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Our services

What’s your
financial
spectrum?

Your financial spectrum is unique to you. Uncovering it doesn’t start by measuring you up for life insurance. It starts by knowing what questions to ask then listening to the answers.

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Our insights have been reported in:

A negatively geared seafront unit in Newcastle might be perfect for your neighbour and exactly the wrong tactic for you. And it’s you that we’re planning for, not your neighbour, your colleague or your brother-in-law. Where do you want to go and how are you going to get there?

We’re privately owned and we reject commissions from financial institutions.  That means we don’t have to jump to talking about “products”.  We can invest the time to listen, to understand you and to crystallise your goals. (You don’t have to know your goals already; discovery is all part of the conversation.)


Financial advice, not products

We all have our own relationship with money. Whether we grew up with or without it. How our parents reacted to money. Have we found it hard to come by but easy to spend? Or is it the other way around?

Understanding your relationship with money is fundamental to how we will tailor a financial plan that fits you.

You might work in a similar job, be the same age and have the same number of children as someone else, but you’re an individual, not a category. There’s no such thing as a pre-packaged plan that’s just right for you. You aren’t a “Portfolio Maximiser” or an “Investment Property Magnate”.

A template is only a path to someone else’s ideal future.

You need to take charge of your own plan to get to your own future. When you’re striding along on your own path, you don’t have to worry about what everyone else is doing.

In short, don’t be surprised when you meet us that it takes a while before we’re talking about money. We want to know about your history, your family, your lifestyle, your career and your lifestyle aspirations.

Then we can start planning for your very best future. That will include working through models based on your current situation and what you’ve told us about your hopes for the years ahead. We’ll consider every eventuality by talking about a range of outcomes based on different inputs and scenarios.

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How we work with you

1.

Introduction

Most of the relationships with our clients start with a chat over the phone. We’ll give you an overview of our approach and arrange a time for an initial meeting. Your first meeting is complimentary and obligation-free, and generally takes one hour. We usually meet our clients face-to-face in our Sydney CBD office, but we can also meet in our Balmain office, Bondi office or via video conference if that’s more convenient for you.

2.

Getting to know you

Prior to your first meeting, we’ll send you a questionnaire to help us get to know you, your circumstances and your aspirations. It will help us to know which areas to explore further in the face-to-face meeting so that we can build a thorough understanding of your situation.

3.

Initial meeting

At the first meeting we’ll discuss your current financial situation, any particular challenges you’re facing and begin build a picture of both your financial and life goals. This information will be used in a comprehensive scenario modelling process so that we can build a plan tailored to your needs.

4.

Second Meeting

Based on the information you’ve provided us, we’ll share our ideas and visions for your future. If you’re comfortable that we’re heading in the right direction, we’ll present you with our fee agreement. We’ll then go away and map out several strategies using our proprietary research and modelling tools.

5.

Strategy Meeting

We’ll present the strategies we’ve prepared for you and talk you through how they’ll drive you towards your future financial and lifestyle goals. You’ll start to see how different decisions can impact your future. Our priority is ensuring that you understand the concepts we are discussing and feel comfortable that they’re right for you.

6.

Strategy refinement Meeting

Refining your strategy can take one or multiple meetings, depending on the complexity of your situation and your ability to make decisions. We commit to all our clients that they will get the plan that they want and don’t place a limit the number of refinements that it takes to get it just right. As we go through the strategy refinement process, you’ll develop an intimate understanding of your options and their long-term effects and eventually decide on the scenario that’s best for you.

7.

Presenting your financial plan

Once you’re comfortable with your financial strategy, we will prepare a more comprehensive version of your plan, called a Statement of Advice. It will contain detailed recommendations, including a step-by-step explanation of how you can improve your financial situation. We’ll present this to you face-to-face so you have the opportunity to clarify anything you’re unsure about and feel confident moving forward.

8.

Delivering your financial plan

The implementation of each plan is unique. Your plan may involve budgeting and debt reduction, sourcing insurances, implementing estate planning, investing in managed funds, exploring options in property and a range of other tactics suited to your specific goals. Regardless of what’s required, we’ll partner with you to help you implement your plan and answer any questions you have throughout the process.

9.

Ongoing Support

Once your plan is in place, we are committed to providing continued expert advice and support. Changes in your personal situation, financial markets and legislation occur all the time. It’s therefore important that we review your portfolio and personal circumstances regularly so that you can stay on track to achieving your goals.

Accounting
with context

Our financial planners are backed by our highly qualified accountants. You get a single team that looks at the whole picture and has all the skills needed to create and implement your financial plan.

We provide strategic, practical and prudential advice across all aspects of accounting, tax, audit and business advisory.

Financial
maintenance
package

Trump; China; Brexit — the world changes. Promotion; new home; new school for the kids — our life changes. Sometimes it goes to plan; sometimes it takes unexpected turns. We’re there for you to make sure your financial plan and your portfolio are always in sync with the economy and your personal circumstances.

Our ongoing maintenance package gives you the peace of mind to know that you’re on course. Every year, we’ll review, report and discuss your plan.  Then we’ll take your decisions and implement any changes for you.  And right through the year we’re only ever a phone call or email away, whatever you need to discuss. Our time is your time.


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Financial planning fees and payment

Everything is in the open with Financial Spectrum. We are privately owned financial planners with no links whatsoever to banks or financial institutions. We charge a simple fee for our time and advice, and we reject all commissions. That way our advice is always uncompromised.

Our fee is based on service, not on whether we’re advising you about growing $50,000 or $5,000,000. Each and every client’s financial future is equally important.  We’re certain we can deliver immediate, measurable savings to you well over and above what you invest in our advice.  We’re so certain that we back that claim with a complete money-back guarantee. If our statement of advice doesn’t show clearly how we’ll save you more than you’ve invested in our advice, we’ll refund 100% of our fees immediately and without question

Talk to us

Guaranteed
value

We’re so confident about creating value for you quickly, that we guarantee it with a 100% money-back guarantee.


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Google Review

Sarah Keenan
Sarah Keenan
02:11 31 Jul 19
We've been using Financial Spectrum for a few years after they were recommended by a friend in the finance industry. Brenton, Thomas, Alan and the rest of the team are very thorough, efficient, knowledgeable, ethical, genuine and lovely to deal with. All parts of our financial lives are sorted from superannuation and insurance through to the finance of our businesses.
Allison Heller
Allison Heller
04:41 15 Oct 18
Brenton is a smart, savvy and friendly advisor who has worked closely with me to understand my financial drivers and aspirations, and to create a whole new financial trajectory for my future during the past three years.
Rebecca Hanifin
Rebecca Hanifin
04:55 20 Sep 18
Brenton genuinely cares about his clients. He’s the first adviser that I’ve met that’s taken the time to get to know me and understand my goals, challenges, hopes and fears. He’s very empathetic and there isn’t much I haven’t shared with him!Brenton was able to help me with everything I needed, including developing an investment strategy, switching my super to a fund with lower fees, putting insurances in place to protect my son and I, establishing my will and estate plan and changing my business structure to reduce my tax obligations.Thanks to Brenton, all of the financial tasks that have been hanging over my head for years are now all sorted and it feels great! I have so much more clarity and confidence about my current financial position, what I can achieve in the future and what I need to do to get there.
Michael P
Michael P
23:41 11 Sep 18
Was sceptical at first but was extremely pleased with every part of my experience. All the staff were friendly and helpful especially Hanna. The planner, Brenton was very knowledgeable and made everything easy for me with little finance knowledge able to understand. Highly recommend for everyone!
Michael Burton
Michael Burton
06:33 16 Jul 18
We have been clients of Brendon for over a year now and how our lives have changed. Previously we could see no possible way we would be able to retire comfortably and be debt free, but Brendon gave us a road map to get to that point in four years. Twelve months after committing to follow the his road map to retirement we are on course to our retirement. Thank your once again mate you have given us our lives back.
Terry Stuchfield
Terry Stuchfield
07:33 30 Apr 18
If you want a knowledgeable and honest financial advisor you can trust, I recommend you talk to Brenton Tong of Financial Spectrum. About four years ago when I was considering retiring I needed someone to review our financial situation and tell me if we had enough funds to retire. I searched for a financial advisor that was charging a fee for service rather than taking commission for products sold. My search came up with Financial Spectrum and I have been impressed with Brenton and his team ever since.
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