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’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,…
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…
The amount of ‘free investment advice’ available on the internet and at BBQs boggles my mind. Sadly it’s often touted by people with no qualifications…selling ‘financial freedom’ rather than a specific investment…to people looking for a quick solution to financial pain. A client recently asked what I thought of an “opportunity” they’d come across. It…
Despite popular perception, not all financial planning firms are one stop shops. Let me assure you we’re far from a one stop shop! There are many times where prospective clients are referred to a more suitable person…it depends on their needs. Sometimes we need legal matters sorted before we can start the process of planning.…
Today was a first…I almost walked out on an appointment I’d travelled to. After sitting with a prospective client and getting the run around, lots of evasion and smug smiles I packed up my tool box (pen, paper & calculator) and after explaining I didn’t have time for their games I headed to the door…I…
It’s amazing the number of times families have been told the cost of a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD), that’s the amount they expect you to contribute towards the cost of your Loved One’s entry to care, when they’ve visited an aged care facility looking for a bed; and those same families are often stressed by…
There’s a funny relationship between people and money when it comes to finding ways to reduce the costs of age care. A woman called, her Mum urgently needs permanent residential care. Mum’s a wealthy self-funded retiree and ‘someone’ suggested a 5-year plan to gift most of Mum’s assets to her children, suggesting these gifts would…
Today was an opportunity to deliver value and some Aged Care Advice to an intimate audience of carers, faced with having to make lots of tough decisions about their Loved Ones care. Having been through the process twice myself, I know it’s a time where everyone deserves to be heard and respected. I was there…
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