Someone called today to ask “when would be the best time to start talking to you about retiring?” That’s the one question I wished more people asked before they finish working! Instead most people wait until they finish working before planning for retirement! Unfortunately planning after retirement reduces the options available to create awesome outcomes.…
I receive many calls from families who have decided to reduce their parents assets, either by giving them away or transferring them to another structure or family member’s control to reduce the cost of aged care. Hearing “we want to get rid of Mum’s assets” is tough to hear, especially when I understand the intention…
Recently a lovely couple invited me into their home to have a chat about financial planning, my chats are nothing formal and there’s certainly no sign of paperwork, it’s just a chat. For me a chat is the best way to start any client relationship. It was a great opportunity for me to discover what…
Helping families secure their retirement always makes me happy. It’s about giving clients peace of mind, while using the right strategies to maximise outcomes and to minimise tax implications. Recently one family sold a large family home, finding themselves with around $1M of surplus funds to help fund their retirement. Because of their circumstances, we…
For many years I used to think education, skills and experience were the most important parts of being a really good financial planner. Lately that opinion has changed… Now I realise one of the most valuable skills a financial planners can have is the ability to listen. To TRULY LISTEN and to ask leading questions.…
“What do you charge” for aged care advice were the words of the caller. I explained the price of advice depends on what you “need us to do” and what you’re willing to do to help to keep costs down. Effectively, it’s possible to determine our fee! The next question was “what if we…
Today I’ve helped a family restructure assets to help minimise the ongoing costs of aged care. Last year the wife inherited a relocatable home in a retirement village. Those properties never sell quickly and can’t be lived in by anyone other than the owner; so renting the property to offset costs was out of the…
A conversation with a new client made me realise how we all have our areas of ease and expertise. And it’s those areas of ease we undervalue and those skills we take for granted. I explained I was struggling with a concept she’s an absolute whizz at BTW. Her genius is online course creation. Meanwhile…
Recently we’ve been helping a family with their Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) administration needs. We were asked us to help administer the SMSF after they found the Fund’s ‘old accountant’ was less than helpful. Add that to the fact he’d given them information that could have made the Fund non-compliant if they’d followed it, they…
Last night I was speaking with a client, they were happily telling me they’d recently updated their Will, then they proceeded to tell me how their assets were to be distributed to their partner and their son on their passing. For some reason the solicitor she’d used had included her super in the Will. Superannuation…
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