Investment advice (and investment structures)

Having constructed a financial plan it is likely that you will need to make some decisions concerning investments.

Being in control is a fundamental part of our philosophy. Knowing where your money is invested, what the risks are and the expected returns are all part of being in control.

However before we embark on providing investment advice it is very important to determine the style or mix of investments that will meet your requirements and fit within your investment risk profile. This is something that is likely to change over time based on a range of factors.

Investment preferences and risk profiles are the first consideration. The next consideration is the appropriate investment structures. Placing funds inside superannuation or outside superannuation, held personally or in joint names, held in a discretionary or unit trust. These are some of the considerations.

Then we come to investments. Different types of investments carry different risks and offer varying returns. Having a spread of investments across the different asset classes helps to smooth overall returns. Simply put, diversification reduces risk.

We assist our clients to determine what sort of portfolio is right for them and then provide our advice concerning the specific investments that should be used.

A variety of investment research is required to underpin our advice. Our primary research provider is Lonsec, one of Australia’s leading independent research houses.

Specifically in relation to listed securities we access research from a variety of stockbrokers such as Macquarie Equities, Bell Potter, Ord Minnett and Lonsec.

The investments that we recommend to our clients are the subject of ongoing review. As a team we meet regularly to assess the ongoing suitability of all investments under our advice. When changes are required we provide advice to our clients in a timely manner (according to the circumstances at the time).