FAQ

If you could achieve your financial goals by simply putting money away in the bank, you wouldn't need a financial plan! Unfortunately, life is a little more complex - it's hard to understand the intricacies of investment, taxation and ever-changing regulations, so you need professional help.

Yet many of us resist seeking advice, as if our financial future weren't just as important as our health or our children's education. We often decide to manage our financial affairs ourselves, or leave it to someone we know, perhaps an accountant or a solicitor, which is a bit like buying vegetables at the butchers. Financial planning is a specialist profession and you should make sure that you're getting advice from a properly qualified person.

A financial planner will help you reach your goals; even if retirement may seem a lifetime away, the sooner you start planning the more likelihood you'll have to achieve financial independence and peace of mind.

The advice you seek can be holistic (which takes into account your full financial situation, needs and goals) or scaled (where you only seek advice for particular purposes).

Scaled advice is means that you could see one of our financial planners for a particular purpose that is most relevant to you at any point in time - without the need to go through a holistic process that takes your full financial situation into account.

While scaled advice can make financial planning more affordable, it's important to not lose sight of the bigger picture. This is where our professional financial planners can help you to take a step back and review your total financial situation.

Global markets are shifting constantly, and volatility has become the norm. Investors can get understandably nervous and concerned about the fall in the value of their investments. When emotions take charge, it's important to avoid falling into some of the traps that appear when markets are unpredictable.

Understanding what's happening and how these events can impact you will help you to make confident decisions about your financial future.

Our financial planners will help you to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, and make the best decisions for your financial future.

The cost of financial planning will depend on the complexity of your financial situation and plan. There are various ways to structure fees, and it typically starts with an initial fee to cover identifying your needs, developing a strategy and implementing the recommendations. Our initial consultation is $275 for this meeting. There could also be administration and ongoing service fees for regular reviews of your plan to ensure it meets your changing circumstances.

The average initial cost to set up a financial plan is around $3,300 and then about $4,300 annually on average to receive ongoing advice (based on 2020 FPA Member Research by CoreData). We have clients that are above and below this fee as it is tailored to each client circumstance. We are not a one size fits all business!

Troy Wilkinson is engaged with a local Bundaberg Junior Rugby league team as a First Aid Officer and with St Lukes Anglican School as a council member and chair of their Finance Committee. He really enjoys giving his time, skills and resources to help the local Wide Bay and Queensland communities where he can add value.

Our Financial planners are passionate about helping people improve their lives and build better futures - not only for our valued clients, but also for those unable to afford financial advice, through pro bono work and in other ways.

Troy is an FAAA members so I support Future2, the charitable foundation of the financial planning profession. Its purpose is to make a positive difference in the lives of those who need it most. Its vision is to be the heart of the financial planning profession - mobilising the energy and resources of financial advice professionals to help disadvantaged youth reach their true potential.