Zurich Australia, the Sydney-based investment and retirement planning firm, has partnered with one of the largest advisory firms in the country as part of efforts to strengthen its business.

The tie-up with Guardian Advice, the advisory group with around 150 advisors and over 130,000 clients nationwide, makes Zurich the sixth insurance provider on the firm's Preferred Partner Panel. Zurich joins the likes of Asteron Life, OnePath, AIA, CommInsure and BT Life.

The partnership happens just two months away from the mandatory Future of Financial Advice legislation reforms set for 1 July 2013. The new FOFA guidelines are designed to provide better efficiency in advisory practices. Over the past months, Australian firms have been preparing for FoFA, either via partnerships or the creation of dedicated advice teams.