It never fails to amaze me how many families think it’s fine to help Mum or Dad divest themselves of assets, particularly when it comes time for the parent to move to permanent aged care. Yesterday I spoke with a man about his mother’s plans. Apparently Dad, when he was alive, wanted the kids to…
There are so many different reasons people find themselves in a financial pickle; some are unlucky, while others find themselves victims of circumstance and poor planning. Others just don’t get around to starting to plan… I met two contrasting potential clients yesterday… One worked for a government department and had started planning for retirement early.…
There’s nothing as frustrating as having someone upset your plans…today it happened to me, and I did it to a prospective client. Taking an 84-year old client to the bank to confirm her identity should’ve been easy…it wasn’t. We’ll be attending the bank again tomorrow to resolve the issue. Then it was my turn to…
Life as a financial planner is never dull…every client is different and their circumstances are unique. Recently I met a couple who have very conflicting views on what should be happening with their finances after a recent windfall. Things have changed dramatically money wise; and those changes are causing massive stress and tension between them,…
Many people think financial planning is only about money and having enough to retire on. Yet there are so many other things a financial planner can bring to the table, especially if they take time to fully explore and understand your situation. Recently I’ve been asked by three different clients to do specific things and…
Recently I met with a family about aged care needs, both parents were already in care and the family home sale is due to settle any day now…so cash will be available for the first time in a long time.. There’s ways in which we can improve their situation, with strategy and the right investments.…
Recently a couple who are a couple of years from retirement came to see me. They wanted to know what they could do to improve their situation prior to retirement. The husband had an extremely unrealistic view of their situation; whereas the wife was extremely realistic about their limited resources and income. The husband shared…
There are some days where being an adult is hard emotionally…today’s one of those days. Recently my mother passed away and despite dealing with many other family losses over the years this one is different. This one makes me the ‘elder’ of our family unit…and with that comes responsibilities. Going through her personal belongings was…
A client came to see me right after being told by her specialist nothing more could be done medically, it was only a matter of time. Even though it was our first meeting we were both in tears! She muttered “I hope you can help. I’ve been told by other planners there’s nothing to be…
There’s nothing quite as stressful as the passing of a Loved One. It creates emotional turmoil and a lot of ‘stuff’ that needs attending to after they’ve gone. There’s a lot of ‘stuff’ you’ll need to know to help fill out all the forms that come with a passing. I knew most things, but when push…
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