Independent Financial Advice
Why Independence?
Our aim is to provide strategic advice that will put you in a better position while reflecting your values and purpose. We believe the best way to do this is be part of the 1% of advisers in Australia who are Independent . Independence in the financial planning means we meet a legislated definition to remove conflicted interest that could influence advice. We are proud this means we:
- Don’t charge commissions or other conflicted incentives.
- Aren’t controlled by a (financial) product manufacturer (e.g. a super fund, investment provider, bank etc.).
- Fixed fee basis (not an asset based fee).
Who We help
We are here to provide you with a trusted financial expert on your side. We provide expert strategic advice to help solve the challenges faced by you. The people we help the most are:
- Established Professionals and Executives.
- People preparing for, or about to, retire.
- Anyone going through a significant life transition (e.g. lost partner, inheritance, divorce, redundancy).
We start by understanding your current position, any decisions or challenges that you are facing. Then we work together to design and implement a plan that achieves your goals and objectives.
Our advisers
John Hicks, Founder and lead Financial Adviser.
John began his financial planning career in 2007 after relocating from London to Australia.
Before launching his own practice, he worked as an employee with practices ranging from boutique to mid-sized up and a large corporatised institution building his strategic understanding and passion for personalised client care.
He holds an Bachelor degree in Economics (Honours), a Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning and the SMSF Specialist Adviser® designation. John’s depth of experience, academic foundations and empathy, shapes a practice with a simple philosophy: clear advice, thoughtful strategy to provide guidance that empowers.
John is available in person in Yarraville (Melbourne) and online (Teams/Zoom).
Megan Henderson, Provisional Financial Adviser.
Megan began in Law but entered financial planning in 2016, drawn to work centred on a mix of her insight into the psychology of money and a genuine passion for helping people as a professional extension to her volunteer work with women in crisis.
She brings insight, empathy and a practical but logical approach to helping her clients make confident financial decisions. While she has clients from all areas her main focus on supporting women to build their financial independence or navigating through a major life transition.
Megan’s financial planning experience is extensive with time spent at boutiques, major business and consulting having worked across all areas of advice, strategy and product at every level of the advice delivery process. Academically, she holds a Master of Financial Planning, a Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance and a Bachelor of Business (Finance).
Megan is available in person in Taringa (Brisbane) and online (Teams/Zoom).
Where are we?
Primary Office, Yarraville (Melbourne)
Our main location is in Yarraville (Melbourne) where John and the core team are located.
Our Yarraville office is at 201/175 Stephen St, Yarraville VIC 3013 for face-to-face meetings.
Taringa (Brisbane)
We also offer face-to-face meetings in Taringa (Brisbane) with Megan, a long-term QLD resident.
Megan ‘s office is at 5 Moorak St, Taringa QLD 4068 while she shares our usual phone line (03 9028 8598).
Online, Nationwide
Our office, processes, workflow were set-up from day one to be completely online so we offer a seamless advice process whether you meet us online or in person.
Complimentary 20
minute calls available
Do you have any questions before booking a meeting or want to talk to us first?
You can book a complimentary 20-minute introductory call through the “Book a call or meeting” button.
Barbara, 65+ years, Docklands, VIC
“John appeared at just the right moment. I was about to sell a long-held investment property and I needed advice on dividing up the proceeds to provide me with ongoing retirement income; managing the CGT liability as cost effectively as possible; and estate planning as my next of kin live permanently overseas. John’s knowledge and expertise is exceptional and he has worked through all the various complexities that have cropped up with such kindness and efficiency. He is also a great listener. It is a pleasure to work with him and I can’t recommend him highly enough.”
John was extremely helpful with my request to clear our debt. John explains things clearly. Through Johns knowledge & experience I feel very confident that the advice given was right for my needs. He called back every time I leave a message and quickly resolves any issues which arise. In early 2020 John helped again with advice on my transition to retirement. Many Thanks to John.
Our experience has been very positive. John provides us with useful information in a timely and friendly manner and answers our questions promptly and succinctly. This has been very much appreciated.
In addition we belong to the following associations:
FAQs
How do I know if JH IFA are the right fit for me?
The best way to determine if we’re the right fit for you is to book an Intro call. This 20 minutes can give you a feel for what we do beofre the initial meeting. The intial meeting is a 90 minute low commitment opportunity to really dive deep into your financial aspirations, concerns and get some education. This combination wil help confirm if we are well aligned to you.
Do I need a minimum amount of money?
There is not a minimum amount of savings/investment required to see us. There is no a minimum amount of income required to see. We are focussed on the value we can provide, while this can be more where higher incomes or assets are involved still be a lot of value in situations nothing to do with existing assets.
Do you have parking?
We do not have designated client parking but there is free street parking available on our street and the surrounding streets, all within a short walking distance of the office.
What’s the difference between accountant and planner
Financial planners focus on long-term strategies that suit your goals and family so that areas like investing, retirement, insurance, and estate planning are worked on with purpose.
Accountants are more focussed on tax returns, business accounting, and compliance. There are some professionals offer both services, but they would require both sets of qualifications, licencsing and CPD etc.
How do I know if I’m on track for retirement?
Your financial planner can help assess your retirement readiness by reviewing:
- Your current savings and superannuation
- Expected retirement expenses
- Investment performance
- Government entitlements (e.g., Age Pension)
They will model different scenarios to help you understand your options and make adjustments if needed.
What’s the difference between accountant and planner
Financial planners focus on long-term strategies that suit your goals and family so that areas like investing, retirement, insurance, and estate planning are worked on with purpose.
Accountants are more focussed on tax returns, business accounting, and compliance. There are some professionals offer both services, but they would require both sets of qualifications, licencsing and CPD etc.
What qualifications does an adviser need?
Standards have increased in financial advice a lot in the alst decade. To become a finanical planner you need to:
- Meet the education standard —approved bachelor degree or higher
- Pass a specific Financial Adviser Exam.
- Complete a “Professional Year” which is 1,500 supervised hours of work activities and 100 hours of structured training.
- Be authorised by an AFSL, appointed on the Financial Advisers Register and registered with ASIC before giving unsupervised personal advice.
- Complete at least 40 hours CPD each year
- Comply with the Financial Planners and Advisers Code of Ethics.
Are your fees tax-deductible?
The initial Financial Planning fees and the Ongoing financial planning fees can be tax-deductible. We are required to provide an itemised report of our services to each client and estimate the tax-deductibility applying to each service and client.
