Five good reasons for seeking financial advice

Financial advice isn’t just for people with wealth. Whether you’ve set your sights on owning a home or retiring early, advice from a financial planner can help you make it happen.

Buying a home

Managing your budget and cash flow to save for a deposit are key to getting you into your first home. A financial planner can help you simplify and prioritise your finances and manage existing debts so you can draw up a sensible budget and get saving. And when you’re ready to buy, they can help you update your household budget and insurance arrangements to make sure life in your new home is secure and sustainable.

Starting a family

Money isn’t the only consideration when you’re getting ready to have children. But it’s an important one and taking the financial pressure off while you adapt to your new life as parents can help you enjoy this new chapter in your life even more.

A financial planner can help you budget for taking time off work and managing all your expenses on a reduced income. They can help you understand how working part-time will affect your household income and superannuation savings so you can make lifestyle decisions that will work for your new family and your finances.

Providing for your family

When your kids are young, your financial goals might be around saving and investing for their education. As they grow older, this might change to helping them buy a home or start a business. Through investment and debt management advice, a financial planner can help you support them and continue to lead a comfortable life.

You’ll also want to make sure your family can still benefit from your wealth after your death. Your financial planner can help with this by arranging life insurance and making sure your estate and will are well organised and kept up-to-date.

Getting rid of debts

With house prices rising year on year, the amount of debt we take on when we become home owners can seem overwhelming. But with the right strategy, saying owning your property outright can become a reality. And becoming debt-free doesn’t necessarily mean channelling most of your income into loan repayments. Sometimes it can make more sense to start an investment portfolio, particularly when there’s potential for earning more than you’re paying in loan interest.  With a smart investment strategy and sound advice from a financial planner, you can pay off your loans faster and enjoy better cash flow now, and in the long term.

Enjoying your retirement

Whatever you plan to do in retirement, having a decent income can give you the freedom to make lifestyle choices without worrying about money. When you’re younger, getting financial advice about your super can be the trigger you need to make your retirement savings a priority when it still seems so far off. And if you’re approaching retirement, a good planner can help you maximise your super contributions and investment earnings, so you can really boost your savings as retirement becomes a reality.

Whether you’re buying your first home or downsizing, starting a family or retiring, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional can offer help with organising and planning your finances for a better future.

Online source: Produced by The Financial Financial Planning Association of Australia and published on 28 February 2017.  Original article.