If you’ve never worked with a financial adviser before, it can be hard to know what you’re signing up for. Maybe you picture a glossy office, a stack of forms and someone talking quickly about products you’ve never heard of. (I’d find that intimidating too.)
The reality, at least here at PlanningSolo, is much calmer than that. It’s a series of conversations spread over a few months, with time to think in between. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is signed on the spot. And you’re never expected to have all the answers.
Here’s how it works, step by step.
1. A first call to see if we’re a good fit
It starts with a short 15-minute phone call. It’s free (you can book yours here), there’s nothing to prepare and there’s no obligation either way.
We’re simply working out whether we’re the right people to help you. If we’re not, I’ll do my best to point you somewhere more helpful.
2. The Exploration Meeting
If we both think it makes sense, we book in a longer Exploration Meeting. This is where we really get to know each other.
We talk about where you are now, where you’d like to get to, and the speed bumps and roadblocks that might be in the way. It’s also a chance for me to explain how we could help.
Before we meet, we’ll ask you to share a few key details through our secure online portal, so we can make the most of our time together. I like to hold this meeting in person where we can, because it’s such an important one.
If that’s not practical because of location (we’re based in Melbourne but work with clients across Australia), a video call works well too.
3. Your proposal
Afterwards, you’ll receive a written proposal. It sets out the scope of work, the cost and how payment works.
That way, you know exactly what you’re agreeing to before moving forward with anything.
4. Discovery
If you decide to go ahead, we gather the fuller picture. You share the information and documents most relevant to your situation, using our secure portal and an online form.
This is where things get detailed. It means your advice is built on accurate information, not guesswork.
5. Building your strategy together
Next, my team and I get to work. We run the numbers, model different scenarios and explore the options and strategies open to you.
Then we meet to talk through what I’ve found: any red or green flags, and the things worth weighing up as we build your strategy together.
A lot of financial planning comes down to arithmetic, but I believe the option that looks best on paper isn’t always the best option for you, your life and the people you care about. So we talk honestly about trade-offs and compromises, and land on something that genuinely fits.
How involved you want to be is up to you. Some people like to work through every option with me. Others, especially early on when everything feels like a lot, would rather I narrow things down for them. Both are completely okay. Either way, I’m not here to dictate, and you always have the final say.
Finding the right balance for you is a key part of our work.
6. Your advice
Once we’ve agreed on a direction, my team and I write up your final advice.
Where I can, I record a short video walking you through it, and send it to you a day or two before we meet. You can watch it in your own time (more than once, if you like). Then our meeting is about answering your questions and working through the specifics.
In the advice meeting, I bring everything we’ve worked through together into clear, straightforward recommendations.
Here’s what I think you should do.
Here’s why.
Here are the pros and cons.
No fluff.
What I won’t do is put paperwork in front of you to sign in that meeting. I’d much rather you go home, sleep on it and let it all sink in. That part can be handled later.
7. We take care of the implementation
Once you’re comfortable with the advice, you receive an implementation schedule, and then my team takes over.
We handle the paperwork, the forms and the back-and-forth, and we get it all done for you. I’m very proud of my team here – their admin skills and care for our clients are second to none.
8. Ongoing support
By the end of the initial engagement, we’ll have talked about whether you’d like to keep working together. Many clients do, though there’s no obligation.
From there, things become a lot more consistent and predictable. We book your meetings in for the whole year, and we become your first point of contact for anything financial along the way.
How working together changes over time
One of the things I love about long-term client relationships is how they evolve.
In the first year, many people are still finding their feet. They lean on me a lot, and that’s exactly what I’m there for. But if I’m doing my job properly, the collaboration grows year on year. By year four, I’d expect the people I work with to feel far more informed, and far more in charge of their finances, than when we started.
We want every interaction you have with us to leave you feeling better. More confident. More in control. More certain about what you’re doing. That’s really the goal.
We meet you where you are
Everyone takes in information differently. Some people love the detail of a written document. Others would much rather watch a short video or look at a diagram.
So we tailor how we deliver our advice, and how we run our meetings, to suit you. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s one I care about.
We’re also proud to call ourselves truly independent, so we have no stake in where your money goes. What matters is that it suits you, it’s appropriate and it serves your best interests.
What about fees?
We’re upfront about pricing from the very start. Once you get in touch, we’ll give you a clear indication of our range of fees. And your proposal sets it all out in writing before you commit to anything.
Why trust matters most
Something I learned a long time ago is that money isn’t what motivates me – being trusted by the people we work with is. It’s the real currency of what we do, and it’s why we do it.
Within our team, we have a simple motto: “Honour their trust.” This guides everything we do.
If you’d like to talk through your situation, I’d love to help.
Jordan
