Understanding your advice needs

Answering these simple questions will help you understand what to consider at this stage of your financial journey and how professional advice can help you avoid costly financial mistakes.

Consolidating 

You’ve enjoyed your career and family life, but now the kids are getting older and you're thinking about what’s next. Maybe you’re part of a blended family as a result of a second marriage or perhaps you’ve always gone solo on the road less-travelled.  Whatever your circumstances, if you’re thinking about retiring in the next 10 years, you have about 120 pay packets to last the rest of your life. 

What are you going to do with them?

1. Do you need help to set realistic financial goals for the next 3, 5, 10+ years?

Goal Setting

Career upheaval, growing kids and changing lifestyle priorities make now the ideal time to review your goals and make sure you’re still on track.  If you’ve got less debt and therefore more cash to invest, you can make a big difference to how much money you will ultimately retire with.

Why goals are key to increasing wealth

We often overestimate what can be achieved in one year, but underestimate what can be achieved in 5-10 years. Setting clear goals that are supported by strategies to achieve them will help you focus on what you can control and worry less about the things you can’t control. This leads to a higher level of commitment and will make the most positive impact on your financial future.

2. Could you benefit from advice to make the most of your remaining income-earning years?

Income & budgeting

Boosting your super and tax-effective investing are critical while you still have time on your side. 

Will your lifestyle be frugal, modest, comfortable or without compromise? 

The first step is to find out exactly where you stand today. Our experience financial advisers can take you through our super-modelling tool to find out what lifestyle you can afford with your current super balance and discuss strategies for increasing your balance faster.  We can also determine whether the flexibility of a self-managed super fund could help you achieve your goals. 
 

3. Do you need advice to build a diverse asset base to increase wealth for retirement?

Assets & Debt

If the family home is your biggest asset and you’ve paid off a decent portion of your mortgage, debt-recycling - a strategy which allows you to convert non-tax deductible home loan debt into tax deductible investment debt – could enable you to acquire a portfolio of investments which can grow, compound and tax effectively build wealth in the leadup to retirement. All additional income generated by your investments (e.g. dividends) is then used to reduce your home loan. See the chart below and talk to an FMD adviser about whether this could be the right strategy for you. 

 

4. Do you need advice to ensure your super is invested to deliver the highest returns?

Super

Your risk appetite, the amount of time you have until retirement and the way your super assets are selected and managed are they key factors in how your money should be invested and ultimately, how much you can accumulate for retirement. Many professionals don’t have the time or expertise to properly consider all the investment options in line with these factor and simply allow their hard-earned super to languish in a default fund earning average returns and being eroded by fees. If you want to take control of you super and  invest for the best possible returns, you need to seek advice and active management of your super investments.  

5. Do you need advice to manage the growing risk of illness impacting your ability to earn income?

Insurance

If you’ve had income protection in place for years, you may find that with less debt and expenses, you may be able to pull back on the amount of cover but get good advice and think carefully before acting. If you still have a significant mortgage, income protection is important even though it is more costly as you age.  That’s because the insurer knows you’re at greater risk of experiencing a serious health event and if that should happen you’ll need that cover to ensure you don’t suffer a serious financial set-back. This is even more critical for professional contractors who can’t rely on paid sick leave. The statistics are sobering when it comes to risk of a major health event and the lack of cover many people have.

6. Do you want to remain in control of your financial affairs should you have an unexpected accident or illness?

Leaving a Financial Legacy

As your financial and personal situation evolves, you may need to protect your assets to ensure wealth is transferred to your loved ones as you intended. If you have kids who are becoming independent it’s time to reconsider how to distribute wealth to them in the most tax-effective way. 

Could you benefit from financial advice?

Fill out the above questionnaire to find out how you could benefit from professional financial advice from a qualified FMD adviser. We're experienced, approachable and always here to help!

Congratulations!

It looks like you have everything under control and don’t need financial advice right now. Life can get complicated quickly, so should things change visit www.fmd.com.au to meet with an FMD adviser.

Time to get started!

It looks like you could benefit from financial advice in some key areas, so don’t put it off any longer. Click the orange button below to book a meeting with an FMD adviser now.  When you book you can browse our advisers to choose someone you feel comfortable meeting or we can recommend an adviser for you.  It’s entirely up to you!  Still not sure?  Read on to learn about our advice process and fees, hear from our clients and watch a video about what to expect from the first meeting.

Ready to take the first step?

Meet our team and book a meeting with the adviser that is the best fit for you.

How an FMD financial adviser can help

A qualified and experienced financial adviser can help you set goals and direct excess income to the right mix of investments with the greatest returns so you can benefit from earning compound interest to build wealth and achieve success faster. Whether you want to buy a property, travel the world or give to your favourite cause, making the most of your money now puts your future goals in reach.

At this stage of life you may also be supporting aging parents in the transition to aged care. This is an area where sound advice based on facts, experience and knowledge is highly valuable as the move to aged care raises complex emotional and financial issues that can be confronting and difficult to navigate. Careful planning is required to balance care costs while retaining maximum pension payments and protecting family wealth.

How does advice work and what does it cost?

Our clients know quality advice is an investment in the future and they partner with us for the long-haul because their investment pays off. We're committed to being open and transparent about our fees and what you can expect from our advice process so more people can experience the confidence and that comes from getting good advice. Learn more about our advice process and fees here.

Why do I need to meet with an adviser instead of talking on the phone?

If you value receiving expert advice (perhaps you're an expert in your field) you know the importance of sitting down face-to-face to solve problems or improve your position. Our advisers don't give advice over the phone to new clients because we have a duty of care to consider your overall situation. That's best done in an initial consultation at our offices in Melbourne, Brisbane or Adelaide. We'll pick up the tab for the first meeting!

What to expect from a first meeting with an FMD Financial Adviser?

  • What to expect from a first meeting with an FMD adviser

    It’s hard to know what to expect from a first meeting with a financial adviser, but getting your questions answered is worth it. Clients usually say ‘We wish we’d done it sooner!  We’ll cover the cost of the first meeting, to ensure FMD and your chosen adviser is right for you.

Ready to take the first step?

Meet our team and book a meeting with the adviser that is the best fit for you.