Most of the top 200 NZ financial services providers have “partnered” to provide online access to new portal Liquid.co.nz. Owned but operated independently by AMP NZ, the new service allows consumers to source and buy financial services direct from the companies.

The concept isn’t likely to be welcomed by intermediaries, and neither is the statement by AMP NZ MD John Drabble that the target audience is the upwardly mobile younger 18% of the population. But he agrees the system won’t really work without “a number of” financial advisers also being accessible through Liquid.