Why Financial Spectrum?
Choosing a financial planner is an important decision. At Financial Spectrum we understand that you need to feel confident about the advice you are receiving and secure about your future.
We have an unwavering commitment to making a meaningful impact in our clients’ lives. Our boutique size means that we take the time to build a personal relationship with you, and then help you make the right decisions to achieve the future you’re aspiring to.
We start by getting to know you – your family, lifestyle, career and retirement aspirations – so that we can help you to craft a vision for your future. Once we gain a deep understanding of your goals, we’ll draw on our extensive financial strategy expertise and rigorous modelling tools to create a plan that will put you in control of your financial situation and give you the confidence to create the lifestyle you desire.
We value nurturing long-term partnerships with all of our clients. Once the initial financial strategy is developed, we’ll remain committed to providing you with ongoing advice and support so you stay on track to reaching your goals.
Private ownership
We are a privately owned financial planning and accounting practice. We operate a fee for service model and don’t accept commissions. We have no links to the banks or to financial products and are proud to be members of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals. This is important when choosing a financial planner as it protects our clients from conflicts of interest. Because we are not obliged to sell specific products, our team can give you access to a full suite of investment opportunities. That way, you can be assured that the advice and recommendations that you receive are most appropriate for your individual circumstances.
Financial strategies that deliver results
We’ll help you to understand what your future can look like and build a strategy that will help you get there. We do this by modelling multiple strategies, so you can see the impact different decisions can have on your future, like the difference between buying a home, or investing in property or shares. Once refined, you’ll have a strategy that excites you and provides you with confidence about your future. Our advice extends far beyond simply recommending investments – we’ll help you with budgeting, reducing debt and paying less tax, to help you reach your goals faster.
Full service, end-to-end management
We provide extensive support to help you roll out your financial plan. We assist in contacting third parties on your behalf and conducting all the legwork required throughout your journey. We even have our own in-house accounting team to provide personal and business tax advice, enabling you to streamline all of your financial affairs. Once your strategy is in place, we’ll keep you accountable, ensuring that you’re hitting your milestones and helping you to overcome any challenges along the way.
Expertise, integrity and discipline
We’re a team of fully qualified financial planning and accounting professionals with extensive experience. Honesty and genuine client care underpin everything we do. We are Certified Financial Strategists and our team regularly participates in training and professional development to ensure we’re up to date with the latest in financial advice and legislation, so you have full confidence in your financial plan.
About Us
At Financial Spectrum we are a privately owned, fee for service financial planning and accounting practice. We work with you to develop tailored financial strategies to help you reach your goals and lifestyle aspirations. We have offices in Sydney’s CBD, Bondi and Balmain, are members of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals and are Certified Financial Strategists.
Our areas of expertise:
- Household budgeting
- Managing debt
- Building super
- Self-managed super funds
- Retirement planning
- Savings and investment
- Property investment
- Insurance and protection
- Estate planning
- Tax effective strategies
- Business advisory
- Accounting and compliance
- Audit and assurance
- Migrant advisory
Privately owned, fee for service model
We are a privately owned financial planning and accounting practice. We operate a fee for service model and don’t accept commissions. We have no links to the banks or to financial products. This is important when choosing a financial planner as it protects our clients from conflicts of interest. Because we are not obliged to sell specific products, our team can give you access to a full suite of investment opportunities. That way, you can be assured that the advice and recommendations that you receive are most appropriate for your individual circumstances. We are members of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals and hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL 334400).
Members of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals
Financial Spectrum is a member of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals, giving you the assurance that we are free to make the best decisions for your situation without the conflicting influence of institutional ownership.
To be a member of the Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals, financial planning practices must not have any ownership from a financial institution and operate their own Australian Financial Services License under strict regulation by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Most large financial planning firms and private banking services in Australia are fully or partially owned by banks or other financial institutions. Association of Independently Owned Financial Professionals members, like Financial Spectrum, are not affiliated with banks or other financial institutions, which means we work only for you. An independently owned financial adviser is able to research, assess and present all the best options available to you, and assist in making the best decisions for you without the conflict of being affiliated with a financial institution. As a result, you have the comfort of knowing that your best interests are being put first.
Certified Financial Strategists
Financial Spectrum is proud to hold Certified Financial Strategist accreditation, giving you the peace of mind that we are acting in your best interests with reliable information and advice in a cost-effective and conflict-free manner.
To receive Certified Financial Strategist accreditation, advisers must work for an independently owned financial practice so there is no conflicting influence of institutional ownership. They need to charge on a fee for service basis, meaning they receive no commissions or other conflicting inducements from product manufacturers or institutions. Advisers must have access to filtered research facilities which is critical to the advice process as it ensures ongoing surveillance of the product and markets. They are also highly qualified, meeting strict qualification standards, as well as ASX and industry fund educated. As a result, you can be assured that you’re getting the quality advice of the highest standard.
Meet the team
Brenton Tong
Managing Director
Brenton oversees the running of the business and the delivery of exceptional service and personal advice to clients. Brenton is well known for his strategic expertise and believes that with the right advice, planning and effort, it's possible to create the life you desire.
Brenton joined the financial services industry in 1999 as a financial planner for a national, privately owned financial services business. He later set up his first financial planning business, becoming a leader by offering strategy-based advice. Over time, Brenton merged his firm into what is today Financial Spectrum.
It’s Brenton’s passion to help people take control of their lives, ensure they make the best possible decisions and create the life they desire. He works intimately with his clients to ensure that they have a thorough understanding of the decisions they are making and the long-term outcomes that they can expect. With his extensive investment experience, Brenton ensures that there is a plan in place to mitigate as much risk as possible from financial decisions and give clients confidence in their financial future.
Brenton is the Financial Planning contributor for Yahoo!7 Finance and a regular author in financial magazines, including Money Management, Think Big Magazine and Wealth Creator. He is frequently quoted in Sydney Morning Herald, Business Review Weekly, The Age and Australian Financial Review. Brenton is also one of the contributors to David Koch's Money Makeover, has been a contributing author and presenter for Kaplan Professional (Australia's largest financial services education provider), and has co-authored the book Secrets of Male Entrepreneurs Exposed.
Brenton holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Accounting and Law, as well as an Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning. He is currently completing his Masters of Business Administration and is enrolled in the Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner programme. Brenton is a Senior Associate Member of FINSIA and a Practitioner Member of the Association of Financial Advisers. Additionally, Brenton is an accredited trainer for financial planners and writes part of the Continuing Professional Development syllabus for Kaplan.
Outside of the business, Brenton enjoys spending time with his partner and two children, travelling, sailing and flying. Brenton also allocates a percentage of his time to charity work and financial counselling for those in need.
Thomas Wang
Accounting Director
Thomas oversees our accounting practice and prides himself on responsive and customised service to his clients.
With over 12 years’ experience in the profession, Thomas knows that it’s not just about tax and accounting compliance. Clients want future-focused, practical and prudential advice from approachable and knowledgeable advisors.
Prior to setup his own practice, Thomas spent a decade as a senior manager in Australia’s top 100 accounting firms. He has advised clients ranging from public companies to privately owned small and medium businesses across different industries.
Thomas also has extensive experience and in-depth understanding on self-managed superannuation funds (SMSF). For many years he led a SMSF division with responsibility for the advisory, accounting, audit and administration of over 100 SMSFs.
Thomas holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from Macquarie University and a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accountants and Master of Financial Analysis from University of New South Wales. He a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and CPA Australia, and a fellow member Tax Institute of Australia.
Outside of the business Thomas enjoys travelling and spending time with his family.
Our Commitment
In the Community
At Financial Spectrum we aspire to get involved in our local and international community via a program of donations and volunteering. We encourage our staff to adopt these values via two days of paid volunteer days each year to enable them to volunteer their time and get involved.
Some examples of our commitment include:
Starlight Foundation
Australia
Every year, the team at Financial Spectrum close up the office and head out to help Make A Wish Australia with their Special Children’s Christmas Party. For more than the past 20 years, up to 5,000 deserving young children with either life threatening illnesses, physical and intellectual impairment, domestic violence or underprivileged circumstances are invited to this very special day. They experience a full day of fun, Santa, toys, carnival rides and activities and fantastic treats. There is only one aim for the day, and that is to put the biggest possible smiles on the faces of the children and their carers.
Unicorn Foundation
Australia
Financial Spectrum is a passionate supporter of the Unicorn Foundation, the only Australian not-for-profit medical charity focused on neuroendocrine tumors (NET). The foundation works with medical groups and directs funds towards Australian researchers and institutions who are working towards a cure and treatment programs for this rare form of cancer. Building awareness is always a battle and one which the Unicorn Foundation is slowly winning. Through its efforts, we have seen the medical landscape slowly change with knowledge of neuroendocrine tumours slowly building and effective and viable treatments becoming available.
The Salvation Army
Australia
Financial Spectrum, in all practices and advice fosters a culture of effectiveness and efficiency. At regular gift giving time, rather than waste funds on corporate gifts that will go either unnoticed or unappreciated, Financial Spectrum regularly gives those funds to those that are more deserving and will truly benefit. The Salvation Army has services across a wide range of the community designed to support many aspects of a person’s life, at all stages of life from Aged Care right down to Children’s Services. Financial Spectrum has been a proud supporter for many years and expects to see the support given grow as the years progress.
Thika Child Rescue Centre
Thika, Kenya
The Thika Child Rescue Centre is the provider of shelter and essential services for children who have been orphaned, abused, abandoned or whose parents are unable to provide them with basic care. The centre cares for boys aged 4 to 18 years and enables them to receive an education and work training in a supportive, safe and caring environment. Two staff members from Financial Spectrum spent two weeks onsite at the centre, living and working with the children. Financial Spectrum is proud to provide ongoing assistance to the Centre.
Living Sustainably
We understand the impact our business has on the environment and that’s why we’re committed to actively managing and reducing impacts of our environmental footprint. Our solutions for improving our environment include:
Carbon offsets
Financial Spectrum seeks to offset its carbon footprint by purchasing carbon offsets accredited under the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS). The NCOS Carbon Neutral Program is a voluntary scheme which certifies our business operations as carbon neutral against the Australian Government's National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS). This standard provides integrity through its guidance on genuine voluntary offsets and its minimum requirements for calculating, auditing and offsetting a carbon footprint to achieve carbon neutrality.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
We aim to create an energy efficient work culture in our business, our company policies encourage minimal use of all resources. Electrical equipment is turned off after hours and when not in use. Where possible we rely on natural light in our meeting rooms. We are conscious of the amount of paper used within our business, we seek to avoid using materials unnecessarily, reduce waste, reuse where possible and we are advocates of recycling.