3 EASY WAYS TO FIND THE RIGHT FINANCIAL ADVISER FOR YOU

MAKE SURE YOUR MONEY IS IN THE RIGHT HANDS

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Finding the right adviser for your needs will take research and vetting. Start by word of mouth from trusted friends. Government website moneysmart.gov.au also notes you can find a licensed financial adviser through a financial advice professional association, your super fund or your lender or financial institution. It pays to get independent advice from a number of sources, if possible, on the best path to take.

CREDENTIALS AND COST

Anyone who gives personal financial advice and most general advice providers must have an Australian Financial Services (AFS) licence. According to Moneysmart, when you first meet with them, they should give you a copy of their Financial Services Guide, which explains fees, services offered and how they deal with complaints. This guide is a good way to compare fees between different advisers and negotiate a better deal.

DIFFERENT SCENARIOS

A good financial adviser will weigh up all the scenarios to help you decide what is the best way forward. They will need to talk you through the pros and cons for each option. Financial advisers don’t usually charge you for the first meeting, making it easy to meet with a few different ones to compare.