Steps We Take

Our first consultation is at our cost and no obligation to you. It is an opportunity for you to meet with one of our Advisers so you can explain to us what you are looking to achieve now and in retirement.

We will also gain an understanding of your current situation and explain some of the financial strategies that may be appropriate to your particular circumstances.

Following this consultation we will send you a ‘Financial Advice Proposal’ to confirm our discussions and provide an overview of the strategy options we consider relevant. This proposal will include a quote for our ‘Initial Advice Fee’ which is a fixed dollar fee based on the complexity of work required.

If you choose to work with us, we ask you to sign our Engagement Acknowledgement and payment of 50% of the ‘Initial Advice Fee’ is required for us to start preparing your financial plan (Statement of Advice).

Now that you have chosen to work with us, we undertake a more detailed data collection to confirm your current financial position. We then prepare our comprehensive financial modelling and analysis to assist us in developing your recommended strategies.

Following this, we meet with you to explain the available options including our recommended approach. We will take you through our financial projections to illustrate how these financial strategies can assist you to achieve your goals. We also explain the ‘ongoing’ advice services we provide and the associated costs, to ensure it remains appropriate to your needs.

Once we have collectively agreed on the financial strategies best suited to you, we document our advice in your personal financial plan (Statement of Advice).

Your financial plan will re-confirm the ‘initial’ and ‘ongoing’ costs associated with our advice.

We will send your financial plan via mail or email so you can consider this in your own time. We will also send an 'Ongoing Service Agreement' for your chosen ongoing service. It is at this time the 50% balance of the 'Initial Advice Fee' is payable.

Finally we arrange to meet with you again to go through your financial plan and answer any questions you may have.

Provided you are comfortable with our recommendations, we obtain your ‘Authority to Proceed’ to implement the strategies. It is at this point we also organise the paperwork required. Our goal is to make this part of the advice process as simple and straightforward as possible for you.

Our team will coordinate all paperwork; complete and lodge the relevant forms; follow up with the different financial institutions to ensure efficient and timely implementation of our advice to you; keep you informed of progress and answer any questions along the way.

We will confirm when all recommendations are in place.

If additional specialist advice is required as part of your overall financial plan, we will liaise with other professional Advisers, for example an Accountant in relation to tax planning matters, or a Solicitor for estate planning. Respecting existing relationships, we are happy to work with your chosen specialist professionals.

This ensures all aspects of your financial situation are addressed giving you peace of mind.

When everything is in place as agreed, it is very important we continue to work with you to track your progress towards achieving your goals.

As part of our advice process, you have now signed the ‘Ongoing Service Agreement’ that sets out the ‘ongoing’ advice and services to be provided to you and the associated cost. Once again, we will review this with you annually as part of our regular review process.

The level of ongoing advice and services you require will depend on a number of factors and may vary over time. You will need to consider the complexity of your situation and what you would like us to do for you going forward.

We consider the ‘ongoing’ advice we provide just as important as the ‘initial’ advice. This is because over time we expect there will be changes in your circumstances, or your financial and lifestyle goals may alter which will need to be incorporated into your financial plan. Governments will also continue to change legislation relating to tax, superannuation and social security, which may mean adjustments to your financial plan to ensure the advice remains appropriate to your needs.

It is also important to review your investments on a regular basis and rebalance portfolios as required. This helps to ensure your investment approach continues to align with your risk profile (within a level of risk that you are comfortable with) and is structured to achieve the long-term return objectives previously discussed with you.

The aim of our ‘ongoing’ advice is to ensure you have peace of mind of knowing that you have the right financial strategies in place to achieve what is important to you now and in the future.