Frequently Asked Questions

The fee for a financial advisor will depend on the complexity of your financial situation and plan.

At Blueprint Wealth, our Financial Services and Credit Guide contains further information about the financial services we offer, details about our licensee, professional accreditations, fees and more.

In our initial meeting we will ask a range of questions about your finances to gain a good understanding of where you are at and determine whether you are on track to meet your financial goals. We will then offer some tools and information which you can take away and implement yourself, or alternatively seek further financial advice from our financial advisory team.

One way to find an adviser is to conduct an internet search for information about an adviser or the business they work for. We encourage prospective Blueprint Wealth clients to read our Google Reviews and watch our client video testimonials to see what our clients have to say.

You can also use a ‘find an adviser’ service through an industry association, which can help you find an adviser in your area. For example: Financial Planning Association of Australia’s Find a planner service.

Once you have found an advisor, your first meeting with a financial planner is your opportunity to make sure that you feel comfortable with the planner’s professional credentials and that you get along well. A sure sign of a good financial planner is that they don’t rush you, carefully listen to you and clearly explain where they can add value and where they can’t.

Get to know the practice and financial planner you are considering. At Blueprint Wealth, we provide all prospective clients with our Financial Services and Credit Guide (FSCG). Our FSCG contains information that will help you decide whether to use the financial services we offer, including the advice and services we provide, information about our licensee, accreditations, fees and more.

“Financial advisor” and “financial planner” are broad titles that are generally used to refer to individuals advising you on your finances. When selecting a financial planner/advisor, it is important to check their qualifications, experience, areas of expertise and to read the business’s Financial Services and Credit Guide (FSCG). The FSCG contains information that will help you decide whether to use the financial services they offer, including the advice and services provided, information about their licensee, accreditations, fees and more.

The Financial Planning Association of Australia offers further information on things to consider when choosing a financial planner.

The introductory meeting with a financial advisor is a great opportunity to make sure you feel comfortable with their professional credentials and that you get along well.

Here are a few key questions to ask at your financial advisor at your first meeting:

What qualifications do you have?

Make sure you feel comfortable with their level of education and expertise in financial planning.

What is your specialty?

Different financial planners may have specific expertise in different areas, for example Self-Managed Superannuation Funds, tax, superannuation or retirement planning.

How do you charge for your services?

Legally, financial advisors must disclose all forms of payment and fees. The cost to you will depend on the complexity of your financial situation and plan. Be sure to review the Financial Services and Credit Guide; it sets out the advice and services the business provides, information about the licensee as well as the associated fees. To find out how Blueprint Wealth charges for our services, please review our FSCG.

Are you a member of any industry associations or professional bodies?

ASIC’s financial advisers register will tell you which associations or professional bodies an adviser belongs to.

Blueprint Wealth is an FPA Professional Practice and all of our advisors are members of the Financial Planning Association of Australia.  We are members of the Self Managed Super Fund Association (SMSF Association) and our accredited mortgage brokers belong to the Finance & Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) and Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA).

When it comes to understanding the intricacies of investment, taxation and ever-changing rules and regulations, you might need help from a professional financial advisor.

A financial advisor will help you understand your financial situation, develop a strategy and give you guidance on things such as funding your children’s education, budgeting and tax planning, insurance, investments, having enough money to live comfortably in retirement, estate planning and more.

With no definitive retirement age in Australia, the date you exit the workforce will probably come down to personal circumstances: health, financial commitments and your ability to fund the lifestyle you want will play a big part.

Some of the key questions we believe are important to ask when you are looking to retire are covered in our 30-second Retirement Planning Quiz.

When it comes to understanding the intricacies of wealth management, investment, taxation and ever-changing rules and regulations, you might need help from a professional financial advisor.

A financial advisor will help you understand your financial situation, develop a strategy and give you guidance on things such as funding your children’s education, budgeting and tax planning, insurance, investments, having enough money to live comfortably in retirement, estate planning and more.

Wealth management is a critical function for any investor.  The characteristics of a premium wealth management service include:

Monitoring – the system should be able to give you up-to-date valuations of your investments. Sometimes features include a breakdown of your assets into asset class (such as Australian equities, International equities, bonds, property, etc.). Some systems can be set up to generate an email alert when certain price levels are reached, providing the investor with timely information to facilitate further investment decision making.

Reporting – the ability to generate reports is common. Reports will include portfolio valuation, asset allocation, transactions, realised and unrealised capital gains tax to name a few. The best tools will provide comprehensive year-end tax reporting on a consolidated basis for your accountant, ensuring accuracy of your tax reporting obligations.

Transacting – most systems allow some transactional capability, including buys/sells and switching. It is also common to set up default sell or investment profiles so that as cash either comes into or leaves your account, the necessary buys and sells can be conducted according to your instructions without your manual involvement. This can be extended to force your portfolio to be rebalanced according to a specific profile at certain times or after certain limits are exceeded, a feature that can assist the investor to keep their portfolio aligned with their original asset allocation and manager selection targets.

At Blueprint Wealth our professional financial advisors will help you manage your wealth and grow it. A trusted advisor will assist you in achieving your long-term wealth goals through dedicated wealth management advice.

At Blueprint Wealth, we provide personalised investment advice that carefully considers your attitude to risk and investment objectives, while maximising your returns. Our financial advisors focus on a number of key aspects of wealth building:

• Understanding your individual wealth building objectives
• Careful assessment of your risk profile and your tolerance for risk. This helps to minimise future regrets by avoiding too much risk or not targeting high enough returns.
• Consideration of individual circumstances and preferences

At the end of the day you decide which of our recommendations to adopt. You are in control of your investments every step of the way.

At Blueprint Wealth, our initial meeting is focused on getting to know you and your financial situation.  We discuss where you are now, where you want to be, as well as the things you want to do along the way. At this consultation, we discuss your expectations while introducing you to our service and advice process.

We suggest you bring along the following items to your initial meeting with one of our financial advisors:

• Your Drivers Licence and Tax File Number
• You may also consider bringing information relevant to your superannuation, investments, insurance, income and expenses.

These are not essential, but may be useful if they are relevant to our discussions.

When looking for a financial advisor it is important to make sure you feel comfortable with their professional credentials and that you get along well.

Here are a few key questions to ask at your financial advisor at your first meeting:

What qualifications do you have? Make sure you feel comfortable with their level of education and expertise in financial planning.

What is your specialty? Different financial planners may have specific expertise in different areas, for example, Self-Managed Superannuation Funds, tax, superannuation or retirement planning.

How do you charge for your services? Legally, financial advisors must disclose all forms of payment and fees. The cost to you will depend on the complexity of your financial situation and plan. Be sure to review the Financial Services and Credit Guide (FSCG); it sets out the advice and services the business provides, information about the licensee as well as the associated fees. To find out how Blueprint Wealth charges for our services, please review our FSCG.

Are you a member of any industry associations or professional bodies?

ASIC’s financial advisers register will tell you which associations or professional bodies the adviser belongs to.

Blueprint Wealth is an FPA Professional Practice and all of our advisors are members of the Financial Planning Association of Australia.  We are members of the Self Managed Super Fund Association (SMSF Association) and our accredited mortgage brokers belong to the Finance & Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) and Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA).

Yes, a financial advisor can help you to get an understanding of your cashflow and help you to manage your finances more effectively. MoneyWise is Blueprint Wealth’s personalised cashflow program. It is designed to help you take control of your finances and reach your financial and lifestyle goals. Learn more about MoneyWise.