KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - MediaOutReach - 4 January 2021 - Financial professionals in Malaysia will now have access toresources and guidance to help them in their careers as MDRT -- a global,premier association founded in 1927 for financial services professionals -- isbroadening its support and reach with a new kind of association: the MDRT Academy. The Academy's aim is to help financial advisors who want toreach MDRT's top-level qualification requirements.

Withoutthe right resources, succeeding in the financial services profession isextremely challenging. In fact, according to LIMRA[1],  a worldwide research, consulting andprofessional development organisation, more than 80% of new professionals leavethe industry after just four years.

Thesituation is made more difficult with the onset of COVID-19 and its far-reachingimpact across economies and livelihoods. MDRT created the MDRT Academy to helpchange that, providing a borderless, digital support system for advisors aroundthe world.

Nowavailable to qualifying advisors in Malaysia, the MDRT Academy is a fullydigital association that provides its members with the resources they need tolearn best practices, sharpen and develop skills, increase their production andachieve success.

Digital by design

While other industry organisations continue to adapt to thevirtual world, the MDRT Academy was built for it. All of its available resourcesand community are accessed through a mobile application and website. Theconcept was field-tested by financial advisors and corporate participants overa three-year pilot phase. Throughout that time, beta members engaged with theresources, provided feedback and helped shape new offerings.

"As a young financial advisor aspiring to get to the next level, the MDRTAcademy app was the perfect tool," said Brandon Heckert, former MDRT Academymember and current MDRT member. "It allowed me to keep track of my goals andobtain the resources I needed to conduct my practice in a tech-focused world."

Access to the best

MDRT understands that to help financial advisors grow, the MDRTAcademy's offerings need to show them what it takes to succeed. The AcademyAssessment welcomes members and helps them better understand and identify theirstrength and growth areas. Weekly Growth Plans then deliver personalised resourcesbased on the results.

MDRT Academy content, which includes articles, videos, podcastepisodes and Performance Guides, is all MDRT-original or MDRT-approved. Thecontent topics are broken up across four areas of focus that MDRT Academy hasidentified as being key to success:

• Marketing your practice
• Advising your clients
• Managing your business
• Developing yourself

Academy members also gain access to MDRT members and otherindustry leaders and can connect with them in the app's community and duringmonthly Webcasts.

Prioritised for performance

The MDRT Academy also offers goal-setting and performance-trackingfeatures. Members can choose from more than 100 personal and professionalgoals, see what's trending among their peers and industry leaders, and createcustom goals specific to their life and practice. Those who are at higher levelsof production can gain even more insights to fuel growth through an opportunityto attend an MDRT meeting.

"I wish I had the MDRT Academy when I was first starting out,"said MDRT President Ian Green, DipPFS. "There's no doubt in my mind that it willsupport financial advisors in Malaysia to improve their business faster andbecome better at customer service sooner, especially during challenging timeslike what we're experiencing today. There's no finer resource to gain a fasttrack to MDRT qualification."

Membership now open

The MDRT Academy is available to advisors who do not yet qualify for MDRT,and reside in the United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica,Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Today,all Academy resources are in English, with language- and market-specificofferings in development. Advisors can learn more about the MDRT Academy and applyfor membership at www.mdrtacademy.org.

About MDRT

Founded in 1927, MillionDollar Round Table (MDRT), The Premier Association of Financial Professionals®,is a global, independent association of more than 65,000 of the world's leadinglife insurance and financial services professionals from more than 500 companiesin 70 nations and territories. MDRT members demonstrate exceptionalprofessional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service.MDRT membership is recognized internationally as the standard of excellence inthe life insurance and financial services business.

For more information on the MDRT Academy, please visit www.mdrtacademy.org. For moreinformation on MDRT, please visit www.mdrt.org.To view the MDRT diversity, equity and inclusion statement, click here.