FAQ

FAQ

Can you please explain exactly what you do?

I'd be delighted to take the opportunity. I accept there is a lot of confusion about our role. Unfortunately, many financial planners are really "product sales people". They focus on selling financial products, such as life insurance, superannuation funds or pensions etc.

To me, this is putting the cart before the horse.

We focus on putting "strategy" at the core of our business, which is built on a 6 step process.

Step 1

We get to know you. In particular we want to understand:

Your assets
Your liabilities
Your income
Your expenditure
Your risk appetite
Your family situation.

The first step is thus a snapshot of "where you are now".

Step 2

We want to understand where you would like to get to – your goals and objectives. These don't need to be complicated but usually cover short, medium and long term.

Step 3

We help design a strategy to get you from where you are to where you want to get to. The strategy is the "how". It is the means by which you get from where you are, to where you want to get to.

Step 4

Once we have settled on the strategy, we choose financial products that are going to help you get from where you are now, to where you want to be. Thus chosen products must fit with your current position, as well as your goals and objectives.

Step 5

We implement the plan, and make the necessary arrangements for purchase of the financial products. We are able to choose from a wide range of products, and will go to those ones which suit you.

Step 6

We prefer to review your position with you from time to time to check progress, see if you are still on track, and make any needed modifications. We see our role as ongoing.

Who are your typical clients?

Our clients come from a wide range. Some people have been clients for well over 20 years, and many of our new clients are referred to us by existing clients.

One of the biggest factors motivating people to approach us is a big change in their situation, such as:

Receiving an inheritance or lump sum
About to retire
Facing Redundancy
Purchase of a house (and taking on a mortgage)
Arrival of Children
Divorce

Just wanting to plan for the future
Unhappy with current arrangements.

What insurances should I have?

Personal Insurance

The area of personal insurances, or risk, can often be a confusing and confronting topic. By reviewing the following information you will be better placed to start to assess your own personal position. This information is intended to give you a basic understanding and we can clarify any questions that will undoubtedly arise.

The objective of having insurance cover over your life and your assets is to protect yourself, your family and possibly your business partners from financial distress in the event of death, illness or accident. Where such an event occurs there is often considerable emotional distress. Financial planning aims to remove the financial distress at such a time.

There are four major types of personal insurance to consider. These include; Term life insurance, Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance, Trauma insurance and Income Protection insurance.