Secure your financial future

what help do you need to reach your goals?

Seven Types of Planning – which one fits you?

Your financial plan needs to be realistic.

It also needs to be affordable.

Where are your finances now and where do you want them to be?

Let’s build a plan that works for you.

Comprehensive Advice – A look at the big picture

Do you know where to start?

You may be saving for a house, a wedding, a holiday, or a renovation.

Or you may want to set up long-term financial assurances (like protection for your family, and retirement plans) before it’s too late.

Or you might be itching to get into the investment game to gain capital to start a business.

Maybe it’s all of the above.

How a financial planner can help

 While I love focusing on the specifics, I can also help you turn your big financial picture into a roadmap that takes you on a steady journey into securing your financial future.

 If you want to cover it all, we can talk about:

  • your current financial situation and budget
  • your financial goals
  • the best place to start
  • building blocks to add to your plan (and maybe some new ideas on how to do that)
  • what you can do online and when we should meet face-to-face

Superannuation

Without a super fund you’d be reliant on government welfare after retirement. And let’s face it – that would be a crazy plan. Your employer pays 9.5% into this fund because the government cannot fully fund your retirement. If you’re self-employed, you’re hopefully putting a similar amount into a super fund.

For a comfortable transition into life-after-work, it’s really important you start saving early. Even as early as your twenties.

You can have a say in how your super is invested. You can have some control over it, and tweak how it performs for you over time. Or you can take the ‘hands off’ approach and set up a safe plan that will grow slowly but surely.

A lot of your superannuation decisions are personal preferences. Some plans use high risk, high return investments and some are slow, stable accumulations over time. Here are a few things you might want to think about:

  • Is your current fund providing the best track toward your retirement?
  • Have you lost any superannuation so far?
  • What kind of risk profile do you prefer?
  • What insurances can you put in place?
  • Would you like to see your super investments going to a good cause?

How a financial planner can help

Don’t waste any more time procrastinating on this one. If you want superannuation you know will perform for you, I can help you sift the pros and cons unique to your lifestyle, timeframe and employment to find your best setup.

Retirement

Retirement is a big change of lifestyle.

On the one hand it frees up time to reach new goals in life – travel Australia, move to a remote coastal town or start investing your money differently.

On the other hand, you may not want to give up work entirely, but instead want to ease into retirement.

One thing you don’t want, is to run out of money later in life. Best case scenario is a reliable monthly income until the end of your days (especially valuable when you’re a little more frail and don’t want to think about money anymore). The good news is, successful retirement planning can start at any age, in fact, the earlier the better.

And there’s more than one way to do it.

Here are some things to think about:

  • Early planning can include salary sacrifice contributions to boost your superannuation and reduce your tax significantly.
  • Transition to Retirement (TTR) is a tax-free scheme that can optimise your income after reducing your work hours, giving you the freedom to keep working.
  • Annuities (a lump sum paid to an insurance company, and you receive a guaranteed income) are a way to secure a steady income stream as a retiree.
  • Your portfolio of investments can support your retirement income.

How a financial planner can help

Your goals and plans for retirement are what I listen for. Taking into account your unique assets and circumstances, I can help you prioritise the track that will give you peace of mind with secure and protected finances as a retiree.

But what if you’re too late to plan?

To ensure you access all the government supports for which you’re eligible, I can help you evaluate your income, assets and other circumstances for the Age Pension.

You may also be eligible for Part Pension, the Pension Loans Scheme, Work Bonus or Commonwealth seniors health card, depending on your situation. I can help you work it out.

Estate Planning (Wills and Inheritance)

If you’re a person who wants to leave a legacy, this is important.

The last thing you want when you die—sorry, it’s a bit of a morbid topic, but we’ve got to go there—is for your kids to lose out on their rightful inheritance or your loved ones to be burdened with unnecessary tax from your estate. Or worse—to leave family to squabble over who gets what.

(BTW, your ‘estate’ means everything you own – from those fabulous art pieces to property to investments and any other nuggets — the whole dang lot.)

Thankfully, it’s a fairly simple process to get your Will and binding nominations in order while you’re still very much alive. You’ll be glad you did—it will mean everybody gets what you intended them to get, at the right time.

The main things you need to think about are:

  • Who should inherit your possessions
  • The right person to handle your finances when you pass on

It’s important that this is done properly because, at the end of the day, it’s a legal document. You may also want to include extra options, like:

  • permissions and access to your Will
  • linking your assets, insurance and Will so that everything Is in one place
  • keeping everything digital

How a financial planner can help

I can make the process quick and easy so that it’s done and dusted without mess or fuss. But if you want something more comprehensive, I will have other considerations at my fingertips – all you need to do is ask.

Investment

How do you make more money from what you’ve already got?

It’s an age-old question, and it’s not that hard to do with a bit of thought and planning.

 

What’s your appetite for investing?

Investments get your money to work for you, as long as you:

  • invest wisely,
  • keep an eye on your returns
  • and let the power of compounding grow your wealth.

In fact, an investment or two may be the perfect pathway to buying your first car, putting a deposit on your first home, or saving for your children’s education.

Investing is quite simple, but you need a plan, because there are a gazillion* ways to do it right…

Managed portfolios

Property

Shares

… and more.

Your budget and your needs will help figure this out.

And, of course, once you’ve invested, you want to make sure you’re managing the investment – watching how it’s playing out, mitigating the risks.

Finally, when the time comes to draw out the dosh, you want to make sure the after-tax outcomes don’t leave you deflated.

 

How a financial planner can help

I can take the hard work out of all of these tasks, because it’s what I do all day, every day. I’m always keeping an ear to the ground for what the market is doing, like when COVID hit the Australian economy. I can help you determine when it’s best to invest where, and how to protect your money.

Personal Insurance

It’s the events in life that blindside us, that scare us most.

  • The car accident that causes permanent disability.
  • The cancer diagnosis.
  • The freak shark attack.

The strange thing is, statistically, Australians are quick to insure our possessions, but slow to protect ourselves. It doesn’t really make logical sense. Especially because the younger you are, the sweeter the deal.

 

Think about this while you’re fit and healthy:

Financially, what’s the most valuable asset you have?

Hold that thought.

Now multiply your current annual income by the number of years you have left to retirement (age 65).

If you’re a professional millennial, your answer will be in the millions.

Back to the question: Is your answer still the same?

Your ability to earn money is probably your most valuable asset.

Now imagine some disaster wiped out all your earning power.

Yep, that would hurt badly.

In fact, how would you cope?

  • Could you pay your mortgage or rent?
  • Could your kids stay at the same school?
  • Would your spouse have to get a job to make ends meet?
  • Would your business expenses be covered?

We can’t predict the future, but we can safeguard ourselves and our family against devastating financial drain or stress when life goes pear-shaped.

Personal insurances take some of the pain out of those scenarios. Lump sums paid out to cover costs when you or your family need it most will at least take financial worries out of a traumatic circumstance.

But it’s not a one-size-fits all. Which of these personal protections suit you best?

How a financial planner can help

Okay, these could all be good, but you don’t want all of them, right?!

With so many similar yet different options, and a wide variety of providers and policies, you may just need one session with someone to comb out the complexities. I can save you time by sifting through the information you need to know, and advising what insurance would be best placed to give you the peace of mind you’re looking for.

Budgeting

Saving for something you’re dreaming of?

  • A house of your own
  • An overseas trip
  • Capital to start your own business
  • Getting a dog

… or something as simple as employing a cleaner?

We know that you can do this yourself, and we’re cheering you on.

So why do we even have this service?

People ask for this service because it helps when big dreams hit harsh financial realities. The truth is, budgeting can mean restricting yourself in order to get the financial freedom you’re looking for. 

You know you can do it, but then there are questions like:

  • what budget categories should you use?
  • should you open another bank account for savings?
  • is it best to pay off debt first or invest your surplus money?
  • Offset vs redraw, what’s the difference?
  • what happens when a big expense hits?
  • is there flexibility to change your strategy down the track?

And then, of course, there’s the question of whether you’ll stick to your budget when no-one’s looking.

How a financial planner can help

Sometimes a regular check-in can be the difference between reaching your goal or not. With budgeting, I take on more of a coaching role. Together, we turn your big dream into a series of smaller, manageable steps, and plot them out in a path that’s realistic for you.

With an effective budget you’ll tell your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.

YOU MADE IT

If you think any of the services above will help you reach your goals, book your complimentary meeting.