A Benefit Segmentation of the Financial Planning Market

The financial planning industry has demonstrated significant growth in Australia through the 1980s. A benefit segmentation study of the financial planning market in Perth, Western Australia, is examined. A telephone survey was conducted on a random sample of 400 respondents drawn from the metropolitan telephone book. Four underlying benefit dimensions which are sought when making investment decisions are identified. Respondents are then segmented based on their pattern of responses over these dimensions. Three segments are identified –disinterested investors, demanding investors and security seekers. While the Perth marketplace could be segmented using investment benefits,attempts to profile these segments in terms of demographic characteristics and investment activity are inconclusive.