Services.
Services.
LIFETIME PLANNING
It’s good to keep things simple.
Take financial planning. A good financial planner exists to help you maximise your financial comfort so you can enjoy the things you like, to the greatest extent, for as long as possible.
Simple.
Lifetime planning is key to delivering this happy outcome. It’s about helping you organise and then manage your finances across the rest of your life. That way, you’re always going to be in the best financial shape to do the things you want to do at various stages of your life. Makes sense, right?
The alternative approach is to cross your fingers and hope for the best. That is not recommended!
Lifetime planning includes planning for retirement.
There are three groups this applies to.
years away from retirement
You’re in a great position! Together we can manage your affairs over time so you can retire well. Think of it as creating a gift to Future You.
years away from retirement
We can work out when and how to start to make the transition from working life to retirement. This can be gradual or fast. We’ll work it out.
already retired
The aim here is to make your money last as long as you need it to. That covers your super, your costs, your tax and your investments. All good.
- Getting married.
- Buying a home.
- Raising a family.
- Managing your career.
- Investing.
- School fees for the kids.
- Major holidays.
- Buying cars and other big-ticket items.
CASH FLOW AND BUDGETING
Getting in shape physically is about maintaining healthy habits. Exercise, diet, sleep and so on.
Same goes for finances. Success comes from consistently following good financial habits.
Things like:
- Controlling spending.
- Saving well.
- Borrowing sensibly.
- Investing wisely.
- Insuring appropriately.
We’ll break it down into short-term and medium-term goals. We’ll build in rewards, just as you would with a physical fitness plan.
And we’ll celebrate your successes. And feel nicely smug together when something unexpected happens and your finances are totally in shape to deal with it. Nice.
SUPERANNUATION
Let’s be honest, many of us find superannuation a bit dull.
Super touches every aspect of your financial planning. Your insurances, investments, tax planning, marriage (if that happens), divorce (if that happens), how you might help your adult kids financially (if you have kids), your estate planning and your mortgage (if you buy property).
There are many types of super funds: retail, industry, corporate and self-managed. It’s a little daunting. But I can help you sort out which fund or funds to use to give you the greatest chance of the best life when you’re older than you are right now.
But in fact, superannuation is the shining jewel in the crown of your financial planning. Or it should be.
We all know that superannuation is a way of saving for your retirement with tax benefits. Most of us understand that it is compulsory for employees and optional for self-employed people.
But superannuation is so much more than that. It is your golden ticket to a better future life. One where you have the financial freedom to travel, socialise and enjoy your life more when you retire (which always come around faster than anyone expects!).
INVESTMENTS
Investing is the fun part of financial planning (or is it just me who thinks that??)
Investing is about getting richer by buying and selling assets. It’s not the wealth per se that matters, but what you can do with it. More wealth = more opportunity to do what you like to do. Great.
But for most of us investing is not as easy as it sounds. How much should I invest? How much can I afford to invest? What should I invest in? When should I invest in it? Who should manage it?
There is so much contradictory advice out there that it can seem overwhelming.
Fear not. Together we can work through your investment options.
We’ll take the time to properly look at both types of investment: Direct (where you buy and hold investment assets in your own name) and indirect (where you employ an investment manager to buy and hold investment assets on your behalf). And we’ll talk about the things you could invest in, primarily shares, property and cash fixed/interest.
At the end of this, you’ll end up with an investment plan tailored to deliver on your particular goals, based on your specific circumstances and preferences. How exciting!
Personal insurance
Insurance. It’s a tricky one.
Having it is good – the future is uncertain so it’s wise to protect yourself and your loved ones. But insurance for what? Which providers? And how much should you pay?
Do you find insurance so bewildering that you give up on getting it altogether? Or maybe you have it but worry you don’t have the right cover or you’re forking out too much for it?
I can help you. Whether you want to be covered for illness, injury, loss of income or even death we can get you the right cover based on your circumstances and wishes. That way you can enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that you have the best insurance for you, at the right price for you, to ensure that you and your loves ones are looked after if the unwanted ever happens.
Together we can calculate the type and amount of each type of cover you might need including death cover, total and permanent disability (TPD), income protection and trauma cover. I can also show you how to minimise the cost of cover without compromising the quality of the cover.
Sound good? It is.
CENTRELINK
Let’s go back to basics for a moment.
Centrelink exists for one reason: to help you through times of change and difficulty. It’s a good thing. And if you need it, you have a right to access it.
We’re talking government payments and services for everyone from retirees, the unemployed, families, carers, parents, people with disabilities, Indigenous Australians, students, apprentices and people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. As well as social security payments.
And my job? To help you navigate your way through the system so you can get the payments and services you’re entitled to.
Aged care
I'm here to make life’s challenges easier for you. Take aged care.
Entering aged care can be daunting. It’s a big change. And the financial aspects of the aged care system are complex. How do the fees work? When do you have to pay? What about Centrelink entitlements? What are RADs (Refundable Accommodation Deposits)? What are DAPs (Daily Accommodation Payments)? What does it mean for super and your estate plans?
Crickey, talk about a headache!
I am here as your guide around aged care finances, whether you are preparing years in advance (recommended) or if you need to make urgent decisions now. I’ll help you make the financial part of this change go smoothly so you have more energy to focus on the personal side of the transition.
Together we can organise:
- The type and quality of care based on your finances.
- The costs of your care.
- Paying for accommodation and care fees.
- Maximising your Centrelink pension and other entitlements.
- Managing your family home and other assets.
My intentions are to make planning for your aged care stress-free and to ensure your time in aged care is as financially comfortable as it can be.
ESTATE PLANNING
Poor old estate planning. It’s so often at the bottom of everyone’s To Do list. Which is odd, because it is so important and can cause so much grief when not done well.
Estate planning is about ensuring that your wealth gets shared according to your wishes after you die. It’s not a cheerful topic. But a little effort from you in organising your estate can save your loved ones a lot of stress. A well organised estate can also bring a lot of joy to those you leave behind.
Everyone knows that estate planning includes preparing a will. But it also covers your superannuation benefits, businesses, assets and more. You also want to make sure that your estate planning is consistent with your financial planning so that your affairs can be handled as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.