How To Find A Financial Planner In Australia

							Before you start your search to find a financial planner, you must first
consider the type of financial advice you require.Different financial
advisers provide different types of advice. Some specialise in
investments, while other specialise in insurance, or retirement planning.
The most common areas of specialisation are:Insurance Advice
Wealth accumulation, debt reduction and budgeting
Retirement Advice & Pre-Retirement Planning
Self-Managed Superannuation FundWhile a financial adviser may be
competent in one or more of these types of advice, they may not have
experience in them all. That's because each areas of advice has unique
rules, legislation and strategies so it's important to find a financial
planner who specialises in the type of advice you require.5 Ways To Find
A Financial PlannerAsk Your Existing Service Providers
Ask A Friend
Contact Professional Associations
Specific Google Search
Use A Matching ServiceLet's look at each of these options in more
detail.Ask Existing Service ProvidersYour existing accountant, finance
broker or general insurance consultant may be able to help you find a
financial planner. Be sure to explain the type of advice you require so
they can refer you to a specialist planner.One pitfall with this approach
is that many finance companies also own financial products and may refer
you to one of their internal planners who may only recommend their
internal products. Also be cautious if the referrer will receive a
referral fee for connecting you with a planner. If this is the case, then
the referral may be in their best interest and not yours.Ask A FriendDo
you have friends or family members in a similar situation who have
received financial advice? Ask them how they found the experience and if
they were happy with the advice they received.Remember, not all financial
advisers specialise in all types of advice, so if you are trying to find
a financial planner who provides insurance advice it may not be wise to
ask a retiree for a referral to their retirement adviser, and vice
versa.Contact Professional OrganisationsIn Australia, there are several
professional associations who can assist you to find a financial planner
from their member database.Association of Independent Financial Advisers
(AIFA)
Australian Financial Advisers Association (AFA)
Financial Planning Client Advocate (FPCA)
Financial Planning Association (FPA)Obviously, professional organisation
will only refer you to a planner who is part of their member
base.Specific Google SearchOnce you know the type of advice you require,
you can conduct a specific internet search. Make sure your search
includes the advice type and a location, for example, "Retirement Advice
Melbourne."The biggest risk with this method is that there is no third
party recommendation, as with all the other methods mentioned in this
article.Use An Online Matching ServiceMy final recommendation is to use
an online matching service which connects you with a local financial
adviser who specialises in the advice you require.For example, the Find A
Financial Planner website is a free service that matches you with a
planner based on your location and the type of advice you require. This
means you will be matched with a specialist financial planner.Another
benefit of this matching service is that the planners need to pass an
accreditation by the Financial Planning Client Advocate (FPCA) before
they can be listed, which means you get an extra layer of security.