2. Many people associate financial planning
with retirement – but it is much more
than that. Financial Planning is about
planning for and managing the financial
impact of events that occur at every
stage of life.
At Future Wealth Planners, we give
you the focus you need to achieve
your financial goals – no matter
what stage of life you are at.
Financial planning is a journey and your
personal financial plan is just the
beginning. At Future Wealth Planners,
we’re there to see you through every
step of the way.
We keep you on-track to achieving
your goals in the face of the
inevitable changes you will
experience in your personal
circumstances and the equally
inevitable changes that will occur in
our economy.
3. Why seek financial planning advice from us?
Throughout life we face many challenging financial questions including;
How can I provide for a comfortable retirement?
How can I reduce my tax and increase my wealth?
Why should I invest - shares or property which is best for me?
Is borrowing to invest a good idea?
The role of a financial adviser
Good advice from an experienced, well-informed adviser can help people save money, protect against
risk, manage debts, grow assets, reduce tax liabilities, plan for retirement, identify entitlements for
government benefits, and plan what inheritance is to be left to the next generation.
A financial adviser’s first responsibility is to the client, not to an employer, a product manufacturer, to
him/herself or to anyone except the client. When providing personal financial advice an adviser must
take into account the individual client’s circumstances and goals. The advice may or may not involve the
recommendation of a financial product. The role of a financial adviser is not to sell financial products.
The difference between general and personal financial advice
General advice is advice on financial products that helps people make decisions about money but does
not take personal circumstances into account.
Personal advice considers a person’s objectives, financial situation and needs. With this understanding,
the financial adviser can recommend appropriate strategies and, when required, appropriate financial
products to suit individual needs and goals.
When advice is needed
Most people choose to see a financial adviser at significant turning points in their life. They may need a
professional to help them consider their options and to understand financial products, tax laws or the
benefit system.
Once people find an adviser with whom they’re comfortable, a long-term relationship often develops with
regular meetings to review changing needs.
People most often consult a Financial Planner when:
Starting work or changing jobs and looking at superannuation options
Buying a house, or paying off the mortgage
Looking to invest for capital growth
Planning to retire
Inheriting money
receiving redundancy payments or other lump sum payments
Key Facts about Financial Advice
4. Who can give advice?
To provide financial product advice, a Financial Planner must be licensed by the Australian Securities and
Investments Commission (ASIC) or be authorised to represent a licence holder. The ASIC consumer
website www.fido.asic.gov.au allows people to check who holds a licence or is an Authorised
Representative.
ASIC sets a minimum education standard. Advisers with this minimum qualification will often operate in
a support or administrative role and be supervised by an experienced practitioner.
Professional Financial Planners are covered by professional indemnity insurance and are often members
of the Financial Planning Association of Australia, the peak professional association.
What a Financial Planner does
A Financial Planner sets out to understand each client’s different needs and financial objectives and to
recommend an appropriate financial strategy. There is an established six step financial planning process
which professional advisers follow with new clients:
1. Gather financial information about the client
2. Identify financial and lifestyle goals
3. Identify any financial issues
4. Prepare a financial plan
5. Implement the plan
6. Review and revise the plan at regular intervals, or when circumstances change.
What advice will cost
Financial advice is a valuable professional service which carries a cost. The cost depends on the
complexity of the client’s financial situation and the level of service provided by the Financial Adviser. On
average, a basic plan is $800 and a complex one can be up to $3000 (excl. GST)
The Financial Services Guide explains the services on offer and their costs.
The Statement of Advice (which is the recommended financial plan for the client) details all the specific
fees and charges payable to the planner based on the advice given.
How advisers are paid
Financial advisers charge for their services in a number of ways. Clients should discuss and agree costs
with their financial adviser. Generally the fee is a fixed dollar amount or sometimes based on an hourly
rate. A combination of both methods can also be used. This fee is commonly called an "Advice Fee".
In addition to the Advice Fee, other costs may include:
An Implementation Fee, usually based on a percentage of assets invested or an hourly rate and;
An Ongoing Service Fee usually based on a percentage of assets invested
Key Facts about Financial Advice
5. Who are we?
Future Wealth Planners is a privately owned boutique financial planning business founded in 2005. We
have a proven track record in helping people to achieve their goals. With leading technology providing
access to vital databases, taxation information and financial markets, Future Wealth Planners are at the
forefront of contemporary financial planning practice.
Our Advisers
When advisers join Future Wealth Planners, they commit to professional standards and ongoing personal
development to keep their technical skills where they need to be in order to deliver outstanding advice
and service.
We provide an extensive range of services and investment opportunities that are prudentially and
professionally researched and managed. These include comprehensive financial planning, retirement
planning, and estate planning and personal insurance. Our flexibility ensures that whatever your lifestyle
and financial aims are, we can organise and implement an effective financial solution.
Recognising the importance of soundly based investment recommendations, Future Wealth Planners
utilises the research of one of Australia's leading independent research organisations, Zenith Investment
Partners (www.zenithpartners.com.au)
You can be assured of our firm focus on your best interest when making recommendations to you. This
is critical in an environment in which many recommendations are based upon a vested interest of the
company making them.
How Can We Help?
The Financial Planners employed by Future Wealth Planners have the expertise and commitment to
provide you with professional financial planning advice and ongoing service.
The Future Wealth Planners financial planning Process
At Future Wealth Planners, we work with you to help you achieve your financial goals - whatever they
may be. In order to provide personal and individual financial planning advice, all Future Wealth Planners
advisers follow a process that consists of the following steps.
1. Assess your current financial position
2. Establish your financial goals and objectives
3. Determine your attitude towards investment risk
4. Develop long and short term financial strategies to meet your needs and objectives
5. Develop and implement a sound financial plan
6. Regularly review your situation to ensure the financial plan we developed and implemented
remains relevant
Why Future Wealth Planners?
6. The flow-chart below details how the Future Wealth Planners
6 step Financial Advice Process operates.
Because every adviser from Future Wealth Planners is firmly committed to providing professional and
reliable advice, every adviser follows this process.
The 6 step Financial Advice Process has been specifically designed to ensure that our advice is focused
on you and is appropriate to your needs and objectives.
On the next page is a more detailed explanation about what happens at each of those stages and how
each stage contributes to the delivery of our advice and ongoing service.
Our 6 Step Financial Advice Process
7. Step 1 - Initial Meeting
Once you’ve decided to make an appointment with a Future Wealth Planners
adviser, you will spend some time getting to know them and generally discussing
your financial needs and objectives. Your Adviser will explain the financial planning
process to you and answer any questions you may have.
Step 2 - Analysis and Goal setting
The basis of all successful achievements is setting achievable goals and laying the
foundation of the plan before starting. Your Adviser will work with you to determine
and document what you want to achieve.
Step 3 - Preparation and Analysis - Identifying any issues
Once your goals are set, your Adviser will use their experience to guide you through
any issues you face now and are likely to face in the future. They will then
recommend sound strategies to address these issues.
Step 4 - Presentation - your Personal Financial Plan
Your Statement of Advice sets out the strategies and recommendations that will
help you to achieve your goals by growing and protecting your wealth. It will give
you a clear understanding of where you are today, where you want to be in the
future and the way in which you can get there.
Step 5 - Implementation
Once you’ve agreed on the way forward, your Adviser will assist you in
implementing the strategies and recommendations they have provided to you in
your Statement of Advice.
Step 6 - Ongoing review meetings
The most important part of the financial planning process is to ensure that it
continues to meet your needs on an ongoing basis.
Our 6 Step Financial Advice Process
8. Investment Advisory
Future Wealth Planners provide a personalised portfolio service whereby the client makes the final
decision on investment recommendations. Clients are able access information about their portfolio 24
hours a day, 7 days week via a secure online link. Future Wealth Planners advisers adopt a portfolio
management approach to a client's investment strategy and will make recommendations for
consideration by the client. Under this service, the client also receives strategic advice and portfolio
administration.
Strategy Advice
Future Wealth Planners provides strategic advice to assist clients in the areas of superannuation,
investment structures, tax planning strategies and legislative changes. Strategic advice is provided on
an on-going basis as it requires detailed attention throughout various stages of a client's life, particularly
the areas of superannuation and tax planning. Future Wealth Planners advisers will work closely with the
client to establish clear objectives and to keep them fully informed of legislative changes, industry
updates and strategies that can be considered to assist them in making comfortable and informed
financial decisions.
Portfolio Administration
The administration of a client's portfolio is particularly important to ensure that all investment records
and transactions are accurately recorded and reconciled. This forms part of the total service solution from
Future Wealth Planners and is provided via a recommended portfolio Wrap administration service.
Administration services from the portfolio Wrap administration service can include either custody,
CHESS, SRN or non-listed type of investments. Reporting is generally available via a secure website link
24 hours a day.
Advisory Services
Future Wealth Planners undertakes its own in-house research and utilises quality research and analysis
from a variety of providers both in Australia and offshore. Future Wealth Planners devotes significant
time analysing economies and industries to uncover emerging rather than well-established investment
themes. We take a patient approach, undertaking careful research and awaiting opportunities to arise.
In addition to financial and strategic planning, Future Wealth Planners provides two investment service
offerings to clients for ongoing advice. Both options include the full administration of the investment
portfolio.
Our Investment Services
9. How to tell if you are getting good advice
Good financial advice makes the most of the assets a person has, helps to build assets, provides financial
security and brings peace of mind.
Some signs of good advice, and some warning signs, are listed here.
Good Advice:
Takes account of personal needs and goals.
Puts the client’s needs first.
Is provided in clear and understandable terms.
Is explained verbally and in writing (through a Statement of Advice)
Includes strategies and solutions not otherwise known to the client.
Clearly identifies costs which are openly discussed and explained.
Explains conflicts of interest which may influence the adviser’s recommendations.
Warning Signs:
The adviser is not employed by or does not represent a licensed advisory business.
The adviser does not identify the client’s needs/goals.
The adviser does not adequately explain the complexities or is otherwise not understandable.
The adviser does not provide a Financial Services Guide at the first client meeting.
The adviser promotes a product without explaining the risks.
The costs of advice are hidden in the small print and not explained clearly.
An unexpected call is received from an unknown person selling advice or products.
What should you look for when selecting a Financial Adviser?
It is important that you ensure that the person you are dealing with has the appropriate qualifications,
knowledge and experience necessary to assist you to achieve your goals. The key is working with a
trusted Financial Adviser to put together a financial plan that is tailored to your circumstances.
Following are a list of questions that may assist you in determining the appropriate person to assist you:
What are your qualifications and professional designations?
What advisory services are you authorised to provide to me?
How will I pay for the service?
How are the fees and any commissions calculated and deducted?
Good Advice
10. Do I get detailed information about the actual fees and any commissions and other benefits my
adviser may receive from making the recommendations?
Will you give me advice that is suitable to my investment needs and financial circumstances?
What should I know about any risks of the investments or investment strategies recommended
to me?
What information do you maintain on file and can I examine it?
Can I tell you how I wish to instruct you to buy or sell my investment?
Can I set up a system that allows me access to you to review my investments?
Good Advice
11. Our Mission Statement
Our mission is the delivery of financial and wealth management advice that is individually tailored for
every client and incorporates the three disciplines fundamental to achieving the successful transformation
of our client's financial future:
Financial Planning
Tax Planning
Portfolio Management
We place high value on discretion, and absolute commitment to our clients and professional
development.
The team at Future Wealth Planners brings honesty, integrity and a depth and breadth of experience to
the business of financial advice and wealth management.
Our Philosophy
Future Wealth Planners philosophy is to place your interests before all others.
The motivation behind our advice is to create wealth for you, and our principal concern is the building,
protecting and managing of your wealth. However, our relationship with you, and your trust in us, is also
paramount, because the two go hand in hand. Trust is essential; it is critical to the link between client
and advisor - you and us.
For our part, we build on the trust you place in us, by listening to you, discussing your needs and
understanding your goals. We work as partners to develop a wealth management strategy that best
suits you, and one with which you feel comfortable.
Our reputation has been established on the firm foundation of solid long-term relationships. We nurture
those relationships in the single-minded pursuit of the successful transformation of your financial future.
We take pride in the fact that our clients have faith in Future Wealth Planners, to the extent that most of
our work comes from client and professional referrals.
Such allegiance is the cornerstone of our business.
Our Mission Statement and Philosophy
12. Our responsibilities as your Financial Adviser
Future Wealth Planners believes that the needs of the client always take precedence, including the right
to access leading edge advice and support. To that end, we have developed the following list of investor
rights:
Clients should be treated in a fair, ethical, and respectful manner in all interactions with their
financial advisor and Future Wealth Planners.
Clients have the right to competent and courteous service, and advice (if provided) at a fair price.
Clients have the right to clear and accurate explanations of their transactions.
Clients have the right to know and understand any fees associated with their portfolio accounts.
Client statements should provide timely and accurate account and transactional information and
should reflect all positions held.
Integrated Adviser Solutions will not sell, distribute, or make public any private investor or account
information.
Clients should expect their financial advisor's assistance in setting realistic expectations about the
long-term risk and return associated with different investments.
Clients should be provided with responsible investment recommendations based on their
objectives, time horizon, risk tolerance, and other factors they disclose to their financial advisor.
Clients have the right to fair consideration and a prompt response from Future Wealth Planners should
a problem arise with their accounts.
Client Bill of Rights
13. Your responsibilities as our client
Future Wealth Planners believes that clients are responsible for following these basic principles:
Clients should carefully read all literature, Product Disclosure Statements, and/or other offering
documents before investing. They should carefully consider all risks and/or considerations
contained in those documents.
Clients should understand that all investments have some degree of risk and that it is possible to
experience a negative return in any investment excluding cash.
If seeking investment advice, clients are responsible for providing accurate information about
their financial status, goals, and risk tolerance to ensure that appropriate recommendations are
provided.
Clients should promptly bring problems or questions concerning their account(s) to the attention
of their financial advisor.
Clients should make certain that they understand the correlation between risk and return.
Clients should consult a lawyer or tax advisor for specific legal or tax advice.
Clients should review their portfolio holdings on a regular basis and whenever their financial
circumstances change. They may want to make appropriate changes based on their investments'
performance and their current objectives.
Client Bill of Rights
14. Do you know someone who might benefit from our advice?
The majority of Future Wealth Planners new clients come to us as a result of being referred by our
existing clients. We truly value these referrals and are grateful for the support our clients give us.
We would like to formally recognise and reward you for the referrals you make and to achieve this we
have developed the FWP Loyalty Rewards Program.
This program is available to all Future Wealth Planners clients. To join, you simply need to refer us to
your friends, family, colleagues and so on. Your first referral will activate your membership and you will
be rewarded with a welcome gift.
We are very excited with the launch of this Program as a way to say thank you to all our clients who
refer new clients to us. There are a number of ways we will be rewarding you for your referrals. We
recognise the number of referrals provided each year with an annual major prize which you could win!
If you know of any family or friends who might benefit from the services that Future Wealth Planners
provides, you are most welcome to contact the office at any time.
FWP Referral Rewards Program
