An innovative approach to financial services
The past five years have brought about significant changes – to policy and legislature reforms in the areas of Tax and Superannuation and of course the global pandemic. At APEX Financial Services Group, we seek to ‘future proof’ you in the face of these changes, implementing flexible strategies to help you achieve your financial goals. Allow us to advocate your needs in a business we know well, aligning your financial plan with industry standards of best practice.
APEX Financial Services Group is one of Queensland’s premier wealth advisory groups.
With over 20 years of experience in the finance and insurance industries, we have helped numerous individuals and businesses achieve their financial goals and secure their financial future.
Our team of expert financial advisors bring a wealth of knowledge and experience across various areas of finance, including wealth management, retirement planning, superannuation, taxation, insurance, and more. We pride ourselves on our personalised approach to financial planning, where we take the time to understand your unique needs and tailor our services to meet your specific requirements.
Our approach
At APEX Financial Services we have set out to provide financial advice to as many Australians as possible. We take a straightforward approach, strategising both with and for our clients. Our company aim is to periodically ensure that your wishes including listing beneficiaries are as you require.
APEX Financial are motivated and incentivised only in our client’s satisfaction and positive outcomes. Our statement in our wish to put your needs first is more than a positive positioning, it drives the very core of our business, we look forward to discussing with you how our advice can help you and your family in your financial future.
Our fees
At APEX Financial Services we use a fee for service model, we believe this is the fairest and most transparent way to charge fees for the financial planning process. There are various payments and plans available which are tailored and individual to the client’s circumstances. This ensures our aim to provide advice to as many different clients as possible from all walks of life.
Being a fee for service business it is down to the time spent on your situation which dictates the price. We will not charge you for all of our services if only some are relevant to you and your particular situation, mitigating any risk of higher charges just on the basis of the higher levels of funds you may hold.
The first step in the process is to meet with us to see whether there are areas of your situation we can help improve in a cost-effective manner. If it turns out there is work we can assist you with then we look forward to helping you on your journey. Conversely, where the fit for services isn’t right or we see limited benefit to you as our client the most you have given us is time for a quick conversation.
Our four-step process to your brighter financial future
Whether you’re looking to secure your retirement, grow your wealth, or simply get your finances in order, you can trust APEX Financial Services Group to provide you with the expert advice and guidance you need. Below is our four-step process to set you on the path to a brighter financial future:
OUR DISCOVERY MEET AND GREET
We first meet for a no-obligation appointment and we do not engage with a client if we cannot see gains that we can bring to their financial situation. The first appointment is a chance to sit down to find out more about your position and the goals you may be working towards or the goals you are yet to discover. The initial discovery meeting will take about 15 minutes to assess whether we are going to be able to assist you moving forward. We will ask you to reply to an initial email we send with some information about your current financial situation. We will need this information returned for us to proceed with a discovery meeting as it will give our advisers the best opportunity to assess your situation in the time provided.
LETTER OF ENGAGEMENT
After our initial discussion if there are areas we are able help with we will design an engagement letter outlining steps we can undertake along with indicative fees for services. All fees are disclosed before engaging a client, there are no hidden surprises and you are able to make an informed decision.
STATEMENT OF ADVICE
We would then proceed to create a plan for you referred to as a statement of advice, this is bespoke and individual to your needs as our client. This plan outlines various strategies and projections which are relevant to your circumstances. It is our key aim to debunk any content that needs explanation, we strategise both with and for you, helping you understand how your financial plan works.
implementation and review
Once we have presented the plan we will implement the advice for you whilst keeping in regular contact to provide updates.
Once the advice had been implemented, we may seek to refresh your statement of advice or have a follow up meeting, this is particularly pertinent to clients with changed circumstances or clients needing adjustments as a result of market forces. This pro-active management style ensures that you have the best possible financial plan to achieve your goals at all times.
Meeting the 5 Financial Milestones
Whatever your stage of life and circumstances there are likely to be areas in which we can help. We take a straightforward approach, strategising both with and for you to ensure that our service provision compliments your needs.
1
Foundations
We want to ensure you have the correct foundations in place so we are able to build on these and achieve your future goals. At this stage we want to provide a solid education around your finances, so you feel in control of your own destiny and create financial behaviours which you can continue throughout your life stages.
Factors to consider:
- Loan Structures
- Revisit insurances to ensure they are still appropriate
- Estate planning
- Avoiding excessive fees
- Plans for short term goals (weddings, children, house deposits)
2
Wealth Building
As a young adult it is important that the wheels are in motion to grow your wealth. At this stage of life you may have high debt levels from paying off education costs, wedding expenses, first home purchase or possibly children. It is also critically important this debt is structured appropriately to avoid it spiralling out of control.
At this stage of life it is important to enjoy today whilst also keeping an eye on tomorrow and striking a balance between the two. By consulting a professional it will allow a plan to be set up to ensure you are constantly on track and that this can be monitored and altered where needed to meet life’s many obstacles.
Factors to consider:
- Financial Plan in place
- Looking at short term and long-term goals
- Superannuation review
- Taking advantage of any grants or benefits which may assist you
- Debt Control
- Spending plan
- Risk mitigation
3
Wealth Accumulation
This is one of the most important stages of your life with your finances. You will likely still have debt, with some possible savings you have accumulated or equity. This is where you wealth can really be accelerated.
We want to ensure we are factoring in your long term goals for retirement at this stage.
With the current preservation age to access your superannuation being sixty and the age pension age constantly increasing it is important to be in control of your own destiny. By looking at methods to generate a passive income from various investments this will give you the option of retirement when you choose and not be dictated by the government and their constant changing of the rules.
Factors to consider:
- Tax planning (we provide tax advice to ensure you are taking advantage of any current tax breaks available and structures which may be relevant)
- Loan structures (It is important your loans are structured in such a way that you are saving interest where possible and this can tie back in with the tax planning)
- Estate Planning (making sure if anything was to happen to you, that your loved ones will be financially supported through a difficult time. We also ensure this is done in a tax effective manner)
4
Retirement planning
After working the majority of your life, we want to start to focus on what all the hard work has been for. You will generally only have one time in your life where you transition into retirement which could last for 20+ years so you want to make sure all your years of hard work is captured as appropriately as possible with a well thought out retirement plan.
We also want to ensure your superannuation is correctly set up as the rules on your superannuation leading into retirement can be quite complex and if decisions are made they cannot necessarily be undone dependant on your age and employment status.
Your estate planning should be revisited to periodically ensure that your wishes including listed beneficiaries are as you require.
5
Retirement
Time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your endeavour. You have worked hard so this is the time to live the lifestyle you have always dreamed of. It is important that you can forecast the longevity of your assets and not be stressed about the possibility of your funds depleting too quickly.
It is still important to have your portfolio managed at this stage in the correct investments and ensure appropriate levels of cash are available should they be needed for emergencies.
We also want to ensure where relevant that any eligible Centrelink entitlements are pro-actively managed alongside pension payments. Allowing APEX financial advisers to manage this process takes the stress away from our clients, we can liaise with Centrelink to ensure the full benefits your entitled to are received in a timely manner.
Aged care facilities may also be a requirement later in retirement which benefit from planning in advance. We can review facility fees in line with your personal situation to ensure you are comfortable in your later years without the stress of knowing whether these facilities are a viable option.