The bulk of the benefits from quality financial planning is not provided by any one of our services but the whole offering.
Financial Planning Advice
Setting goals and staying on track is easier to do with a coach. Helm can be your financial coach. We can help you take stock of where you are now, where you want to be and help you choose a course to get there. However although planning is important, one of the most valuable services we provide is helping you avoid making costly financial mistakes that use up your valuable time and money. Come in and see why investing in quality financial advice will be the best decision you make this year.
Estate planning services
Writing a will can be simple and need not be expensive – for many of us a will can be written up or amended professionally for just a few hundred dollars. However, Estate planning is more than a valid will, it’s about having the right assets in the right place at the right time to protect them from being contested and to ensure they are directed to where you intend. It’s about family, relationships and preventing costly mistakes that could lead to damaging family conflicts over the distribution of an estate. Bigger estates and more complex family arrangements require more planning to ensure smooth succession. How well do you understand your will? Is it doing what it is supposed to? Let us help you find out today!
Superannuation and Retirement Planning
Most people have the majority of their investment money tied up in their Superannuation. Managing this money diligently is an essential part of any successful financial plan in Australia today. Super is heavily regulated to prevent it from being used in any way that does not support its primary goal which is to provide retirement income.
Making the most of the considerable tax incentives given to this sector by the Federal government requires expertise and is the basis of many of the excellent Financial Planning strategies utilised by Helm on a weekly basis. However, while the superannuation environment is a haven for tax benefits there are also dangers to investing in this market – as with any. Firstly there are obscure and arcane superannuation laws that can often sting the unwary and the ill-informed with harsh tax penalties. With the benefit of Helm’s expertise you can easily avoid these dangers, ensure your assets are employed into well diversified investment portfolio’s using quality low cost structures. Every Helm retirement portfolio is constructed to ensure that the client has access to both sufficient retirement income and adequate liquidity to fund their retirement.
Portfolio Management
Everyone’s appetite for risk and return is different. One client may only feel comfortable investing in zero-risk bank or government bonds, whereas another hopes to enjoy superior returns by punting on a few high growth equity securities. However, modern portfolio theory suggests that all assets and all asset classes have a place within an investment portfolio. It’s Helm’s job to encourage our clients to take on exposure to assets that improve existing investment diversity, provide an appropriate level of liquidity, income and risk for their own individual risk profile. Helm prefers to recommend an investment portfolio with a mixture of fixed interest, cash, shares and property in quantities specially tailored for you.
Tax Optimisation and Record Keeping
Planning
Tax planning is an area where financial planners are undervalued. While most Australians associate taxation advice as the domain of an accountant, many fail to understand that accountants only see you once a year and prepare a return for a year that is already over! In contrast the most effective tax saving strategies such as salary sacrifice or income splitting through a trust have to be in place during the financial year and are no use to you if the financial year you are reporting on is already over. The advantage of financial planning is that we can advise you to commence strategies during the year which will save you money when tax time comes.
Administration and Reporting
Accurate CGT and income reporting is important for any tax payer. Many people handle their own record keeping and administration because it is fairly easy to do if you understand what is required, have a system for recording the correct information and you have time to update it diligently as transactions occur. Where this can go wrong is when clients don’t have the time, ability or inclination to handle documents and keep track of this information themselves. Luckily, Helm handles all this for you as an integral part of our service from the outset. Our work helps to keep the cost of managing your tax affairs down, your tax bill low and you can take comfort with the peace of mind of knowing that your affairs are being managed in a diligent and professional manner.
Insurance
Personal risk insurance is a tricky area for advisors and clients alike for two fundamental reasons: First, because we all find it tough to discuss painful things like the possibility of losing a loved one, secondly because insurance is such a complex and intangible subject with no ‘correct’ level of cover. These two factors coupled together create a situation where many people would rather avoid making decisions at all. Insurance policies are intentionally complicated and most insurers or insurance brokers recommend expense commission laden policies that provide ‘premium benefits’ that may not even be relevant for your personal situation.
Helm operates on a fee-for-service basis and we only recommend products that we deem to be necessary to protect your family’s financial interests against legitimate risks. Our job is to ensure that you are paying the right price for the right product, positioned in the right place to protect you against legitimate risks that could force you and/or family into financial hardship.
If you are interested in this service please request a personalised financial protection plan in which we will tailor an insurance solution suit your needs and your family situation. Call us for a preliminary insurance risk analysis to see if a Helm Financial Protection Plan would be valuable for you.