Financial Planning

How good are you at making smart financial choices?

We know that making smart financial choices can be difficult. To get it right, you need to consider tax laws, super rules, Centrelink — and the list goes on.

The choices you make, don’t just affect your finances, they affect your overall wellbeing. Research¹ shows there are emotional, social and personal benefits associated with seeing a financial planner. In fact, people who see a financial planner, compared to those who don’t, are:

• 20 per cent more likely to have increased feelings of security regarding their day-to-day finances, and
• 21 per cent more likely to have peace of mind with regards to their financial future. 

Importantly, people who receive ongoing financial planning are 21 per cent less likely to have their personal relationships impacted due to concerns about money.

Challenge yourself - visit the Choices interactive experience and see if you can make smart financial choices. 

About Bridges

Bridges financial planners cover a wide range of financial planning and investment services to help you achieve your financial goals. They are committed to providing clients with professional, ongoing advice and service and can help you with retirement planning, superannuation strategies, salary packaging, stockbroking and so much more.

Bridges Financial Services Pty Limited is one of Australia’s largest financial planning companies focused on providing financial advice to the customer-owned banking sector including credit unions and mutual banks. They have over 60 offices and more than 160 planners across the country. Bridges has been helping Australians reach their financial goals for over 30 years. Bridges holds an Australian Financial Services Licence issued by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and is an ASX Participant.

Financial advice makes a difference

It pays to seek advice from a qualified professional. So while many people are aware that they need professional advice, it’s often hard to know where to start. The quest isn’t simply to find a planner; but to find one you can trust. Getting the right advice can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to your financial affairs. In fact, research by the Financial Services Council shows that people who received advice were almost $100,000 better off at retirement*.

^{*Source: Financial Services Council 2011. The research shows that a 30 year old would save an additional $91,000, a 45 year old would save an additional $80,000 and a 60 year old would save $29,000 more than those without a financial adviser.}

Plan for the unexpected

Marriage, divorce, first job, new job, redundancy, first home, children, school fees, death of a loved one, illness, injury, retirement – some are expected, some are unexpected, but all are a part of life and just a few of the times when financial planning advice can make a difference. Any change in your personal circumstances can have an impact on your financial future. So, if your circumstances change, having a plan in place can provide reassurance and peace of mind at a difficult time.

• Investments - managing your investments and investing tax effectively
• Superannuation – understanding your options and maximising every opportunity
• Retirement – helping you ease into retirement

Call us to arrange your free initial consultation

Bridges Resource Centre

Start planning for a brighter future today with these tips and resources from Bridges.

Know more

Start planning for a brighter future today with these tips and resources from Bridges.

Know more

Financial planning process

Make sense of the financial-planning process with our 6-step guide.

Step 1 – Gathering information

The first meeting with your financial planner will give you the opportunity to discuss your current financial situation. Typically, they will ask about how much you earn, other sources of income, commitments, and how you spend your money.

Step 2 – Identifying goals

An essential part of this process is to clearly identify your financial goals. Your financial planner should take into account timeframes, financial commitments and other influences that may impact the development of your plan.

Step 3 – Identifying and prioritising financial issues

Your financial planner will assess your financial situation by asking you about your attitude towards risk and diversification as well as your time frame which will then help you prioritise your goals.

Step 4 – Preparing your financial plan

Based on your financial situation and goals, your financial planner will develop a complete strategy and prepare it for your review.

Step 5 – Implementing your financial plan

It’s good to approach your plan with flexibility; once you’ve agreed with your plan, it’s time to put it into action.

Step 6 – Reviewing your plan

Staying on track is important to help you meet your goals and expectations. Your situation will change, so from time to time your financial planner will review your plan and check the progress of your strategy.

Call us to arrange your free initial consultation

Maximise your super

Make your super work as hard as you do

Selecting the right investment strategy is an important step in achieving your retirement goals. A Bridges financial planner can help you achieve a strategy that suits you so you can start creating a picture of what your retirement will look like.

A Bridges financial planner may be able to help you:

• Choose an appropriate super fund with the features you need
• Select the appropriate investment mix depending on your risk profile and investment time frame
• Boost your super by making the most of the contributions limits, tax-benefits and government incentives
• Transition your super to a pension once you retire.

Everyone's situation is different. A Bridges financial planner can help you find a strategy that works for you.

Call us to arrange your free initial consultation

Retirement planning

After working so hard for so many years, don’t you deserve a retirement that’s as good as it can be? With a little bit of planning, you can do whatever you want in retirement. While many people rely on the Age Pension for their income in retirement, it only allows for a very basic lifestyle.

The Bridges retirement gap calculator projects how much you will have in super and how long it will last which is an important part of your retirement is planning. Then if there is a gap, there are a number of strategies you could consider to start closing the gap. For example, the salary sacrifice calculator illustrates the difference between making additional super contributions with pre-tax money compared with after-tax money. Super is concessionally taxed at just 15% compared to your marginal rate, which can really help your super grow.

Call us to arrange your free initial consultation