Acre has partnered with Comentis, integrating its financial vulnerability assessments directly into the platform.
This gives brokers a compliant process to assess clients for vulnerable circumstances and act on any flags within Acre’s Client Portal and CRM.
Comentis combines technology with the clinical expertise of mental health and psychology specialists to deliver digital vulnerability assessments that enable advisers to identify vulnerable clients consistently and objectively. The assessments also provide advisers with clear guidance on appropriate next steps, helping them deliver better client outcomes.
Sitting within Acre, Comentis assessments are automatically triggered early in the client journey to ensure all information is gathered and assessed before cases can progress further, creating an FCA-compliant audit trail for brokerages and networks.
Reuben Thompson, VP of innovation at Acre, said: “Under FCA rules, brokers must assess vulnerability. In reality that means firms must have in place a clear, effective process that holds up under regulatory scrutiny. Comentis’ clinically validated vulnerability assessments are the industry gold standard and integrating their process into Acre’s Client Portal means our users will never miss this vital step when dealing with clients.”
Jonathan Barrett, CEO at Comentis, added: "As the mortgage sector continues to strengthen its approach to Consumer Duty, firms are recognising the importance of having robust, consistent and evidence-based processes for identifying and supporting vulnerable customers. We're delighted to be partnering with Acre, whose market-leading platform has enabled vulnerability identification to be embedded seamlessly into the adviser journey, making it easier for advisers to do the right thing for every client.
"This partnership ensures that advisers can access clinically validated vulnerability assessments without disrupting the advice process. With assessments specifically designed for the mortgage and later life markets, firms can identify customer needs objectively, receive clear guidance on appropriate next steps, and evidence the actions they've taken to deliver good customer outcomes."
