Explore Our Services

Investment advice isn’t just for the elite few who are wealthy, anyone can benefit from professional, informed advice.

If you are just getting started financially we can show you how to get a savings plan going and how easy it can be to get your own investment portfolio off the ground.

As you grow your investments and your circumstances change, we can show you how to expand your plan to have a more sophisticated edge that targets specific goals and discuss protecting your wealth.

Investment knowledge can help you  meet your financial goals at any life stage to give you the advantage you need to reach your goals sooner and more securely. Here are some of the key strategies and products we can help you with.

Managed funds

Managed Funds can be a powerful investment vehicle for building a portfolio because they allow you to pool funds with other investors, so that you can access a broader set of investment opportunities. They provide you with a simple way to diversify your money across a variety of assets such as property, domestic and international shares and cash.

Managed funds offer a variety of approaches, from broad based funds that give a mix of asset classes, to more specific funds that can target geographic regions, single asset classes or particular industry sectors.

Our comprehensive research can help you select the funds that best complement your risk profile and your goals.

Term deposits

Term Deposits are a useful tool for providing a relatively low risk component in your portfolio, or for delivering a predictable return for a specific period. Term deposits give you the certainty of a declared rate of interest over a fixed period. They usually offer a higher interest rate than everyday savings accounts and can be set up for short or medium terms.

Investing directly in shares

To give you a higher level of personal control in your portfolio, we can facilitate direct investment in specific shares. This gives you a more ‘hands on’ aspect to your portfolio and can be mixed with other forms of managed investment to create a portfolio balance that is uniquely yours.

Some investors like the immediacy of seeing their investments perform day to day, others are not comfortable being exposed to the ebb and flow of fluctuating markets, so direct share investments can play an important part in a diversified strategy.

In some cases, shares can give you access to tax benefits through franking credits and there may be capital gains tax benefits if shares are held for more than 12 months.

Diversification strategies

Diversification is a key aspect of a sound long term portfolio, which can help you reduce investment risks and capture positive market movements.

Dollar cost averaging strategies

We can show you how to implement a further level of diversification through dollar cost averaging. Put simply, this involves drip feeding a set amount into your investments on a regular basis to help mitigate the impact of natural market fluctuations. This strategy works on the principle that you will ‘average out’ your buy in price if you maintain a steady pattern of deposits.

Gearing strategies

For those who have investment assets built up, we can help you design a gearing strategy that uses your equity to enable you to borrow to make more investments. While this strategy naturally involves a degree of risk, it can be an effective way  to accelerate your investment potential.

Every great financial plan takes into account the risks that you face and uses strategies to reduce and manage those risks. For most of us there is no greater risk than the collapse of a financial plan due to premature death, illness or injury.  Insurance planning is the most economical and effective way of minimising the impact at every stage of life.

Our expertise in risk planning gives you an edge in finding the most efficient insurance solutions, so that your financial plans are appropriate at every stage of life. This can include a range of cover options.

Life protection

How much are you worth to your family? It is impossible to quantify in emotional and relationship terms, but it is measurable in financial terms. Think of how much you earn and how many years you will be earning it – and then think of what your family would do without that income.

We can help you create a life insurance plan that pays a cash lump sum to pay debts, cover education and living expenses and to allow your family to invest for ongoing income, if you were to die prematurely and your dependents could no longer rely on your income.

Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance

Have you considered how you would manage without an income? If you become permanently disabled you could suffer devastating financial impacts, when your focus should be on your rehabilitation.

TPD insurance is typically an additional benefit added to your life insurance that pays a lump sum amount if you become permanently disabled. You can use it to eliminate debt, pay for treatment and maintain your living expenses.

Trauma insurance

Are you in a high risk category for suffering a heart attack? Of course not all serious medical conditions result in permanent disability, but they can still result in serious financial impacts. Imagine suffering a heart attack or learning you have cancer.

What would you want to do to ensure a strong recovery and to de-stress your life?

• Fund the best possible medical treatment?

• Pay off the mortgage?

• Take an extended holiday?

• Leave your job or scale down hours?

• Trauma insurance is a lump sum benefit payable if you are diagnosed with a specific illness or injury covered by the policy. This includes cancer, stroke, heart disease, blindness, severe burns and a host of other medical conditions.

Income protection insurance

Could you manage financially if you no longer earned an income? Some injuries or illnesses may result in temporary loss of income that cannot be covered by savings and will outlast any sick leave you may have. Income Protection insurance pays up to 75% of your gross annual income to cover living expenses, debts, education and other essential expenses until you are able to return to work. Premiums are generally tax deductible.

Business expenses insurance

Are you self-employed? Business Expenses insurance is particularly useful for you to cover fixed business expenses should you be unable to work due to illness or injury. This can keep your business active while you recover and can be used to reimburse costs such as:

• rent

• loan repayments

• equipment leasing costs, and

• utility expenses.

Child trauma insurance

Child trauma insurance provides you with a lump sum payment in the event of your child suffering from a range of specified medical conditions, so that you have the resources to enable you to devote your focus to their recovery. The insurance can be used to pay for medical treatment, rehabilitation, or as income if you need to take time off work to be with your child.

Business insurance

Business insurance considers the continuity of your business if it is ever hit by the impact of losing a key employee or a business partner.

A business can insure its key employees, so that if they die or become disabled the business receives a cash lump sum to fund the financial losses the business may incur. This could be due to loss of customers or know-how that the key person delivered. It can also be used to repay debts or to train a replacement, so that the business can continue to thrive.

Business partners can also insure each other to ensure a smooth transfer of ownership to the surviving partner if one partner should die prematurely.

For business owners, making sure their business continues to operate in the event of an illness to a key person and protecting the ownership and succession of their business should they die unexpectedly is often overlooked.

In business life, as in daily life, unexpected events can and do occur. Business owners can be temporarily or permanently taken out of action as a result of sickness, accident, major health traumas and premature death.

Business interruption can be short term, prolonged or permanent, Stakeholders including suppliers, staff, clients, creditors and family, will be concerned about business continuity.

When considering how to mitigate the negative impact of unexpected events the simplest and most effective solution is business insurance strategies. These strategies protect you as a business owner, your family as potential recipients of your estate, your business itself, your business partner and your clients.

Every owner has a unique set of requirements and potential challenges to consider. Business insurance needs to be carefully crafted to ensure the right strategy and the right level of cover. As a guide, business owners should consider:

• life cover

• trauma cover

• total and permanent disablement cover

• income protection cover

• business expenses insurance

• buy/sell agreements

• group insurance

Business succession planning

What would happen to your business if you were to die or be unable to work due to illness or injury? Would your business partners want to buy out your share? Do you want your family burdened with business issues? How would the business afford to restructure by buying out the affected partner’s share?

By implementing a Buy/Sell agreement as part of an overall business succession plan, you can ensure a smooth transition of ownership and help keep the business running without upheaval.

We can apply our experience in setting up such structures to help take the worry out of business succession. We work with accounting and legal advisers to get the valuation and documentation set up correctly and we can show you how to efficiently fund the agreement to allow the succession plan to be implemented.

Understandably, most people want to stay in their own home for as long as possible because it is familiar and comfortable. The thought of going in to an aged care facility is traumatic. If someone you care about are no longer able to manage at home on their own but are fortunate enough to have assistance with everyday tasks such as shopping, cooking and transport to medical appointments they may be able to stay in their home longer. They may even be eligible for Government subsidised home care.

However, if they are unable to manage, in their home, you may need to help them transition into an aged care facility.

What comes next?

You can arrange for an Aged Care Assessment to determine the level of care required and the facilities that can provide this level of care. An ACAT assessment is a pre-requisite to entering Aged Care. We can help you with the ACAT assessment.

Once you have chosen a facility you will need to work out the finances with the assistance of a professional financial adviser who can look at the value of the family home and other assets and explain how various fees work.

A financial adviser can also look at any Centrelink benefits available and whether you are eligible.

Once the decision is made, a financial adviser can assist you with the application documents to help you secure a place in your preferred aged care facility.

Types of care

There are different levels of care appropriate for different people. An Aged Care Assessment can help you determine.

It is important to be clear on what services are provided by the ones of your choice and what the costs may be.

Cost

Each resident entering a permanent residential facility will incur a standard resident contribution fee to cover basic daily care. Fees such as the means tested care fee, accommodation payments (or accommodation contribution ) need to be considered as well as additional fees for extra services. The cost will largely be determined by the level of care provided.

We can work with you and explain the costs based on your circumstances and the type of facility you are applying to.

The family home

The decision on whether or not to sell the family home to enter an aged care facility can be one of the biggest and most emotional decisions you make. Your memories are tied up in your home and selling it is the final step in leaving your life behind to enter an aged care facility. As a financial adviser, we want to help our clients to keep their home where possible, but where it is not possible we want to help them through the process to ease some of the emotional burden.

What you choose to do with the family home will also have an impact on fee assessments and Centrelink entitlements. We can look at whether or not the family home is counted as an asset in the assets test by looking at who lives in the home and whether they are an eligible dependent or carer, which can have an impact on the asset test and whether or not the home is sold.

Age pension

If you move into an aged care facility without selling your home, it will generally be exempt from the age pension assets test for 2 years from the date you move into care. This date may vary if you are, or were, a couple at the time you moved into aged care

Whilst it is never too late to have this discussion, we recommend having it before a facility is required, so you have time to consider the options rather than being caught out if a quick decision needs to be made.

The term ‘estate planning’ for many people is unknown territory and perceived as simply the writing of a Will. The reality is that anyone who is earning an income or has any assets has a need for some level of estate planning advice.

Even at a young age you may have specific wishes for the way you want your assets divided if something unexpected happens. If you have children, your needs may change and your final wishes may need more sophisticated estate planning consideration.

As your assets grow and you may welcome grandchildren to your family, your needs can become more complex and need a more careful review.

Our expert advice in managing your estate can be invaluable in maintaining family harmony, reducing tax liabilities and making sure your wishes are carried out the way you really want them to be.

Estate planning is more than just making a will

A will helps you express your wishes in a concrete way so that your loved ones avoid uncertainty and legal complications when you die. It is the document which captures your wishes on what will happen to your estate, but, although it is an essential document it is not always a definitive way to manage what you want done with your estate.

Without a will, you leave yourself open to government discretion on how your assets are distributed and how your children are looked after if they are under 18. While the family’s best interests may be considered, the actual outcomes could be very different to what you would personally choose. The lack of a will can cause delays in settling your estate

Who will control your super and life insurance?

Your superannuation and life insurance can be two of the largest assets in your estate, but their distribution upon death is not necessarily covered by your will.

If you own a life insurance policy, proceeds can go into your estate or be apportioned to nominated beneficiaries, depending on how it has been set up. Superannuation death benefits can only be paid to your estate or to ‘dependents’ and in many cases, members’ death benefit nominations are not binding on a super fund trustee. Careful management of how you set up your nominations can avoid trustee discretion to distribute funds.

Ownership structures for better control

Depending on your situation, you may be able to use legal instruments, such as testamentary trusts, discretionary trusts or even a self-managed super fund to more effectively manage distribution and control of assets, rather than simply distributing directly through a will. This is particularly useful if you want to ensure that younger family members are restricted in their use of your assets until they are old enough to deal with them responsibly. They can also be used to prevent the complications that can arise from blended families or estranged family members.

Avoiding surprises

Understanding tax implications and structuring affairs to manage tax can be an important part of estate planning. An asset you leave for one child may be subject to capital gains tax, whereas another asset left for another child may be exempt, unintentionally resulting in different final amounts to each child. Beneficiaries on government assistance may find benefits are affected by inheritance payments.

There can also be tax implications for your superannuation benefits and associated insurance benefits held in your super, depending on how benefits are paid and whether beneficiaries are dependents or non-dependents. All these issues are much better when considered at the planning stage rather than waiting for them to become a problem when it is too late.

From the day you start work to the day you retire, superannuation contributions form the basis of a great financial plan. The favourable tax concessions on contributions and investment earnings makes it an attractive structure for growing your wealth. When you are starting out, building your super contributions is a powerful way to take advantage of compounding returns.

As you move through your working life, you can look at more sophisticated strategies for accelerating your super through salary sacrificing or self-managed funds. In the approach to retirement, you can implement strategies that provide more tax benefits in the transition to retirement.

We can help you identify opportunities and position your investment strategy to securely build your superannuation portfolio.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can benefit.

Superannuation guarantee contributions

Anyone who is at least 18 years old and is employed and earning at least $450 is entitled to have their employer pay a Superannuation Guarantee contribution. While such an amount may not provide sufficient funding for the retirement you want, it is an important basis of your super strategy.

We can help you work out if your superannuation entitlements and investment options are appropriate for your goals.

Employees can boost their super

You have the freedom to make voluntary contributions to your super, so that you can accumulate savings for the retirement you really want. Earnings within super are taxed at concessional rates, giving it a natural advantage over other forms of long term investment.

We can discuss options for making personal contributions, spousal contributions and salary sacrificing so that you feel confident you are making the most of every opportunity to save for your retirement.

It is never too late to boost your super but the sooner you do it, the longer time period you have to accumulate retirement funds, often without making much of an impact on your salary.

Self-employed enjoy tax deductibility

If you are self-employed you can enjoy significant tax incentives through deductibility of super contributions. We can show you how to structure this to make the most of benefits available and remain within the limits set out by the Government.

Self-managed superannuation

Some of our clients want the extra control of their super fund that can be achieved through the self-managed super fund (SMSF). This means you are the trustee of your own superannuation fund and can benefit from direct control over the way funds are invested, but you are subject to careful oversight, control and reporting for your fund. A SMSF can help you achieve cost savings and greater flexibility, but it is generally advisable to have a minimum of $200,000 in assets before you consider this option.

Consolidating your super

As time goes by and you pass from job to job, it is not unusual to end up with several super accounts. This can result in poorly managed or inappropriate investment choices. Even if you have just changed address and have not told your superannuation fund, you may lose access to your super simply because your fund cannot track you down.

We can help you to get your super working harder by consolidating funds and locating lost accounts.

Taking advantage of government incentives

To further encourage retirement savings through super, the Government offers targeted incentives for those who may need more support. Our advice can help you identify what incentives you might be eligible for, including:

• The spouse contribution scheme, which allows you to make contribution into your spouse’s superannuation fund.

• If you make a personal contribution to superannuation from your after tax income, you may be eligible to receive a co-contribution from the Government toward.

We can advise if you qualify for entitlements as part of your overall super strategy.

From the day you start work to the day you retire, superannuation contributions form the basis of a great financial plan. The favourable tax concessions on contributions and investment earnings makes it an attractive structure for growing your wealth. When you are starting out, building your super contributions is a powerful way to take advantage of compounding returns.

As you move through your working life, you can look at more sophisticated strategies for accelerating your super through salary sacrificing or self-managed funds. In the approach to retirement, you can implement strategies that provide more tax benefits in the transition to retirement.

We can help you identify opportunities and position your investment strategy to securely build your superannuation portfolio.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can benefit.

Superannuation guarantee contributions

Anyone who is at least 18 years old and is employed and earning at least $450 is entitled to have their employer pay a Superannuation Guarantee contribution. While such an amount may not provide sufficient funding for the retirement you want, it is an important basis of your super strategy.

We can help you work out if your superannuation entitlements and investment options are appropriate for your goals.

Employees can boost their super

You have the freedom to make voluntary contributions to your super, so that you can accumulate savings for the retirement you really want. Earnings within super are taxed at concessional rates, giving it a natural advantage over other forms of long term investment.

We can discuss options for making personal contributions, spousal contributions and salary sacrificing so that you feel confident you are making the most of every opportunity to save for your retirement.

It is never too late to boost your super but the sooner you do it, the longer time period you have to accumulate retirement funds, often without making much of an impact on your salary.

Self-employed enjoy tax deductibility

If you are self-employed you can enjoy significant tax incentives through deductibility of super contributions. We can show you how to structure this to make the most of benefits available and remain within the limits set out by the Government.

Self-managed superannuation

Some of our clients want the extra control of their super fund that can be achieved through the self-managed super fund (SMSF). This means you are the trustee of your own superannuation fund and can benefit from direct control over the way funds are invested, but you are subject to careful oversight, control and reporting for your fund. A SMSF can help you achieve cost savings and greater flexibility, but it is generally advisable to have a minimum of $200,000 in assets before you consider this option.

Consolidating your super

As time goes by and you pass from job to job, it is not unusual to end up with several super accounts. This can result in poorly managed or inappropriate investment choices. Even if you have just changed address and have not told your superannuation fund, you may lose access to your super simply because your fund cannot track you down.

We can help you to get your super working harder by consolidating funds and locating lost accounts.

Taking advantage of government incentives

To further encourage retirement savings through super, the Government offers targeted incentives for those who may need more support. Our advice can help you identify what incentives you might be eligible for, including:

• The spouse contribution scheme, which allows you to make contribution into your spouse’s superannuation fund.

• If you make a personal contribution to superannuation from your after tax income, you may be eligible to receive a co-contribution from the Government toward.

We can advise if you qualify for entitlements as part of your overall super strategy.