What Does Your Financial Planner Do?
As Financial Planners, we often get asked by friends’, family and prospective clients; what do you do? As a Planner, I personally feel it’s a question that is somewhat harder to answer than other occupations, e.g. you’re a Nurse, you nurse patients, you’re a Police Officer, you police society, you’re a Mortgage Broker, you source the best lending solutions for you clients. Although on the surface it appears easy to identify what the occupations above entail, often our immediate thoughts in relation to job titles are the tip the iceberg.
Now Financial Planner, Financial Adviser or Financial Coach (the titles are interchangeable) will often conjure up the Black and White thoughts that can sometimes be associated with Accountants (no offence to my accountant friends). So often it goes a little like this, ‘I’ve already got an accountant, and I prefer not to think about my super and insurances’. As Financial planners, we like to think that there is a little more to our role than the attached job title.
A light bulb moment for answering this question came to me via a previous work colleague of mine. He eloquently summarised us (Financial Planners) as being like accountants that are always looking at the goals as well as the numbers into the future, as opposed to accountants who are typically looking at the just numbers from the previous 12 months An interesting summary, but I personally feel this explanation should be built upon.
Good quality Financial Planners are going to be able to provide you with almost any information you have in relation to money in an unbiased manner, this can be from understanding and plotting your future investment plan, to understanding what your assets may be worth in 10, 20, or 30 years’ time. However, I think a nice summary of what we do, is helping Australians make Smart Money Decisions, regardless of how much money they have, or don’t have. It’s often the mere (daunting) step of engaging with a Financial Planner that can have a profound, positive impact on the rest of your life and your relationship with money.
If your car needs a service, or your pets are unwell, most Australians will engage with the appropriate professional i.e. a Mechanic or a Veterinarian. But when they have a money concern or brilliant money idea, they are often guilty of making it a DIY home job. Its unlikely that you could provide the appropriate medical attention to your pets, or service your car in most instances, so if it’s a dollar, or even a cent, talk to a professional Financial Planner and make Smart Money Decisions.
To find out what else a financial planner can do for you, start a conversation with Steve May Financial Services today.
You need to consider with your financial planner (or adviser), your objectives, financial situation and your particular needs prior to making an investment decision. Sensibly Pty Ltd and its authorised representatives (or credit representatives) do not accept liability for any errors or omissions of information supplied on this website
Nick Shanley, Steve May, Luke Styles and Shanley Financial Planning T/A Steve May Financial Services are Authorised Representatives / Corporate Authorised Representative of Sensibly Pty Ltd, AFSL 533923. Please refer to our website at www.stevemayfs.com.au to reference our Financial Services Guides.
