Comprehensive advice

Before your advice appointment

Our qualified financial planners will help tailor your financial plan to your life and needs. We start by understanding your current financial picture in order to explore what's possible in the future.

We’ll ask you about the kind of lifestyle you want now, and in the future. To prepare for your appointment you’ll need to know details about your overall financial picture. This includes a few things like:

• assets you own including property and investments
• any insurances you already have
  
• any debts you have
• your current living expenses.

A good place to start is your myGov account where you'll find a lot of your financial information in the one place.

When you book your appointment we’ll follow up with a list of items to prepare in advance, such as pay slips, loans and savings statements, and other super and investment statements.

Preparing for a great first appointment

Building a financial plan is important because it helps you make informed choices between your obligations and goals and gives you the flexibility to adjust course as new situations arise.

Things to think about before your appointment:

• what are the things you want to achieve?
• how well are your money and investments meeting your expectations and needs?
• what are the things that worry you about your money?
• what questions do you have for your financial planner?
• what would a great appointment look like?

Your first meeting will usually run for around an hour. We’ll also prepare a Letter of Engagement, based on what we’ve discussed with you, and prepare a fee schedule for you to review and agree.
 

Preparing your financial plan

Your planner will analyse different scenarios and strategies. They'll also assess how they meet your needs. They’ll prepare your financial plan, detailing and explaining their recommendations. They will then send it to you to review. If you like, your planner can set up time to take you through your financial plan. They’ll explain their recommendations and your next steps.

Once we’ve discussed and agreed next steps, we’ll support you to put your plans into action.

When life changes

If anything pops up in life, or you want to make changes, we’re a phone call away to help you navigate it all.

Staying on track

Regular reviews can be a good way to make sure your plan is meeting your goals. It’s completely up to you if you’d like to have a regular review. This is at an additional cost. Your planner will let you know if there are changes you can make to optimise your financial position.
 

What to look for in a financial planner

The most important thing to look for in a financial planner is someone who will take the time to get to know you, so they can act in your best interest.

A great planner should ask you what you want to achieve and what matters most to you. They explain concepts and your options in simple terms, making everything easy to understand. Plus, they encourage you to ask questions, so you feel confident and informed every step of the way. When they provide you with a financial plan, they'll be available to talk to you about their recommendations and answer any questions you have.

Before meeting with a financial planner, you should check their qualifications and history. All our financial planners are qualified and authorised to provide financial advice.

You can check a planner’s qualifications and history on the ASIC financial adviser register