Why Your Five-File Review Model Is Giving You a False Sense of Security

Most AFSLs are still relying on a traditional five-file review model. It’s predictable, it’s familiar - and it’s giving advice business owners a completely false sense of comfort.

In a recent video session, Tangelo Advice Consulting Director Selin Ertac sat down with Senior Consultant Paula Draney, a specialist in monitoring and supervision uplift, to break down exactly what is broken with traditional compliance models and what a better approach looks like.

It was a high-energy session with strong interest from the community.

We took a deep dive into:

  • Surface-level tick-box checklists often fail to identify inconsistent client file information and actual root causes.

  • A rigid "five files for everyone" approach wastes valuable resources and allows systemic, costly errors to go unnoticed.

  • Modern risk-based programs bring together existing business data to target monitoring exactly where your highest risks sit.

  • Internal compliance teams need external calibration to avoid giving advisers conflicting answers and working in silos.

  • AI is fantastic for exception-based triaging and theme detection, but human critical thinking remains entirely irreplaceable.

  • Shifting your supervision framework from consequence management to a coaching model actively builds adviser confidence.

While this was a monthly session for our regular viewers, we were thrilled to open it up to a broader audience.

The full recording is available now - simply hit play on the video to catch up on the session.

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Rethinking M&S From the Ground Up