Choosing A Financial Adviser
Hiring a financial adviser can feel like handing your future to a stranger, especially when you’re already under pressure from a big life change. We talk through the moments that commonly push people to seek advice, from starting a family to receiving an inheritance, but the biggest trigger is approaching retirement. What surprised us is how much this timeline has shifted: more Australians are starting retirement planning in their 40s and 50s because the real work happens over decades, not in a last-minute scramble.
We also get practical about what financial advisers actually do. Yes, there’s superannuation advice, investing and retirement planning, but there’s also budgeting, debt management, life insurance, and the role of an adviser as an objective sounding board when family emotions are running hot. We share how to find the right fit, including referrals, the Financial Advice Association directory, and the checks you can do before you meet: Google their name, read client testimonials, and confirm qualifications and registration on the ASIC Financial Advisers Register. We also explain what a good first meeting should look like, and why it should start with your values, goals, and the life you want to live.
Then we tackle the sticky questions listeners always ask: what advice costs and why, plus clear super rules around concessional and non-concessional contributions, the $1.9m total super balance limit moving to $2m from July, work tests after 65, contribution cut-offs around 75, and deadlines like making sure money lands in your fund before 30 June. We finish with a grounded take on high growth investing in retirement and how to think about volatility. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a mate who’s putting this off, and leave us a review so more Australians can find the show.