Craig Meathrel

I'm an over 50's specialist financial adviser helping people retire better.

Importantly, I’m very different to most financial planners in Australia. This gives my clients the greatest probability of achieving their best retirement.

1. TRULY INDEPENDENT

I’m certified independent with zero conflicts of interest. That means I don't have any connection to product providers or accept any conflicted remuneration. Unfortunately, less than 1% of financial planners can legally describe themselves as independent. That means that 99% of advisers are trying to pretend they don’t have conflicts of interest.

I'm also a member of the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers that promotes independent advice.

2. RECOMMEND INDUSTRY SUPER FUNDS

I do the opposite of most advisers. When it comes to superannuation recommendations, 95% of recommendations involve industry super funds. In comparison, most financial planners direct their clients’ money into the same higher-cost adviser-driven superannuation platform. They do that to build 'funds under management', enhance their business efficiency, and trap your money in their system. This is for their benefit, not yours.

3. LIFE FOCUSED FINANCIAL ADVICE

Comprehensive financial planning should be focused on achieving your life and retirement lifestyle goals, not just on managing a portfolio of investments.

I focus on your life objectives and how you build and manage your wealth to have the lifestyle that you want.

4. FIXED ADVISORY FEES, NOT PERCENTAGES

Clients pay a fixed fee for initial advice or any ongoing advice. I do not charge percentage-based fees common with advisers focused on ‘funds under management’. Percentage based fees create conflicts of interest and are in the interest of advisers, not clients.

5. LIFE FOCUSED ADVICE PROCESS

Our unique multi-stage advice process is collaborative and involves clients in the financial planning process. This results in a highly individualised financial plan that aligns closely to clients’ objectives and improves their understanding of financial matters. Clients are not covertly directed into investment and superannuation services designed for the adviser’s benefit.

6. ONE-OFF OR ONGOING ADVICE

I’m driven by what my clients need. Clients can get one-off advice, they can come back at a future time when they need more advice, or they can have an ongoing relationship where we work together to keep making proactive decisions to improve their financial position.

7. STRAIGHTFORWARD AND EFFECTIVE ADVICE

Many advisers make their investment recommendations more complex than they need to be to justify their existence and charger higher fees. We set clients up with the least complexity necessary to achieve their goals.

8. GETTING THROUGH BAD INVESTMENT MARKETS

Often the most stressful times for clients are when investment markets have downturns. We set up simple strategies to minimise the impact of these unexpected events and help clients sleep better at night due these times.