintech business was spun out of Joslin Rhodes as a separate company in 2018 and has since been developing the new platform.

It’s designed to help planners in small to medium sized practices develop their business and services built around the concept of Lifestyle Financial Planning, Mr Parker said.

It’s the culmination of a decade's work, according to Mr Parker, with the software in development for almost seven years. It has been launched today after being in Beta for three years.

Mr Parker, a former chef and civil engineer, said: “PlanHappy was born out of frustration. As a Lifestyle Financial Planner, the existing software available just didn’t do what I wanted it to do.”

It offers three training courses giving Financial Planners access to hundreds of hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) content.

Mr Parker said: “Continuous professional development has to be at the heart of truly effective Financial Planning.”

The software is offered through a monthly subscription at £100 per month per user.

Training is available with the platform’s Lifestyle Financial Planning Process (40 hours CPD) available for a one-off £3,495 plus VAT. Building & Growing Your Financial Planning Business (6 hours CPD) is £295 plus VAT. Both are available on monthly instalments. Coaching is also offered at £75 plus VAT for a 30-minute session.

The platform is powered by Octopus-owned Seccl which powers several UK Financial Planning platforms. It is a regulated custodian and ISA/SIPP provider and is part of Octopus group which includes Octopus Investments.

Joslin Rhodes is a £200m FUA Stockton-on-Tees adviser with 60 staff.